RPI Top 20

[GoneGolfin]

Overall RPI Top 20 (with Adjusted RPI values)

#1 California (.7307)
#2 Arizona State (.7137)
#3 Alabama (.7080)
#4 Texas (.6892)
#5 Oklahoma (.6890)
#6 Tennessee (.6866)
#7 Oregon (.6831)
#8 Florida (.6758)
#9 Texas A&M (.6710)
#10 Arizona (.6679)
#11 Louisville (.6650)
#12 Louisiana (.6640)
#13 UCLA (.6545)
#14 Georgia (.6541)
#15 Washington (.6529)
#16 Florida State (.6479)
#17 Missouri (.6450)
#18 Hawaii (.6433)
#19 South Florida (.6382)
#20 LSU (.6267)

Non-Conference RPI Top 20 (with Adjusted RPI values)

#1 Alabama (.6944)
#2 Texas (.6834)
#3 Louisiana (.6762)
#4 Louisville (.6640)
#5 California (.6639)
#6 Hawaii (.6582)
#7 Washington (.6555)
#8 Oregon (.6552)
#9 Tennessee (.6486)
#10 Florida (.6481)
#11 Arizona State (.6445)
#12 Texas A&M (.6428)
#13 South Florida (.6425)
#14 Arizona (.6411)
#15 Oklahoma (.6393)
#16 Georgia (.6346)
#17 UCLA (.6292)
#18 Florida State (.6265)
#19 Michigan (.6232)
#20 Syracuse (.6141)

Brian

[Turbine]

It seems obvious to me -no matter how this turns out- the Lotiefs need to keep scheduling like they did this year.

Thanks

[jumboragncajun]

It feels like at the end of a game, when you have the lead and you want that clock to tick as fast as it possibly can.

After reading the initial post..... My brain is trained to look for the next post to be the inevitable "man, we really needed those rainout games" post...... Or "Brian, where would we be if 'insert question that has been asked a million times' ". Haha. But nothing. Maybe everyone has caught up on all the "refer to this thread" links.

[GoneGolfin]

It feels like at the end of a game, when you have the lead and you want that clock to tick as fast as it possibly can.

After reading the initial post..... My brain is trained to look for the next post to be the inevitable "man, we really needed those rainout games" post...... Or "Brian, where would we be if 'insert question that has been asked a million times' ". Haha. But nothing. Maybe everyone has caught up on all the "refer to this thread" links.

Thanks for the laugh. :-)

Brian

[LuLu]

Does the NON Conference RPI as you listed, make a difference in the actual decision by the Selection Committee? Why do you keep posting it? Is it important? Am I missing something? I thought the first list was the one that counted.

[Turbine]

Does the NON Conference RPI as you listed, make a difference in the actual decision by the Selection Committee? Why do you keep posting it? Is it important? Am I missing something? I thought the first list was the one that counted.

It shows how really good the scheduling was this year.

Everthing else is out of UL's collective control.

[CajunFan3406]

When you have to play 3 games a piece against teams with crappy records like Middle and FAU and then a 4th in the conference tournament, you need to have a great out of conference RPI like the Cajuns did this year to stay up in the rankings. They'll have to schedule and win like this every year to get a shot at a regional. The sad story of playing Sun Belt softball.

[GoneGolfin]

Does the NON Conference RPI as you listed, make a difference in the actual decision by the Selection Committee? Why do you keep posting it? Is it important? Am I missing something? I thought the first list was the one that counted.

The Overall RPI certainly drives the bus.

Non-conference RPI is a data component provided to the selection committee in several of the reports they review at selection time. It is of particular note in the summary Nitty Gritty report (both baseball and softball) as well the detailed team reports, along with other criteria/important data.

Your conference schedule is something that you cannot control. Your non-conference schedule demonstrates your willingness to schedule strong (in the part of the schedule that you control) and your NC RPI is intended to indicate the level of success on the field against such schedule.

Past UL RPI Rank, NC RPI Rank (NCAA Selection Time)

2011 -> 35, 55
2010 -> 29, 30
2009 -> 24, 14
2008 -> 24, 19
2007 -> 33,13

Brian

[GoneGolfin]

When you have to play 3 games a piece against teams with crappy records like Middle and FAU and then a 4th in the conference tournament, you need to have a great out of conference RPI like the Cajuns did this year to stay up in the rankings. They'll have to schedule and win like this every year to get a shot at a regional. The sad story of playing Sun Belt softball.

But this is not a problem exclusive to the Sun Belt (#8 RPI conference). It is really a problem for every team in a conference outside of the Top 4 (Pac-12, Big XII, SEC, ACC) ... maybe 5. Even Louisville (Big East ... #5 RPI conference) needs a really stellar season (W-L record ... no margin for error) to finish in the RPI Top 16. South Florida is on the outside looking in. The RPI is really rigged for these Top 4 conferences ... and in particular the Top 3. The Top 3 conferences have 13 of the Top 16 RPI spots (and all of the spots in the Top 10). Another Top 16 spot (#16) goes to the #4 conference (ACC) by a hair. There is a decent chance that the Top 3 conferences end with 14 of the Top 16 spots in the RPI ... and it will have taken two incredible seasons (Louisiana, Louisville ... only two losses by each team) to take those other two spots.

There are still some improvements that can be made to the schedule that would allow for more Cajun losses in a given year, yet still remain in the Top 16 ... without increasing budget. But it is tight and this year's schedule is a significant step forward.

