WAC altering basketball tournament format

[OrangeXtreme]

Leave it to the nerds to ruin everything...

WAC altering basketball tournament formats by introducing bold new seeding concept based on advanced analytics

More than just wins and losses: Seeding will be based off KenPom formula, the NET and reward teams for winning against tougher schedules

www.cbssports.com

The Western Athletic Conference is changing how it seeds its postseason basketball tournaments by introducing an intrepid, evolutionary concept to the sport. The 2022-23 season will see the WAC's men's and women's basketball standings be determined not just by conference wins and losses, but also an algorithm that rewards and/or punishes based off performance against all teams they face in the regular season.

In what's believed to be a first in the history of college sports: a conference will seed its postseason tournament based on advanced analytics.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

This is stupid.

Edited to add: it's a terrible idea to include non conference performance in any calculation of in conference ranking and seeding.

 

[EnviroSciGuy]

This is stupid.

Edited to add: it's a terrible idea to include non conference performance in any calculation of in conference ranking and seeding.

Yeah, too many unlike factors to make a side-by-side comparison. Creates opportunities to game the analytics. Then again, maybe they are trying to encourage their members to put max effort into scheduling higher-profile games.

 

[Cheriehoop]

Yeah, too many unlike factors to make a side-by-side comparison. Creates opportunities to game the analytics. Then again, maybe they are trying to encourage their members to put max effort into scheduling higher-profile games.

Yes it could be a strategy that rewards scheduling a big loss to a top team more than a big win over a so-so team or conference matchup.

 

[upperdeck]

so in theory could a team win all its OC games and none of its conf games and get a #1 seed?

 

[EnviroSciGuy]

so in theory could a team win all its OC games and none of its conf games and get a #1 seed?

Only the top 12 teams in the standings get in, so no. Also, losing out in conference would certainly tank their analytics.

 

[MikeSU02]

It's to give the actual best team in the WAC the best chance in the NCAAs. It's sacrificing the conf tourney norms to see a non P6 conf have a better shot of making noise in the tourney.

 

[PoppyHart]

This is wac.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

This is wac.

This is a great post.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Ken Pomeroy and the WAC were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.

 

[721Comstock]

Ken Pomeroy and the WAC were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Lamar finds a way.

 

[cusefan88]

If you complain about NCAAT seeding don't complain about this...

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

So if someone goes out and knocks off Kentucky and gets rewarded for it by their league that is a bad thing?

I think this is a cool idea for a smaller league who's OOC games are going to almost always be against stronger leagues. It doesn't make sense really for a major conference but why not make all the games matter?

 

[jncuse]

This move will help the WAC's expected tourney seeds rise from 1.0000000 all the way to 1.0000001

 

[Orangezoo]

Ken Pomeroy and the WAC were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.

Good to see we all have some of the same things top of mind these days...

 

[donniesyracuse]

I like the spirit of this. Thirty game seasons aren’t enough for good data though, perhaps if everyone played 100 games.