One thing I like about our resume is there are only 8 teams that have more wins against the RPI top 50 than we do. Granted we're 5-7, but that's pretty big. It's our success against quality teams that makes me confident that if we finish 8-8 we're in.
As expected, the loss in Austin didn't hurt us at all. Actually, we went up a spot according to the source I use. OU is at #28 in the RPI. That is the third highest RPI in the Big 12. A few other notes.....SFA is now in the RPI top 50 (not a bad team at all).......Texas Tech is now at #55. The Nebraska game is huge for us. Right now, we're still in. No doubt. A loss in Lincoln and we go straight to the bubble....we'd be really sweating out the last three games.
I'm wondering if the whole "a Big 12 team with an 8-8 or worse record has never made the tournament" holds true. Hopefully we can at least win 2 of the next 4 games and end up 8-8. If that happens, will we be the first team to do it because of our out of conference schedule?
The projections look good for OU at 8-8, not really for anyone else in the conference. OU is #28 in the RPI right now. If we go 2-2 the rest of the way (depending on who we beat) we are most likely looking at an RPI in the mid 30's. Last year, 34 of the top 35 teams in the RPI made it. If we go 2-2, that puts us at 21-11 to end the regular season. I think we would definitely need to win the first game in the B12 tourney...if we did that, I think we'd be in, but probably sweating it out on selection Sunday. 3-1 gets us in NO DOUBT, regardless of who we beat and/or how we do in the B12 tourney.
You know what I don't get. During the UT game they showed the Big 12 team with chances to get into the tournament. Kansas, Texas, K-State, and A&M were in and OU and Baylor were on the bubble. Next to the teams they had the RPI rating. OU was in the upper 20's and was on the bubble while K-State and A&M were in the 40's and in the tournament. How is that? Doesn't the RPI reflect the record, opponents, etc.? If all the RPI does is take away the "homer" votes, why doesn't the NCAA just use the RPI system instead of the polls?
The RPI is a system that weighs heavily on strength of schedule. It is a useful tool to help determine if one team's 21-10 record is actually better than another's 24-7 record. Basically, it takes your winning % and the winning % of your opponent's and THEIR opponent's and compiles a number. The guys doing the broadcast on Saturday were morons. Polls/rankings mean virtually nothing.
it's either moran, or maroon....moran. we're going to have a tough time in lincoln. i can't remember the last time we won there. i know in calvin's lst season we lost at the buzzer.
My take on the whole RPI, overall record, conference record, etc is that it gives the tournament selection committee an excuse to include a team in the field or to exclude a team from the field. If a team is say 19-14 for example and 9-7 in conference play with an RPI of 40 one guy can say the RPI of 40 and good wins X and X are enough to get in. Another person says they are only 9-7 in the league and they lost 4 of their last 6 games and uses that as a justification to leave them out. One thing I would not get too hung up on is simple conference records. I don't think the tournament selection committee says this team that is 9-7 and 18-14 overall should get in the tourney ahead of a team that is 8-8 and 21-12. I hear often how a conference may only be a 4 bid league or a 5 bid league and then all the talking heads just look at the conference standings. The short of it is I think most years even 9-7 in the league would be problematic but we are the one team this year that will probably get in at 8-8. I could see A&M at 8-8 with 22 wins and not making the tourney. I won't lie if we split our last 4 games and then lost our first game in the Big 12 tourney I would be nervous but I would still give us probably a 2 to 1 chance of being in. The way A&M has played lately and the way MIZZOU plays on the road we should still be in good shape. A win Wed against Neb would be HUGE though.
Capel against his former team. Wouldnt that a be fun storyline for all the talking heads. That Eric Maynor kid is scary good. I think Greg Paulus still has nightmares about him from last year's tourney
I'm surprised Lunardi doesn't know that the committee doesn't allow potential rematches until the round of 16 now.
If we are projected as an 8 seed at 6-6 in the league I have to think we are in decent shape of making the field at 8-8. Usually the last at-large is about a 12-seed. Of course Lunardi isn't official but he is usually pretty close. I still would prefer to not find out if 8-8 and a first round Big 12 tourney loss would still get us in but I think the chances are decent. I would say A&M is now in pretty big trouble and KSU could be in some trouble after playing at KU. Baylor looks to be in pretty good shape, the rest of their games are very winnable.
