RPI oddity

[Karma]

Kansas has passed Kentucky to be number 1 in the RPI.

http://www.rpiforecast.com/live-rpi.html

Kentucky has been number 1 all year, but I guess that conference play has made them drop. Of course, Kansas has 3 losses including to Kentucky.

Arkansas is 21.

[latrops]

The RPI (Rating Percentage Index) is a measure of strength of schedule and how a team does against that schedule.

Key in that is "measure of strength of schedule".  Teams near the top in RPI may not be in the top 10 of the polls, while some top 10 teams in the polls might be in the 20s or lower in RPI.  The reason Kansas is equal to or above Kentucky in the RPI is because they have MORE top 150 wins, where Kentucky has several more wins against teams ranked 150th or worse. 

[apcapri]

So according to the RPI... Kansas is a better team than the undefeated team that pounded them by 32pnts on a neutral court?

[Karma]

So according to the RPI... Kansas is a better team than the undefeated team that pounded them by 32pnts on a neutral court?

Yep.

[apcapri]

Proof that the RPI..is a broken system.

[Fayettechill14]

RPI is bad because it counts all games as equal. For example, the difference between playing the #1 team and the #51 team is the same as the difference between playing the #251 team and the #351 team, even though all teams 200-351 are all about the same in terms of how bad they are.

[MountieDawg]

RPI stands for Ridiculously Pure Insanity!

[latrops]

So according to the RPI... Kansas is a better team than the undefeated team that pounded them by 32pnts on a neutral court?

RPI isn't a measure of what team is "better".  It simply tries to quantify performance against schedule strength.   Teams with several losses can have a higher RPI than teams with few losses based on schedule strength.  It is just one piece of data to be considered....it should not be the sole basis for choosing seeding or NCAAT spots.  Unfortunately, it does sometimes appear as though the NCAAT Selection Committee gives RPI more weight than it deserves.

[popcornhog]

Proof that the RPI..is a broken system.

Well, it's an objective indicator but only based on the criteria that make up the formula.

RPI isn't the end all/be all, but by the end of the season it's a nice indicator.

The only perfect way to do rankings would be with a 300 game season where everybody plays everybody. It's not possible.

[Fayettechill14]

Well, it's an objective indicator but only based on the criteria that make up the formula.

RPI isn't the end all/be all, but by the end of the season it's a nice indicator.

The only perfect way to do rankings would be with a 300 game season where everybody plays everybody. It's not possible.

Even that wouldn't be perfect. Kansas passed Kentucky in RPI (UK beat KU by 32 points earlier this year and is undefeated), and Kansas fans are already justifying it by claiming that KU is playing much better now. So folks would just throw out results they don't like and trump up results they do.

[RockChalkJayhawk]

Even that wouldn't be perfect. Kansas passed Kentucky in RPI (UK beat KU by 32 points earlier this year and is undefeated), and Kansas fans are already justifying it by claiming that KU is playing much better now. So folks would just throw out results they don't like and trump up results they do.

Wow, you must interact with some wacko-Kansas fans, because Kentucky soundly trounced Kansas; it was never a game.  They left no doubt.  If UK played KU 100 times, UK would win every game and I don't care where the teams played at.

Sure, KU is playing a bit better now, but anyone with half a basketball-brain does not consider them a threat to UK, regardless of what the RPIs are.
As of now, Lunardi has UK a 1 seed, and KU a 2 seed, which for KU is generous at this juncture.  There is a long way to go, and a good RPI is better than a poor one, but RPI is not the be-all, end-all for tournament selection. 

[Fayettechill14]

Wow, you must interact with some wacko-Kansas fans, because Kentucky soundly trounced Kansas; it was never a game.  They left no doubt.  If UK played KU 100 times, UK would win every game and I don't care where the teams played at.

Sure, KU is playing a bit better now, but anyone with half a basketball-brain does not consider them a threat to UK, regardless of what the RPIs are.
As of now, Lunardi has UK a 1 seed, and KU a 2 seed, which for KU is generous at this juncture.  There is a long way to go, and a good RPI is better than a poor one, but RPI is not the be-all, end-all for tournament selection.

Let me clarify: some Kansas fans I saw on Twitter. Didn't mean to stereotype all of them.

Regardless, my point stands. One of the problems in college basketball is that by the end of the year folks selectively claim and dismiss games that happened months before.

[RockChalkJayhawk]

Let me clarify: some Kansas fans I saw on Twitter. Didn't mean to stereotype all of them.

Regardless, my point stands. One of the problems in college basketball is that by the end of the year folks selectively claim and dismiss games that happened months before.

Sure, people naturally cherry pick things that way to sustain a certain viewpoint.  The system isn't perfect, but it is what it is.  Everything will eventually be decided on the court.  UK is the team to beat this year, no question.

[TheRazorbackGuy]

Wow, you must interact with some wacko-Kansas fans, because Kentucky soundly trounced Kansas; it was never a game.  They left no doubt.  If UK played KU 100 times, UK would win every game and I don't care where the teams played at.

Sure, KU is playing a bit better now, but anyone with half a basketball-brain does not consider them a threat to UK, regardless of what the RPIs are.
As of now, Lunardi has UK a 1 seed, and KU a 2 seed, which for KU is generous at this juncture.  There is a long way to go, and a good RPI is better than a poor one, but RPI is not the be-all, end-all for tournament selection. 

RockChalk, Frank Mason is fun to watch