RPI Musings

[RaginDave]

warrennolan.com has our projected season ending RPI at 55.

[wcd35]

Cajuns RPI jumped an incredible 32 spots to 80 today.

We played two of the three the best WL pct teams in the conference to start, so it's an instant boost regardless of winning or losing. Also, with an unbalanced conference schedule, we don't play everyone twice. So to our RPI benefit, we get 2 games vs LR, ArkSt and UTA but only have to play CCU and App once (2/3 teams with losing records in the SBC.) We also don't play Troy and USA twice

[31Ragin97]

so now we like threads about rankings again? or are we only supposed to hate rankings posts or threads if it is from boomer? or was it a new yrs resolution?

[lcitsh]

We played two of the three the best WL pct teams in the conference to start, so it's an instant boost regardless of winning or losing. Also, with an unbalanced conference schedule, we don't play everyone twice. So to our RPI benefit, we get 2 games vs LR, ArkSt and UTA but only have to play CCU and App once (2/3 teams with losing records in the SBC.) We also don't play Troy and USA twice

On target.

Think on this also: UTA and the Cajuns played West Coast Conference teams, so not only do we get whatever their records will be (OWP), we also get Gonzaga and the rest of the conference (OOWP). On the flip side, those of us who played Texas Southern will get whatever their record will be, we also get the rest of the SWAC, who all currently have losing records.

[CajunNation]

On target.

Think on this also: UTA and the Cajuns played West Coast Conference teams, so not only do we get whatever their records will be (OWP), we also get Gonzaga and the rest of the conference (OOWP). On the flip side, those of us who played Texas Southern will get whatever their record will be, we also get the rest of the SWAC, who all currently have losing records.

This was a huge reason the MVC was able to build their conference RPI through the years, smart scheduling.

[VObserver]

On target.

Think on this also: UTA and the Cajuns played West Coast Conference teams, so not only do we get whatever their records will be (OWP), we also get Gonzaga and the rest of the conference (OOWP). On the flip side, those of us who played Texas Southern will get whatever their record will be, we also get the rest of the SWAC, who all currently have losing records.

In order to get Gonzaga and St. Marys we played a 3-9 Pepperdine that will likely end up at 7-23. Texas Southern will be better for our RPI than Pepperdine, because of the 50% weight given to OR as compared to the 25% for OOR. UTA will profit from the WCC because they played and beat a 12-1 St. Marys who will likely end up 27-4 or 26-5.

[VObserver]

We played two of the three the best WL pct teams in the conference to start, so it's an instant boost regardless of winning or losing. Also, with an unbalanced conference schedule, we don't play everyone twice. So to our RPI benefit, we get 2 games vs LR, ArkSt and UTA but only have to play CCU and App once (2/3 teams with losing records in the SBC.) We also don't play Troy and USA twice

Where we really profit from the unbalanced schedule is if the schools we play twice can have a winning record against the teams we play once. Since Coastal and Appy are both weak, that is very likely to happen in their case, and I don't think Troy and USA will both have winning conference records either.

[SlappyCajun]

In order to get Gonzaga and St. Marys we played a 3-9 Pepperdine that will likely end up at 7-23. Texas Southern will be better for our RPI than Pepperdine, because of the 50% weight given to OR as compared to the 25% for OOR. UTA will profit from the WCC because they played and beat a 12-1 St. Marys who will likely end up 27-4 or 26-5.

True, but Pepperdine is usually a pretty good program. It's not like we were trying to schedule a dog.

[VObserver]

so now we like threads about rankings again? or are we only supposed to hate rankings posts or threads if it is from boomer? or was it a new yrs resolution?

We are not having perception discussions; we are having reality discussions, that can have real, immediate and measurable effects on our program. We have a realistic chance of winning the conference this year. If we do, the difference between having an RPI of 55 [as some have projected us this year] and an RPI of 130, which is where we usually are, is getting an 11 or 12 seed instead of a 15 or 16. That is huge, as it will give us an opening round game against what is likely an overrated SEC or Big 10 school instead of a Kansas or Louisville.

[VObserver]

True, but Pepperdine is usually a pretty good program. It's not like we were trying to schedule a dog.

True, and the same is true of James Madison. Just a case of bad luck for us this year.