xubrew

i just wrote a rather lengthy, but very informative post about the rpi and some suggestions as to how sun belt teams could manipulate it and use it to their advantage just like some of the high majors do, AND MY BROWSER LOGGED ME OUT AS I WENT TO POST IT!!

anyway, i'll try again later. stay tuned.

WKU Topper Jeff

Easiest way to manipulate the RPI is to WIN WIN WIN. The problem is, the schools that Sun Belt teams are winning against aren't that great, and even worse the teams they are losing to aren't that great. They have losing records. I forget the #, but I saw some research one time that looked at the combine record of all the OOC schools that every Sun Belt team played. It was not pretty. I honestly think we'd be better off to play some weaker teams but ones that have winning records. That is a big part of the RPI, your opponent's record. You need to beat teams that are beating other teams. I know with Sun Belt scheduling, easier said then done. But I don't think it has to be top 6 conference schools. I actually think we'd do better being a Southern IL or Creighton then we would a Vandy who is stinking it up.

What is hurting Western is playing in the East division of the Sun Belt. The east has not been very strong, and we're having to play them twice. We beat them by 20 points and yet our RPI still falls.

The conference has put in some RPI requirements on opponents but I don't think its being fully inforced. One problem is you agree to play a school 2-3 years before the game is actually played, and when you play that school their RPI is 200+, where it might have been 125 when you signed the contract. I think the requirement is 150 or better.

But don't get me started on the RPI!!!!

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xubrew

WOW!!

great minds think alike i guess, so either we are both really smart or really stupid. essentially, i said the same things you did. i think the rpi is more misunderstood than it is understood. here is how it is calculated:

(w/l pct * 0.25)
(opponents' w/l pct * 0.50)
(opponents' opponents' w/l pct *0.25)

since the last category only pertains to 1/4 of the rpi, and since it involves close to 27,000 games, it really isn't worth worrying about. however, the first two are.

believe it or not, a team's strength of schedule is not directly involved in calculating the rpi. it has nothing to do with your opponent's rpi. it is simply calculated from their win/loss records. butler actually boosted duke's rpi then most other teams on their schedule because they won 26+ games.

however, THE RPI IS NOT THE ONLY THING THE SELECTION COMMITTEE LOOKS AT!! want proof?? look at byu and utah's rpi and look at where they were seeded.

i think one of the best things the sunbelt teams could do is schedule low majors and mid majors that they should be able to beat, but yet will win a lot of games when they begin their respective (or not so respective) conference play. its the same thing a lot of the high majors do and it works.

WKU Topper Jeff

The selection committee looks at whatever they need to, to justify what they've done. I have NO confidence in the selection committee at all. One year its RPI, next year its SOS, another year its how well you did the last 10 games. It's whatever they need to justify giving 14-14 Big State Univeristy a 7 seed and a mid-major the shaft.

I think the mid-majors can better use the RPI to their advantage, but it could effect their SOS. If all the top mid-majors would band together and play each other, we'd do each other a lot of good. Butler, Western KY, Creighton, Xavier, Dayton, those type schools need to be playing each other!!

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