Big dance possibilities

[UNIFanSince1983]

Maybe if the Redbirds would actually challenge themselves out of conference for a change, their NCAA fortunes would improve.

Not to defend ISUr here, because I certainly hate doing that. But last season, they did play @ #1 Kentucky and #2 Maryland, as well as @ San Diego St. So i'll cut them a little bit of slack with regard to scheduling. That being said, In a year where they have a legit shot at an at-large bid, it would be nice to see them with more than one game against the RPI top 50 (3, potentially 4 if Wichita creeps in there but still).

Yeah, that was an odd criticism. IlSU's nonconference strength of schedule was 7th in the country last year. It's 70th this year, but as is the case with WSU's non-conference schedule, it probably looked better than that when it was put together. Next year we're playing in a tourney in Puerto Rico that includes, among others, Florida State and South Carolina. You may fairly criticize Dan Muller for many things, but he has really elevated the level of the nonconference schedule.

This is true. The level has significantly risen since the Jank days.

[BCPanther]

There are exactly 3 schools in this league that give a damn about what their non-conference schedules look like and, shockingly, those are the 3 most disillusioned that would probably take the first reasonable train out of the league. It's like there's a hidden meaning here or something....

Says the fan whose team played 2 fewer games than allowed this season.

We tried to get two, but the calendar worked against us with the MTE being the week before Thanksgiving. That took the Sunday/Monday of the opening weekend away. I suppose we could have jammed a game into finals week or stuck one into the night before Thanksgiving.

What's funny is that if we'd done that you'd have been up in arms that we were playing a bad team. You seem to have some weird obsession with UNI lately.

Just wait until next year, everybody's schedules are going to be super compressed because of where Christmas falls and with the league tournament being as early as it can be (March 1-4). In the past the league has been hesitant to have the first games on the 27th because it's so close to Christmas. Wouldn't surprise me at all if the league decided to play a league game on the weekend of December 9th like we used to because there are only 17 slots for games between New Year's and the league tournament.

Total rumor here, but I've also heard that the Mountain West Challenge may be moving into January or February to give a TV boost to later in the year like BracketBusters used to be.

[Redbird Recon]

non con rpi sos
22 UNI
74 Evansville
76 Indiana State
83 Illinois State
89 SIU
174 Bradley
199 Wichita State
268 Loyola
284 Drake
317 Missouri State

[ACECARD]

non con rpi sos
22 UNI
74 Evansville
76 Indiana State
83 Illinois State
89 SIU
174 Bradley
199 Wichita State
268 Loyola
284 Drake
317 Missouri State

That's kind of hard to believe. Take away Louisville, and Boise St., and there wasn't much there. Although Middle Tenn., and UNC Wilmington are leading their conferences, and the Aces played both those teams tough. Not sure what was going on during the Aces 9 game losing streak, but they may be a team you won't want to play in St. Louis.

[2livewu]

non con rpi sos
22 UNI
74 Evansville
76 Indiana State
83 Illinois State
89 SIU
174 Bradley
199 Wichita State
268 Loyola
284 Drake
317 Missouri State

That's kind of hard to believe. Take away Louisville, and Boise St., and there wasn't much there. Although Middle Tenn., and UNC Wilmington are leading their conferences, and the Aces played both those teams tough. Not sure what was going on during the Aces 9 game losing streak, but they may be a team you won't want to play in St. Louis.

Yeah the RPI is totally jacked this year and I hope the selection committee sees that.

Take WSU and UE. UE is 125 places ahead of WSU on the non-con rpi sos.

Both played Louisville. UE played 2 games that don't count, WSU 1.

So let's compare 10 Aces games to 11 WSU games.

I've seen almost every one of these teams play at some point.

UE had Alcorn State and Norfolk State while WSU had MES and SCSU. A SWAC and 3 MEAC. These are the worst of the worst. There are hardly ANY D1 wins outside of their conferences. In fact, these 4 teams combined for 3 D1 wins outside their conferences. You can't shine a flashlight in between these 4 teams except that both Alcorn State and Norfolk State have been better in conference.

