Season long look at UL's trek through the Baseball RPI rankings

[GoneGolfin]

Got it, was not thinking. In the old six team regionals there was a big advantage to being a 2 vs 3 now not as much.

Yes, the #3/#4 loser got the shaft as they often had to play the #1 seed in round two (Winner of the #1/#6 game).

Brian

[GoneGolfin]

If you end up as a "2"... but then play the "3" (which, if not for you beating them out for the 2 spot, would have been a "2"), are you not playing about the same level of team?

That is a big assumption on your part ... that they "would have been a #2".

Except for one year (2002), the NCAA does not simply assign teams to regionals based on pure geography. They attempt to assign real #2 and real #3 seeds to the various regionals. If the NCAA thinks that a team is a #2 seed, they are not going to send them to a regional as a #3 seed because of geography.

If you are referring to the lowest #2 seed in the field getting paired with the highest #3 seed in the field, then you are correct ... the seeding does not matter.

Brian

[rhineaux]

_ That is a big assumption on your part ... that they "would have been a #2".

Except for one year (2002), the NCAA does not simply assign teams to regionals based on pure geography. They attempt to assign real #2 and real #3 seeds to the various regionals. If the NCAA thinks that a team is a #2 seed, they are not going to send them to a regional as a #3 seed because of geography.

If you are referring to the lowest #2 seed in the field getting paired with the highest #3 seed in the field, then you are correct ... the seeding does not matter.

Brian _

Is this your only job? And if so, are you guys hiring? not that i need a job right now, but you have to have one of the coolest ones around.

[GoneGolfin]

Is this your only job? And if so, are you guys hiring? not that i need a job right now, but you have to have one of the coolest ones around.

Job? No, I am just a fan. College baseball is simply one of my hobbies.

In the real world I am a software architect and engineering director for a publicly traded software company.

Brian

[DaddyCajun]

I am starting a list of potential UL interviews for the Womens Basketball Coaching position vacated by a sorely missed and great coach, J Kelly Hall.

This is nothing official it is just listing of coaches that Stevie P, and others may have mentioned for conversations sake at the very least.

Todays listing is: Former UL Player and Princeton Grad, Sherri Murrell!!!!!

Sherri Murrell resigns after 5 years as WSU head coachAssociated Press Womens College Basketball News Wire

PULLMAN, Wash. -- Washington State women's basketball coach Sherri Murrell, whose teams compiled a 27-114 record over five years, has resigned.

Murrell, 39, said she lacked the energy to continue. Her teams posted a Pacific-10 Conference record of just 8-82.

The Cougars went 5-24 this season, finishing last in the Pac-10 for the fourth time in five years. They won only one of 18 conference games.

WSU athletic director Jim Sterk said Murrell told him Wednesday night she planned to resign. She met Thursday with her players to tell them her decision prior to the formal announcement at a news conference.

Sterk said athletic officials will begin a search for her replacement immediately.

"It's obviously a very emotional time for Sherri Murrell, her coaches and team and all of us who have worked with her," said Sterk, who last month told Murrell she could expect to stay at
least another year. "She's leaving the program in better shape than when she arrived."

Murrell, who was a head coach at George Fox University and at University of the Pacific before coming to WSU in 2002, was an assistant at Pepperdine, Brigham Young and Portland State after
finishing her playing career at Pepperdine.

Murrell said last season sapped her energy, and it wouldn't be fair to her players to continue.

"I put my heart and soul into this program," she said. "Unfortunately, the results didn't match the expectations."

Murrell said she has no immediate job prospects.

Sterk said Murrell's decision was "more about where the program was; her disappointment about not winning more games, taking them further, those kinds of things."

Cougars' women's teams have finished near the bottom of the conference since 1990, but Sterk and Murrell said WSU can have winning teams. Sterk pointed to the men's basketball team, which was picked to finish last but was the No. 2 team in the Pac-10 and went to the NCAA tournament.

