Jump to content

A discussion of RPI


tmh8286

Recommended Posts

FUN?? :?

While the numbers may turn you off, it's all simple arithmetic.  Just a matter of plugging the numbers into the formulas, then adding and multiplying.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While the numbers may turn you off, it's all simple arithmetic.  Just a matter of plugging the numbers into the formulas, then adding and multiplying.

Quite the contrary, that was probably the best part of my day seeing you break down those formulas...now if we could only figure out the SOS formula!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tim, Do I need to come in for some un-needed dental work?  Are things a little slow?

j/k

I am such a stat geek.  My wife asked me just last week when I rattled off some useless stat, "where do you store all of that?"

I've no idea and also have no idea why I have facts and figures from years ago.  If only I had that much of the bible memorized.

Anyway, you'll never bore me with this kind of info Tim.  I love it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tim, Do I need to come in for some un-needed dental work?  Are things a little slow?

Multi-tasking, Eddie - that's the name of the game :-D!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you've been keeping with the minutia of all of this, then I think you'll find the following article amusing.  Rather than post the whole thing, and take up valuable message board server space ( :wink: ), I'll just link to the article.  It's from the 3/5/06 edition of the Washington Post, and it illustrates the degree of misunderstanding of the RPI at the highest levels of D-I basketball:

The numbers, Gamed?  Missouri Valley Conference Teams Have Used Savvy Scheduling to Boost Their RPI and Possibly Burst the Bubble Hopes of Some Major Programs

Here's how one very elite D-I coach views RPI:  "[Gary] Williams, . . .compared the RPI to the Da Vinci Code . . ."

How about this quote from the commissioner of the Mountain West Conference:

"They study the RPI and the mechanics and know the formula," said Craig Thompson, the Mountain West Conference commissioner and a former chair of the selection committee. "They start out the conference with a high RPI [how do you get a high RPI?  By WINNING, especially on the road!], then when they keep playing each other it's like a vortex, just feeding on itself. I don't know if that's outsmarting it, but they've done a great job utilizing the formula."

That's just a hilarious quote!  Nobody is safe from the VORTEX the Valley is creating!!!

Even though the article is a couple of years old, it's still a very interesting read.

(BTW, the Valley is ranked eighth so far this season, according to Pomeroy.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice article, makes you wonder if the NCAA has tweaked its formula since then.  Was this the same year Missouri State was left out even with a 21 RPI record?  All a lower level team has to due is have one big win against a quality opponent then everyone in the conference will benefit. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Doesn't this all argue for scheduling a bunch of crappy (beatable) teams on the road?  Ah, but the dollar is mightier than the RPI.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Doesn't this all argue for scheduling a bunch of crappy (beatable) teams on the road?  Ah, but the dollar is mightier than the RPI.

I think both are true, OKCE.  Actually, if RPI was all you were worried about, top teams would do well to schedule teams like ORU on the road, where they were reasonably sure of winning, but SOS would still be strong.  At least that's how it seems to me. 

Here's a quote from a year or so ago that I keep referring to, but I think it's SO relevant in today's basketball world:

"'Money is important for us, and because it's so much money, we can still make $400,000 on a home game, even after a guarantee,' Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. "We don't go higher than $40,000 to $60,000 for a guarantee, and when we do that, we're still making $400,000. It's hard to give up that much money."

Plus, these programs know that the relative strength of their conferences will make up for any deficits created by playing a primarily home schedule in the non-conference season.  Not only that, but RPI is just one consideration in a subjective selection process.  It's like they can't lose.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

After beating Centenary tonight (2/2/08) we are ranked at #53. And that's with little to no help from some of our "signature" wins. If those teams would pick up a win here or there it would really help us out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After beating Centenary tonight (2/2/08) we are ranked at #53. And that's with little to no help from some of our "signature" wins. If those teams would pick up a win here or there it would really help us out.

I LOVE realtimeRPI .com because we no longer have to wait till the next day, or whenever the web host updates, to find out what our new RPI is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

#53! We're in great position going into 'Selection Monday'...Utah St. got a big win at home against Nevada, moving them back into the top 100. I would like to know where we would be without the Texas A&M-CC loss and if OSU wouldn't have lost a couple of those close home conference games.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No doubt. TAMU-CC was on TV last night playing UTSA...i know this is no secret but man are they bush league this year. Much like Summit officiating.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hax just had Jerry Palm on his show, and asked him if ORU had any chance at an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament.  I was amazed at how quickly Palm rattled off how ORU needed at least one road win against Texas, Arkansas, or A&M, and not have lost to TAM-CC or Utah State to have a hope for an at large bid.  Obviously some familiarity there, even if it was just preparation before the interview.  Then again, he may have just had printouts of the area teams in front of him for the interview - but it seemed like a little more than that. 

Palm said he lives about 20 min. from Valparaiso, and mentioned that Valpo had the same problem when they were dominating the (then) Mid-Con.  League play just not strong enough for an at-large bid.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...