There's no practical difference between those 2 games each.

Let's go back to the top.

WSU's next 4 toughest games would be Oklahoma State, Michigan State and probably OU or Colorado State. For Evansville it would be UNC-Wilmington, Middle Tennessee, Boise State and I guess Toledo (although Toledo, Bowling Green, Morehead State and Murray State are all about the same).

So you have left Murray State, Morehead State, Austin Peay and Bowling Green for Evansville. WSU has LSU, Tulsa, Long Beach, St. Louis and South Dakota State.

You're telling me there's a 124 place difference between those 2 schedules? Or even if there is, it is significant? I don't think so.

[mule]

Yeah the RPI is totally jacked this year and I hope the selection committee sees that.

Take WSU and UE. UE is 125 places ahead of WSU on the non-con rpi sos.

Both played Louisville. UE played 2 games that don't count, WSU 1.

So let's compare 10 Aces games to 11 WSU games.

I've seen almost every one of these teams play at some point.

UE had Alcorn State and Norfolk State while WSU had MES and SCSU. A SWAC and 3 MEAC. These are the worst of the worst. There are hardly ANY D1 wins outside of their conferences. In fact, these 4 teams combined for 3 D1 wins outside their conferences. You can't shine a flashlight in between these 4 teams except that both Alcorn State and Norfolk State have been better in conference.

There's no practical difference between those 2 games each.

Let's go back to the top.

WSU's next 4 toughest games would be Oklahoma State, Michigan State and probably OU or Colorado State. For Evansville it would be UNC-Wilmington, Middle Tennessee, Boise State and I guess Toledo (although Toledo, Bowling Green, Morehead State and Murray State are all about the same).

So you have left Murray State, Morehead State, Austin Peay and Bowling Green for Evansville. WSU has LSU, Tulsa, Long Beach, St. Louis and South Dakota State.

You're telling me there's a 124 place difference between those 2 schedules? Or even if there is, it is significant? I don't think so.

I don't think so either, but it's one of those all important metrics that everyone on this board lives and dies for.

[TheAsianSensation]

It's one of the hidden tricks of the non-con SoS. Michigan St is probably better than UNC-Wilmington, but UNCW is racking up a big-time W-L record while MSU piddles around in a power conference. The SoS formula doesn't see that MSU is a power team and UNCW is a mid major - it just sees that UNCW's winning percentage is 80% and Michigan St's is 60%. Therefore the RPI sees UNCW as a far bigger help towards the SoS.

Duke and Kansas in recent years have been masters of this trick. They always scout out the best low-major programs to invite for one-offs at home - knowing those schools would be giddy at their one chance, and that Duke/Kansas could feast on their gaudy winning percentage in the SoS.

[Red]

Bubble watch:

Illinois State [22-5 (14-1), RPI: 35, SOS: 158] Illinois State trailed Missouri State -- which, if not great, is certainly better than its 200-ish RPI conveys -- by eight midway through the second half Wednesday, before scoring 10 straight points, trading 3s for the subsequent stretch, and eventually holding on for a 67-66 win. Close call, that, but ISU's long-shot bubble bid nonetheless remains afloat for the time being.

Wichita State [24-4 (14-1), RPI: 47, SOS: 203] Wichita State's last three wins -- Missouri State by 18, Loyola-Chicago by 17, Southern Illinois by 19 -- almost seem like nailbiters in comparison to the 41-point demolition the Shockers engineered against Illinois State on Feb. 4. The latter, still, remains their only top-100 victory of the season, which means the committee is going to be even less likely than it was a year ago (when WSU was unfairly shunted into the play-in round) to take solace in the Shockers' impressive efficiency margins.


http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/bubblewatch

[Redbirds4Life]

Loosely Translated, both teams are in trouble...

[TheObserver]

Which is weird, considering another employee at the same company has WSU safely in as an 8.