Asked if former Washington coach June Daugherty, fired last month after her team lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament, would be considered as WSU seeks a replacement, Sterk
replied: "Nothing would prevent her from being a candidate." He said a selection committee would look at numerous candidates.

Team captain Katie Appleton said Murrell's decision came as a surprise.

"I know that Coach Murrell and the staff put in a lot of hard work and I know they gave it their best shot," she said. "As a team, we wish Coach Murrell the best of luck. We love her and we hope she does well in the future."

[DaddyCajun]

Sherri Murrell
WSU Head Women's Basketball Coach Sherri Murrell Resigns

Women's Basketball Press Conference: Katie Appleton | Sherri Murrell | Jim Sterk

PULLMAN, Wash. - Washington State Head Women's Basketball Coach Sherri Murrell has resigned, Cougar Director of Athletics Jim Sterk announced Thursday.

Murrell, who became the sixth coach to lead the WSU program in March 2002, owned a 27-114 record during her five-year tenure with the Cougars. WSU student-athletes garnered 18 academic honors and seven athletic accolades from the Pacific-10 Conference during her time in Pullman. The Cougars placed one student-athlete on the All-Pac-10 Academic First Team during each of Murrell's five seasons.

"This is the hardest decision I've ever had to make," said Murrell. "I put my heart and soul into this program and I'm excited for the future at Washington State. This was a very young team that I worked with this year. They're going to win next year, I believe that."

"I want to thank the Cougar family for their incredible support and for the lifelong friendships that have developed over the years," Murrell continued. "I thank Jim Sterk and President V. Lane Rawlins for their commitment to this program and staff. I have the utmost respect for this administration and university. I truly love my team and leaving them was the hardest part of this decision. I know these young women will be successful and will continue to improve this program. I appreciate all their hard work and dedication."

In a press conference Thursday, Murrell expressed that she does not, as yet, have a plan for her future.

Murrell recruited and coached four-year letterwinner Kate Benz, the Cougars' all-time leading rebounder with 899 boards and the 11th student-athlete to score 1,000 points in WSU women's basketball history. As a sophomore in 2005, Benz became the first Cougar to lead the Pac-10 in rebounding and repeated the feat in 2006.

"It was a very difficult decision for Sherri," said WSU Director of Athletics Jim Sterk. "I respect her, I respect her coaches, and I wish her the very best. We were obviously very excited when Sherri came here and sad to see her resign. She put her heart and soul into her job, and she is very well-respected as a professional and an individual in the department and in the community. She's leaving the program in better shape than when she arrived."

WSU student-athletes coached by Murrell occupy 17 spots on Cougar career top 10 lists and nine on WSU single-season top 10 lists. In 2005-06, Katie Appleton and Amanda DuRocher each made 50 treys to set the WSU freshman record for 3-pointers in a season.

"I know that Coach Murrell and the staff put in a lot of hard work and I know they gave it their best shot. As a team, we wish Coach Murrell the best of luck. We love her and we hope she does well in the future. We wish her success," said sophomore guard and team captain, Katie Appleton.

Sterk stated he and a council of administrators would begin the search for a new head coach immediately and said his number one concern was the welfare of the team, especially that of the student-athletes.

Current WSU assistant coaches Mark Lewis, Lisa Fisher and Tara Sanchez are all under contracts that expire June 30.

Washington State Cougars General Releases

[DaddyCajun]

Second potential hire but possibly first on the interview list current assistant coach and good friend of Coach J Kelly Hall: James Hatchell

James Hatchell
Basketball W

Assistant Coach

Alma Mater: South Carolina
1982
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
James Hatchell was announced as the newest addition to the women’s basketball program on August 3, 2006. Hatchell begins his first season alongside of co-head coaches J. Kelley and Meredith Hall.

Hatchell joins the Ragin’ Cajuns after spending the previous three seasons as the head coach at SHSU.

He joined the Bearkats in the summer of 2003 with the task of reviving a program that hadn’t been to the Southland Conference Tournament since 2000. In his first season, he led the Bearkats to the SLC Tournament where the team came close to upsetting top seed Northwestern State in the first round.

