2014-15 National Rankings

[Play Angry]

WarrenNolan.com shows the Valley sitting in 11th place in Conference RPI out of 32 conferences so they have fallen off a little bit lately. The Valley does have 5 teams in the top 100 right now with an average RPI of 59.4. However, the bottom 5 teams have an average RPI of 246.8.

http://warrennolan.com/basketball/2015/conferencerpi

Still a little bit of mobility left but this looks about right for a final landing spot. The league is slightly improved this year and has inched closer to the AAC-MWC-A10-WCC grouping and seems a little better than Horizon, MAC and friends.

I really hope UNI and the rest of the top half teams beat the living hell out of the cellar dwellers this year. Watching 250+ RPI bombs suddenly start winning when January rolls around is awful.

[shox1989]

WarrenNolan.com shows the Valley sitting in 11th place in Conference RPI out of 32 conferences so they have fallen off a little bit lately. The Valley does have 5 teams in the top 100 right now with an average RPI of 59.4. However, the bottom 5 teams have an average RPI of 246.8.

http://warrennolan.com/basketball/2015/conferencerpi

That kind of separation should actually be good for WSU. It gives the Shockers a chance to pick up more top 50 and top 100 wins. The Shocks just can't lose to any of those bottom 5 teams as they would certainly be very bad losses.

[DwShock]

It nice to finally be getting respect. I know four years ago if we were ranked and lost a game we would have dropped out and wouldn't be back in for a long time. This is awesome.

[_kai_]

In regards to the 5 up, 5 down in the valley, it's a good thing as long as you don't get one loss against those sub 250 teams. Do that, and look for a massive drop, and hope to God it ain't at Home. But yeah, 5 up is a good thing and give us more opportunities to take down top 100 talent during the meat of our schedule.

[WstateU]

It nice to finally be getting respect. I know four years ago if we were ranked and lost a game we would have dropped out and wouldn't be back in for a long time. This is awesome.

This and this will do it...

[ripemupshocks]

WarrenNolan.com shows the Valley sitting in 11th place in Conference RPI out of 32 conferences so they have fallen off a little bit lately. The Valley does have 5 teams in the top 100 right now with an average RPI of 59.4. However, the bottom 5 teams have an average RPI of 246.8.

http://warrennolan.com/basketball/2015/conferencerpi

Massey also has the MVC at 11th:

www.masseyratings.com/rate.php?s=cb2015&sub=11590&c=1


RealTime has the MVC at 7th:

www.realtimerpi.com/rpi_conf_Men.html


TeamRankings has the MVC at 8th:

www.teamrankings.com/ncaa-basketball/rpi-ranking/rpi-rating-by-conf

[1972Shocker]

I don't put much stock realtimerpi.com. Their numbers may be okay much later in the season but not so much at this point and their projections are worthless.

I dropped my subscription this year when I kept finding that they were missing quite a few D-1 games in their array of data. Whether they have added them later I don't know but that kind of defeats the purpose of promoting yourself as realtime.

[1979Shocker]

Utah went from unranked to 14th with their win over us (using coaches poll). That's quite a jump.

Which means the voters think they beat a pretty good team.

[SHOCKvalue]

Some people were saying we would have a big drop, and Utah a big jump, due to our head-to-head game, but I just couldn't see it. To have both swings happen at the same time your logic would have to operate in a dichotomy. Either the higher ranked, losing team was legit, or it was not. If the higher ranked, losing team is perceived as legit, that team drops minimally in the polls, and the lower ranked, winning team sees a nice poll bump (what actually happened). Conversely, if the higher ranked, losing team is perceived as a fraud, then the lower ranked, winning team sees minimal poll traction, and the losing team takes a poll beat down. There's not a logical relationship to see WSU drop a bunch, and Utah gain a bunch, in the most recent poll due to the game we just played against one another.

[Cdizzle]

Before everyone thinks I'm going soft on the voters, just keep in mind that many of them voted for a 3-loss Michigan State team whose best win is against, wait for iiiiiiiiiit, Loyola-Chicago.

It's important to be locked and loaded when folks start talking schedule trash. I'm watching you, voters.

[SHOCKvalue]

Awesome to see UNI in the polls. Perhaps the one bright spot (other than us) in the MVC this year.

[Cdizzle]

Awesome to see UNI in the polls. Perhaps the one bright spot (other than us) in the MVC this year.

Two bright spots is enough for a league to not be a laughingstock. I hope they keep it up.

[1972Shocker]

Awesome to see UNI in the polls. Perhaps the one bright spot (other than us) in the MVC this year.

I'm not ready to write-off Evansville or Illinois State just yet either.

[Dave Stalwart]

I'm not ready to write-off Evansville or Illinois State just yet either.

I agree about Evansville. Illinois State was written off for me when they blew it against the first beatable VCU team I've seen in a long time.

Green Bay getting that W over Miami fixes any problem I would have had with E-ville. That's their only loss and it was only by 2 points. Im starting to feel those positive MVC vibes again. WSU, UNI and UE are forming a solid top 3 right now. Several others at least have winning records. Is there hope for this conference?

[1972Shocker]

That kind of separation should actually be good for WSU. It gives the Shockers a chance to pick up more top 50 and top 100 wins. The Shocks just can't lose to any of those bottom 5 teams as they would certainly be very bad losses.

How about if this situation persist through the non-con schedule the Valley should have the Top 5 teams play each other 4 times and the Bottom 5 can play each other 4 times.

When the Valley Tournament gets here only the Top team in the Bottom 5 escapes the play-in round as the #6 seed.