Wichita St

[Orangemen]

But what happens if you lose in your conference tourney? Then you have nothing to fall back on. I'd rather play a strong and competitive non-conference schedule like Memphis and Gonzaga usually do as almost an insurance policy.

If Wichita st loses in the mvc tourney they would be fine. You need to be in a decent mid major conference to make it happen. Murray st can't pull it off, but umass, wsu, gonzaga can all get away with it.

 

[SoBeCuse]

If you're in a non terrible mid major conference (a10, mvc, wcc) and you're a heavy favorite, putting together a weak schedule seems like the best plan.

If you can be confident you can get only 1 or 0 losses in conference, it's probably a fantastic plan. Avoid all terrible rpi games, maybe play 2 div 2 games (as the mwc does to great success), avoid any top 25 rpi game, and maybe by mistake land a top 50 rpi game. Hello number 1 seed and 2nd round knockout. There are worse fates than that.

For sure and good post. My suspicion is that the big dogs are afraid to play them early in the season or don't want to agree to a return trip to Koch Arena. WSU aren't afraid of anyone. Their coach and players have said that on numerous occasions.

 

[Eric15]

If Wichita st loses in the mvc tourney they would be fine. You need to be in a decent mid major conference to make it happen. Murray st can't pull it off, but umass, wsu, gonzaga can all get away with it.

But wouldn't you want your team to be adequately battle-tested with tough competition so they aren't seeing it for the first time in the NCAA Tournament? Plus just playing tough teams will help your SOS/RPI and thus your seeding.

 

[Orangemen]

But wouldn't you want your team to be adequately battle-tested with tough competition so they aren't seeing it for the first time in the NCAA Tournament? Plus just playing tough teams will help your SOS/RPI and thus your seeding.

Depends on your goal. What's better for Wichita st? Aiming to win the NC or being ranked in the top 10 all year and getting a 1 or 2 seed in the tourney, even if your résumé is just fluff?

 

[tbonezone]

which returns to my original point. congratulations WSU you're undefeated ! and in march you get punished for scheduling such fluff.
let's reward those teams that face real stiff competition all season and quit coddling the lollydick dodgers.

 

[JarHeadJim]

36-36 at the half! Time for the Shocker!

 

[wadegarrett]

which returns to my original point. congratulations WSU you're undefeated ! and in march you get punished for scheduling such fluff.

Every year people criticize mid majors like Wichita St for a soft schedule and say they will be an early exit in the tournament. Then they go on a deep run in the tourney. Sometimes you just gotta respect the mid majors . Especially ones that are 23-0.

 

[wadegarrett]

Great first half.

 

[jncuse]

I didn't realize at St Louis was considered a nobody.

We have much better group of wins... they do have an as impressive win to date however.

 

[tbonezone]

hey wichita state has every right to a long run in the tourney. but imo you have to earn the top seeds. so scheduling soft all season just means they face a steeper climb to the finals. just as it should be. if they're so great whats the big problem?

 

[jncuse]

When teams have different schedules, I think this is where KP comes in handy to see if a team is legit or not.

Wichita st is #10 in KP. It's a legit team, but possibly not #1 seed quality.

 

[tbonezone]

I didn't realize at St Louis was considered a nobody.

We have much better group of wins... they do have an as impressive win to date however.

that is rich! billikins?

 

[Orangemen]

I didn't realize at St Louis was considered a nobody.

We have much better group of wins... they do have an as impressive win to date however.

0-2 vs rpi top 25 St. Louis?

Best wins are Richmond and Indiana st (both at home) St. Louis?

St. Louis may not be a nobody, but they are hardly a somebody.

 

[orange79]

Oklahoma is getting punched in the diick... its hilarious.

It's so cute that WV still has a basketball team.

 

[Orangemen]

I didn't realize at St Louis was considered a nobody.

We have much better group of wins... they do have an as impressive win to date however.

Wait, are you saying winning at St. Louis is as impressive as beating duke and nova at the dome?

