Is the RPI really an inferior selection tool?

[gw67]

I agree with Kedsey that the MVC has gamed the RPI for awhile. To some extent, the Devils do as well. They play in tough pre-ACC tourneys but they generally schedule good OOC teams at either CIS or a friendly venue like MSG. They also typically play a bunch of teams in the 80 to 175 range as rated by RPI and again play them at CIS. This is not a putdown. I admire the basketball staff for following this course. The only time it backfires is when the "good" teams you scheduled don't turn out to be so good.

I prefer Sagarin over RPI because it includes won-loss, margin, and home/away. At about this time of year, I also begin to look at Massey's ratings comparison. His table compares several rankings including RPI, Sagarin, Pomeroy, as well as the two polls and a host of others and ranks them according to the calculated mean. As of Sunday he has Duke (6), UNC (16), FSU (40), VT (42), Md (44), Clemson (47) and BC (60). This is about right in my opinion.

http://www.masseyratings.com/cb/compare.htm

gw67

[rasputin]

Which mid-level power teams specifically were "clearly superior" to the Missouri Valley teams that year? The MVC was fantastic that year (2006), and every team that got in the tournament was IMO completely deserving, as evidenced somewhat by two of them - Bradley and Wichita State - making the Sweet 16. In fact, you could very seriously argue that the MVC was screwed and should have gotten a 5th team in that year (Missouri State, which I believe still holds the record for the team with the best RPI to not make the tournament).

2006 was the year of the famous Billy Packer mid-major whining episode, was it not?

I got to see Wichita State's performances that year both in the MVC tournament (called Arch Madness here in St. Louis) and in the NCAA tournament in Greensboro where, IIRC, they took out #2 seed Tennessee. They were a really good basketball team, by any metric you pick.

[Reilly]

2006 was the year of the famous Billy Packer mid-major whining episode, was it not? ....

I think you could pick any year and be correct. In 2004, he was saying St. Joe's in no way deserved to be #1 (the same St. Joe's that barely lost in the Elite 8) ... when Phil Martelli said at a prep rally that "Billy Packer can kiss my ....