Can't's RPI is 58, ours is 106

[ZippyforPresident]

Absolutely not. I gave them a margin of error of four games! As far as this season goes, so far they have almost done that. Maybe if they didn't have those 2 ugly losses and could have gotten those two good OOC wins they would be in the conversation.As far as the conference record goes, yes, I think in the conference right now it takes near perfection to stay in the selection committee conversation. The Zips have shown they are right there with 11 conference wins already.My point isn't anything new really. It's merely my opinion that if they dropped some of the 200+ RPI teams and replaced them with some RPI teams around the 50's or so and maybe schedule, as what some on here have referred to as an "ATM Game", it would give them a chance for a little more margin of error as opposed to having to win just about every game. And yes, I know it is far easier said than done to actually craft the perfect schedule.But no matter how you look at it or how a team tries to schedule, mid major teams have to rack up an impressive win total to even get at large consideration. I doubt someone like Butler would get at large consideration with an 18 win season as opposed to the 25 they have now. As mid major basketball fans we may not like it, but that's just the life of a mid major basketball team.Hope that helped to clarify things. Like I said, I'm not reinventing the wheel here or anything, just my personal thoughts about scheduling. Having said that, I think I've exhausted myself on all of this fantasy schedule talk. Coach Dambrot has done a great job with this program and has probably forgot more about basketball and "the art of scheduling" than I'll ever learn in this lifetime.

[RACER]

I don't know where people see that Can't has done a great job in occ scheduling. When was the last time they recieved an at large bid? No matter what teams do, the mac is a one bid league.

[Dave in Green]

The MAC is only a one bid conference when no team that does not win the MAC tournament has enough wins against enough strong teams to get the kind of high RPI that might convince the NCAA selection committee that the team is worthy for an at-large bid.The last time a MAC team had a high enough RPI to be considered for an at-large bid was in the 2007-08 season when Can't finished with an RPI of 21. It helped that the MAC was fairly strong that season, with several teams in the top 100 RPI. But Can't had a fairly strong OOC schedule that season, too.If a MAC team were to have an RPI as high as 21 and lose in the championship game of the MAC tournament, that team would be a strong candidate to get an at-large bid.The only way to get such a high RPI is to have a combination of a high enough SOS and a high enough winning percentage.But it is true that the highest RPI team ever to be left out of the NCAA tournament was mid-major Missouri State, which ironically had an RPI of 21. That set off a major controversy.

[MDZip]

But it is true that the highest RPI team ever to be left out of the NCAA tournament was mid-major Missouri State, which ironically had an RPI of 21. That set off a major controversy.

Well really just a mid-major controversy.

[RACER]

there were only five teams that got at large bids that were not in the major conferences.so if yu have 5 out of 300+teams your chances of an at large are not very good.less than 2%.people can talk about what akron needs to do to get an at large bid.the reality is slim and none for conferences like the mac to get at large bids.what akron needs to do is beat Can't.win the mac outright,and get the nit bid locked down.that's something they can control right now.

[Dave in Green]

Zips finally break into the RPI top 100 after beating BGSU, and are ranked 93 this afternoon. Annoyingly, Buffalo is still rated ahead of the Zips at 91.More importantly, Can't is all the way up to 47, so the target continues to get bigger.RPI at StatSheet.com

[akronzips71]

Zips finally break into the RPI top 100 after beating BGSU, and are ranked 93 this afternoon. Annoyingly, Buffalo is still rated ahead of the Zips at 91.More importantly, Can't is all the way up to 47, so the target continues to get bigger.RPI at StatSheet.com

I know that folks here don't agree, but being in the top 100 means a lot.If we beat K-ent, and somehow lose the tournament by a shot at the buzzer, we do have a shot at the Dance, and at least the NIT.And I would rather win the NIT than go one and done in the NCAA. Not that it's going to happen.

[ZachTheZip]

Don't be absurd. You need a top 30 RPI to even have a shot at the dance as a mid-major.

[MDZip]

Zips finally break into the RPI top 100 after beating BGSU, and are ranked 93 this afternoon. Annoyingly, Buffalo is still rated ahead of the Zips at 91.More importantly, Can't is all the way up to 47, so the target continues to get bigger.RPI at StatSheet.com

I know that folks here don't agree, but being in the top 100 means a lot.If we beat K-ent, and somehow lose the tournament by a shot at the buzzer, we do have a shot at the Dance, and at least the NIT.And I would rather win the NIT than go one and done in the NCAA. Not that it's going to happen.

When we beat the Flushes, we will have an automatic invitation to the NIT, no matter what happens in the MAC tournament. I'd still rather make the NCAA tournament no matter the outcome of either.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I don't know where people see that Can't has done a great job in occ scheduling. When was the last time they recieved an at large bid? No matter what teams do, the mac is a one bid league.

K.e.n.t. was too busy winning the MAC to worry about an at-large.

[Zipmeister]

Zips finally break into the RPI top 100 after beating BGSU, and are ranked 93 this afternoon. Annoyingly, Buffalo is still rated ahead of the Zips at 91.More importantly, Can't is all the way up to 47, so the target continues to get bigger.RPI at StatSheet.com

I know that folks here don't agree, but being in the top 100 means a lot.If we beat K-ent, and somehow lose the tournament by a shot at the buzzer, we do have a shot at the Dance, and at least the NIT.And I would rather win the NIT than go one and done in the NCAA. Not that it's going to happen.

Pass the mushrooms dude

[mes102]

Pass the mushrooms dude

.13! .13! .13! .13! .13! .13! .13! .13!

[Dave in Green]

Zips finally break into the RPI top 100 after beating BGSU, and are ranked 93 this afternoon. Annoyingly, Buffalo is still rated ahead of the Zips at 91.More importantly, Can't is all the way up to 47, so the target continues to get bigger.RPI at StatSheet.com

I know that folks here don't agree, but being in the top 100 means a lot.If we beat K-ent, and somehow lose the tournament by a shot at the buzzer, we do have a shot at the Dance, and at least the NIT.And I would rather win the NIT than go one and done in the NCAA. Not that it's going to happen.

I really appreciate your optimism. But history shows that for a mid-major 50-100 RPI is a good feeling, 25-50 RPI is starting to get fairly impressive, and 1-25 RPI starts to have at-large NCAA tournament implications if the team passes all of the other measuring sticks. Don't forget that Missouri State got passed over with a 21 RPI, and there's absolutely no chance of the Zips getting anywhere near that high this season prior to the national tournaments.I don't know how much weight RPI carries in the NIT. But they only have half as many teams as the NCAA tourney, and if they already have one automatic MAC qualifier, they may not be excited about a second one.Winning the NIT would be a great accomplishment for the Zips. But no matter how you cut it, the NIT is generally considered a tournament of also-rans who couldn't make the 65-team NCAA cut.I think that qualifying for the NCAA tournament two years in a row would be better for the Zips' overall reputation with most fans and recruits, even if they were to lose in the first round. But you can't know whether you're going to win or lose until you get there and play the game(s).

[Dave in Green]

So what happens to RPI after Can't destroys the Zips on the Zips' home court?Can't rises a few spots to #43 and the Zips fall a few spots to #95 -- once again, annoyingly behind Buffalo (#93).