We're on the bubble! (per Lunardi)

[Eric15]

We're the last team in the "Next four out."

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

As my late grandfather would say... "it's better than a kick in the ass, I suppose."

 

[Jack Hall]

Thanks for posting! On one hand very interesting to look over but on other hand as id guess you ll agree, pretty meaningless at this time in the season. Looking at our resume/record, i get it, we dont have a good argument to be inside bubble right now. But one thing that really does jump out at me, looking at most 6-8 seeds, would SU be afraid to play most of those teams right now? I seriously doubt it, as a matter of fact (sic) I would think we would actually be slight betting line favs against a few of those teams on a neutral court. Old news, so much parity in the college game right now...

 

[Alsacs]

The A&M and UConn wins on neutral courts are huge for us. If we can win 10 ACC games including the ACCT I think we would be right on the bubble.

That Wake win was a resume booster as well. It evened out the loss to Clemson we had. Before the season I would have said W over Clemson at home and loss to WF on the road.

 

[Brooky03]

But I heard the Wisky loss ruined our season and crushed all hope...

 

[CorduroyG]

 

[Eric15]

The A&M and UConn wins on neutral courts are huge for us.

As of today, UConn's RPI is 64 and ours is 65. But we will inevitably go up by simply playing Duke.

 

[bballbeadle]

We have to dare to dream! I had us dead and buried and was preparing the eulogy.

 

[RandygoCuse]

As of today, UConn's RPI is 64 and ours is 65. But we will inevitably go up by simply playing Duke.

Do we still go up if we lose?

 

[Eric15]

Do we still go up if we lose?

I'm sure others could answer this more definitively than me but my guess would be yes.

 

[jncuse]

I'm sure others could answer this more definitively than me but my guess would be yes.

Most likely we would move down some spots but nothing more than a handful. You don't move up when losing if you are in the top 75 RPI . It's a different story for teams toward the end of the RPI.

It also depends on how cramped it is around you.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I'll see Joe Lunardi in Hell.

/obligatory

 

[orangefog]

Is that a young Rex Ryan?

 

[pulaski74]

We're the last team in the "Next four out."

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

As my late grandfather would say... "it's better than a kick in the ass, I suppose."

Ha, my granpa included a frozen boot, and better than a sharp stick in the eye. thanks for the info

 

[690West]

Take that skurey !!!

 

[skurey]

Take that skurey !!!

Don't make me petition the committee to count the games Hop coached

 

[690West]

Don't make me petition the committee to count the games Hop coached

Hahaha.

 

[kirbivore]

a #9 seed storz getting to play virtual home games in Brooklyn according to Joe's bracket. Lovely.

 

[kirbivore]

From the insider section of bracketology

The season's halfway point also brings us to the presentation of the annual Rand McNally Award. This award goes -- tongue firmly in cheek -- to the coach and team playing their first true road game at the latest point on the calendar. In other words, who went the longest without experiencing those two four-letter words (r-o-a-d g-a-m-e)?

Multiple prior winners include Jim Boeheim (Syracuse) and Mike Brey (Notre Dame). However, as members now of the ACC, both are forced at least every other year into an early December road game, courtesy of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Our latest winner benefited from an ACC/Big Ten Challenge home game (which it lost), only to turn around and win its first true road game five weeks later. Even so, by managing to go 58 days into the season without being an AWAY team, the 2015-16 Rand McNally Award goes to:

Jamie Dixon, University of Pittsburgh
Pitt 86, Notre Dame 82 (Jan. 9)
Joyce Center, South Bend, Indiana

Another scheduling pet peeve is the extraordinary number of wins piled up by mostly power conference teams in the nonleague portion of the season. Now I understand the practice of "buying" games is almost as old as the sport itself.

However, nothing says that I have to believe win-loss records that are so inflated as to be almost comically misleading. So, for kicks, I like to subtract sub-200 home court victories for schools that load up excessively with "buy" games that are little more than glorified practices.

You know who you are ...

Inflating The Records
TEAM ACTUAL W-L EFFECTIVE DIFF
Marquette 12-6 (.667) 4-6 (.400) .267
Kansas State 11-6 (.647) 5-6 (.455) .198
Syracuse 12-7 (.632) 6-7 (.462) .170
Clemson 12-6 (.667) 6-6 (.500) .167
Connecticut 12-5 (.709) 6-5 (.545) .164
Michigan 13-5 (.722) 7-5 (.583) .139
Boise State 13-5 (.722) 7-5 (.583) .139
Ohio State 12-7 (.632) 7-7 (.500) .132
Utah 12-5 (.709) 7-5 (.583) .126
Northwestern 15-4 (.789) 8-4 (.667) .122
Baylor 14-3 (.824) 7-3 (.700) .124
Evansville 16-3 (.842) 8-3 (.727) .115
Cincinnati 13-6 (.684) 8-6 (.571) .113
Saint Mary's 15-2 (.882) 7-2 (.778) .104
Colorado 13-4 (.765) 8-4 (.667) .098
Seton Hall 13-4 (.765) 8-4 (.667) .098
Gonzaga 14-4 (.778) 9-4 (.692) .086
Texas-Arlington 13-3 (.813) 8-3 (.727) .086
Louisville 14-3 (.824) 9-3 (.750) .074
Maryland 16-2 (.889) 9-2 (.818) .071
Purdue 15-3 (.833) 10-3 (.769) .064
Southern Cal 15-3 (.833) 10-3 (.769) .064
Indiana 15-3 (.833) 10-3 (.769) .064
Davidson 11-5 (.688) 8-5 (.615) .063
Pittsburgh 15-2 (.882) 10-2 (.833) .049