Brian

[RaginDetroitCajun]

Brian; question: please give me the rpi's (3) of louisiana if they lost 1 game to troy, or lost 1 game to florida atlantic and if they were undefeated. it appears the "system" is so rigged that if louisiana went 53-0 it would not be national seed to host both regionals. if this is true maybe the federal reserve is behind this corruption also. lol

[GoneGolfin]

Brian; question: please give me the rpi's (3) of louisiana if they lost 1 game to troy, or lost 1 game to florida atlantic and if they were undefeated. it appears the "system" is so rigged that if louisiana went 53-0 it would not be national seed to host both regionals. if this is true maybe the federal reserve is behind this corruption also. lol

I assume you meant FIU, not FAU. But any event, it does not matter whether it is Troy, FAU, FIU, or Mississippi Valley State ... it is all the same to the Overall RPI. So, what I assume you want to know is what the Cajuns' RPI rank would be with zero or one losses.

I addressed the topic of where the Cajuns would be ranked with a 46-0 record on the Ultimate College Softball Forum.

At 46-0, the Cajuns would have an RPI rank of 9.
At 45-1 the Cajuns would have an RPI rank of 10.

Brian

[RaginDetroitCajun]

thanks Brian, so as of today 46-0 does not get them a national seed. sad. after louisiana finishes sun belt play including post season could you please post what their final rpi would have been if they would have gone 53-0. after beating arizona state, michigan and other post season teams, that is really shocking and unfair. to think that we could run the table and have a ooc rpi of 3 and still not be a national seed is criminal. thanks for all you do.

[GoneGolfin]

thanks Brian, so as of today 46-0 does not get them a national seed. sad.

Keep in mind that finishing outside of the Top 8 RPI does not necessarily mean they would not earn a national seed. No doubt in my mind an undefeated record would earn them a national seed.

after louisiana finishes sun belt play including post season could you please post what their final rpi would have been if they would have gone 53-0.

Certainly.

after beating arizona state, michigan and other post season teams, that is really shocking and unfair. to think that we could run the table and have a ooc rpi of 3 and still not be a national seed is criminal. thanks for all you do.

Arizona State was certainly an elite win and quite impressive. Cal and Arizona State are playing like the two best teams in the country. Cal is scary good. It will be interesting to watch Cal and Arizona State face off.

Michigan is really having a down year. They were playing better ball earlier in the year when the Cajuns played them. They simply look punchless over the last several weeks and in my mind are not a Top 25 team (and are outside the RPI Top 25, though the polls have them ranked). As we speak, they are struggling at home with an Eastern Michigan team they have defeated 31 consecutive times ... 2-2 B8th.

The Cajuns really need some of the teams they beat to move into the RPI Top 25 ... such as Georgia Tech, Michigan, Mississippi State, Tulsa, etc. It will be difficult to qualify for a national seed with an RPI of around 12 if you are only 1-0 vs. the RPI Top 25.

Brian

[GoneGolfin]

Overall RPI Top 20 (with Adjusted RPI values)

#1 California (.7307)
#2 Arizona State (.7137)
#3 Alabama (.7080)
#4 Texas (.6892)
#5 Oklahoma (.6890)
#6 Tennessee (.6866)
#7 Oregon (.6831)
#8 Florida (.6758)
#9 Texas A&M (.6710)
#10 Arizona (.6679)
#11 Louisville (.6650)
#12 Louisiana (.6640)
#13 UCLA (.6545)
#14 Georgia (.6541)
#15 Washington (.6529)
#16 Florida State (.6479)
#17 Missouri (.6450)
#18 Hawaii (.6433)
#19 South Florida (.6382)
#20 LSU (.6267)

Through Wednesday's games, the Cajuns have seen their Adjusted RPI increase from .6640 (beginning of week) to .6650.

In and of itself, sweeping ULM (#149, 23-22) this weekend will result in a very small drop in the Cajuns' Adjusted RPI ... from .6649 at present to .6638. ULM's OWP entering the Cajun series is a paltry .4611. Playing three games against the Cajuns takes their OWP all the way up to .4921 (which becomes ULM's OOWP contribution to UL). ULM's RPI will rise significantly this weekend, even by losing all three games.

South Alabama really needs to remain in the Base RPI Top 50. South Alabama entered the week at #50 in the Base RPI, a mere .0003 ahead of #51 Radford ... .5594 vs. .5591. Georgia Southern is immediately ahead of South Alabama at #49 with a .5662 Base RPI. South Alabama being in the Base RPI Top 50 is worth .0039 to the Cajuns' Adjusted RPI.

... and if you have not noticed, Louisville, at #11 last week (.6650), nearly got run-ruled by Tennessee last night and plays a three-game set at St. John's this weekend (#121, 22-30). This is one of those situations where the Cajuns playing the lower ranked RPI team will be more beneficial to them than St. John's will be to Louisville.

Non-Conference RPI Top 20 (with Adjusted RPI values)

#1 Alabama (.6944)
#2 Texas (.6834)
#3 Louisiana (.6762)
#4 Louisville (.6640)
#5 California (.6639)
#6 Hawaii (.6582)
#7 Washington (.6555)
#8 Oregon (.6552)
#9 Tennessee (.6486)
#10 Florida (.6481)
#11 Arizona State (.6445)
#12 Texas A&M (.6428)
#13 South Florida (.6425)
#14 Arizona (.6411)
#15 Oklahoma (.6393)
#16 Georgia (.6346)
#17 UCLA (.6292)
#18 Florida State (.6265)
#19 Michigan (.6232)
#20 Syracuse (.6141)

The Cajuns' NC RPI is now .6774, from .6762.

Brian

[Turbine]

Thanks Brian.

Q Lets say you play two teams with the exact same metrics . . . Does playing a team 3 times as opposed to only once make a big difference in the end?