 

[jordoo]

Wow if InSt is the second best team in the MVC this year then that conference is really weak. InSt has nothing and is severely overmatched by WitchSt. Hard to tell how good they are though in this game.

 

[jncuse]

Wait, are you saying winning at St. Louis is as impressive as beating duke and nova at the dome?

Certainly its just as an impressive win as Villanova.

Numerically, its about equal to Duke right now, but since Duke is on a nice role I will say Duke (as played on Feb 1) is harder.

A road game is 7 points more difficult than a home game.

 

[jncuse]

that is rich! billikins?

Yes, winning on the road vs AP #13 / KP #22 team is a very impressive win.

Remember you said they played NOBODY.

So as you mocked my post, to make it clear for the second time you are saying St. Louis is a nobody. Great stuff.

 

[jordoo]

It looks like WichSt is a different team with their PG sitting. They also look like they can be had on the boards and in transition if you are good enough.

 

[jordoo]

Yikes horrible foul can't do that after good D for 33 seconds.

 

[jncuse]

0-2 vs rpi top 25 St. Louis?

Best wins are Richmond and Indiana st (both at home) St. Louis?

St. Louis may not be a nobody, but they are hardly a somebody.

If St Louis is hardly a somebody, who are the good teams we have played? Your list must stop at Duke and Nova. And Nova home is basically equal to St. Lou on the road.

BTW, I believe we have played more than 2 good games, but based on your threshold we have not.

 

[Orangemen]

Certainly its just as an impressive win as Villanova.

Numerically, its about equal to Duke right now, but since Duke is on a nice role I will say Duke (as played on Feb 1) is harder.

A road game is 7 points more difficult than a home game.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. St. Louis is a nice team, but they've done nothing. I can't equate them to nova at home based on kenpoms rankings. Nova had opportunities and they delivered, St. Louis had opportunities and they lost them. If Richmond loses a game, St. Louis will have no top 50 rpi wins.

I love kenpom, I think it's great. But like any computer ranking, it's not perfect. If the ranking deviates from actual wins and losses, I question it. St. Louis is definitely questionable.

 

[Orangemen]

If St Louis is hardly a somebody, who are the good teams we have played? Your list must stop at Duke and Nova. And Nova home is basically equal to St. Lou on the road.

BTW, I believe we have played more than 2 good games, but based on your threshold we have not.

We haven't played the hardest schedule to this point, but we have 6 top 50 rpi wins with some neutral sites in there. We've got 3 top 25 rpi wins, and 2 top 12 or so rpi wins. We haven't lost in any top 50 game. Our schedule doesn't prove we're infallible, but it proves we're legit.

St. Louis' schedule pretty much says the opposite. Give them an opportunity, they don't deliver.

 

[Orangemen]

I love a good homer announcing crew. In the Wichita st game the announcer actually said (in comparing Gregg Marshall's first 15 years to jb's and coach k's):

"Marshall is the only one to win a national title in his first 15 years by winning the NIT."

That is some true lipstick on a pig. Well done MVC homer crew, you have earned your pay tonight.

 

[jncuse]

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. St. Louis is a nice team, but they've done nothing. I can't equate them to nova at home based on kenpoms rankings. Nova had opportunities and they delivered, St. Louis had opportunities and they lost them. If Richmond loses a game, St. Louis will have no top 50 rpi wins.

I love kenpom, I think it's great. But like any computer ranking, it's not perfect. If the ranking deviates from actual wins and losses, I question it. St. Louis is definitely questionable.

Also AP#13, althought I suspect that may be high -- it is skeptical based on the win profile you have presented above.

I see your point, but basically everybody from 15 to 25 is going to have holes in their profile. If they have impressive win, they have a few bad losses. Or if they lack wins, they have avoided those bad losses that other teams had.

St. Louis is a team in that 15-25 range. Not an easy road game. I don't think KP#22 is unreasonable. As I have said nobody has good enough "eyes" to measure teams after 15, or sort through W's and L's... because every team by that point has done some bad things, that are own unintentional biases try to sort out often incorrectly.