Prior to his stint at SHSU, he served as assistant coach at Rice University for 10 seasons.

“I’ve known James (Hatchell) for a long time and we’ve talked about coaching together in the past,” J. Kelley Hall said. “When he learned of the opening on our staff he felt the move would be a great opportunity for him and it works to our benefit as we find a new assistant coach who has ties to the Texas recruiting trails.”

Hatchell is familiar with UL program as the Cajuns and SHSU competed in a home-and-home series with a game in Lafayette during the 2004-05 season and a game in Huntsville, Texas, last season.

Before taking charge of the Sam Houston staff in 2003, Hatchell played a key role in the Rice women’s basketball program that rolled up a 10-year mark of 170-120.

His tenure at Rice included four post-season tournament appearances – the Women’s National Invitation Tournament in 1998, 1999, and 2002 and Rice’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2000. The Owls produced four 20-win seasons and had a winning record in each of his final seven seasons with the Houston-based school.

Before coaching at Rice, Hatchell was an assistant at Western Kentucky. Prior to his move to the college scene, Hatchell coached girls’ basketball for 10 years in the high school and AAU ranks in South Carolina.

Hatchell graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1982.

courtesy www.ragincajuns.com

[DaddyCajun]

Ok, we get it NO Hokie Pokie. Now can we get back to discussing potential UL hires?

I have been working around the clock the past several days, but will in the next few days have rested and searched for more potentials.

Post who you would like to see UL geaux after and/or who you heard UL may be interested in, or who has expressed interest in UL!!!


DaddyCajun

[levetsj]

Marty Marty Marty Marty

http://www.uccs.edu/~athletic/bio.php?id=47

[JamesCajun]

I had brought his name up a few days ago in the thread about Coach Hall leaving, so might as well drop it here too where it is indexed correctly.

http://athletics.lsue.edu/Basketball...h_Michael_Bari

What was interesting about this guy is that on his first year with his own recruiting class, he acheived a 27-5 record and a 4th ranking in the country at that level, beating mostly D-1 schools. He may not be the sexy choice, or the guy with UL ties from his past, but he most certainly proved he can recruit. And he could probably come cheaper than some other candidates.

[El Sidonio]

I agree with James. I mean it would definitely be a step up for him, and a bigger opportunity. And I know how much money the fatcats in the LSU system have, but there's NO way he could possibly be making more there than he'd make here.

Seriously, this is the best guess I've seen so far and I'd like it. And DC, you're my boy, u know that, but regardless of where this murrell lady is from, why on earth would we hire her with a track record like that?

anyhoo, y'all have a good one

God Bless

[GoneGolfin]

The following is a good illustration as to how a team's RPI is impacted by the bonuses/penalties awarded for non-conference road/home wins/losses against top/bottom rated opponents. It also illustrates how important it is for Cajun opponents and Cajun opoonents' opponents to perform well.

On Monday April 16th, the Cajuns had the following Base RPI and Adjusted RPI ratings and rankings. These are taken from the SEBaseball.com RPI, which includes tie games per the NCAA formula.

Base RPI .5943, #25
Adjusted RPI .5997, #21

Without having played a game, the Cajun Base RPI went ever so slightly down, however the Adjusted RPI went up. These are the numbers from Tuesday 4/17.

Base RPI .5942, #23
Adjusted RPI .6008, #19

What was the reason for such a move? Without having played a game, Southeastern Louisiana's Base RPI moved from 77 to 75. It moved up due to some of its opponents and opponents' opponents faring well.

Now, while the Cajun Base RPI slipped .0001, the Adjusted RPI rose .0011 because Southeastern Louisiana moved into the Base RPI 75. This results in an RPI bonus for the Cajuns and is reflected in the increased Adjusted RPI.

This also illustrates the importance of the weekend series against Arizona State. Arizona State has a Base RPI of 16. Each win by the Cajuns will result in the largest bonus available.

Brian