RPI Update

[Adam Stokes]

So far the SEC has been doing terrible!  In past seasons playing a mediocre non-conference schedule was easily done because our SOS would go up significantly during conference play, this year we won't have that to lean back on.  Almost all of our non-conference opponents started out bad, but it is now looking up as many teams we have played and will play are starting to win.  The RPI shouldn't really be accurate until conference play starts, but as of now Arkansas is ranked #120 on realtimerpi.com . 

This upcoming game with Mizzou is going to be BIG.  I just did some calculations, if we win we will move up from 120 to 79, that is a 41 team jump!  If we lose we will still go up because of SOS, but out overall RPI willl only move up to 111.  I'd rather be at 79 than 111.  Right now our current SOS is only at 207, but after the Mizzou game, regardless of whether we win or not, it will jump up to around 152.

As non-conference games come to pass our SOS will improve, we just need to make sure we win 2 of three against Mizzou, Oklahoma, and Baylor.

Right now the two teams that will have/will play that haven't won yet I am not too worried about.  Delaware State is playing a monstrous non-con schedule, which includes Arkansas, AZ St, Cal, USC, Xavier, and others.  They will not look pretty going into conference play but they will easily go 14-2 in conference with the talent they have and the experience from hard teams earlier in the year.  Delaware State should make the NCAA tourny from that conference.  LA Monroe is 0-4 right now, but it is mainly because they have played Kansas, Michigan State, and Ole Miss.  I look for them to be just sub .500 going into conference play and then opening up a can, so we should be alright there too.

The key to scheduling is to schedule easy teams that will do well in their conferences.  We have many of those this year in D State, LA Monroe, Appalachian St, Oral Roberts, Missouri State, etc.  Our RPI won't be top 30 going into conference play, but because of the opponents we have scheduled it will help down the road with the SEC being so poor this year.

[HoggySTruman]

yea watching that too

[HoggySTruman]

ouch that hurts

[blacksuit]

Good update ajs, never to early to start the rpi watch I suppose.  +1