{"id":826,"date":"2005-03-01T09:44:01","date_gmt":"2005-03-01T15:44:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/67.227.157.91\/~kenpom\/wp_blog\/the-best-of-bowlsby\/"},"modified":"2005-03-01T09:44:01","modified_gmt":"2005-03-01T15:44:01","slug":"the-best-of-bowlsby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kenpom.com\/blog\/the-best-of-bowlsby\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best of Bowlsby"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bob Bowlsby 1\/3\/05<\/a> – "[W]e want the RPI to be the best tool possible. We believe this adjustment accomplishes that."<\/em> <\/p>\n

Bob Bowlsby 2\/23\/05<\/a> – "The committee has talked till we’re blue in the face that [the RPI] is just one of many tools. … But the fact of the matter is it serves a role, it serves an enhanced role now that it’s been refined a little bit. I think it’s a better tool."<\/em> <\/p>\n

If the basketball committee chairman believes this RPI is better than before, why would anyone think it will be used less? If a top 30 ranking was sacred before, then it should be even more so now. If teams like Vermont and Miami of Ohio are denied at-large bids should they need them, then we know that Mr. Bowlsby did not truly believe what he said. I can only take him at his word for now. So don’t be surprised that a six-loss team from the MAC (Buffalo) could be selected over a six-loss team from the Big Ten (Indiana).<\/p>\n

With this in mind, here is another vague and nebulous look at the bubble:<\/p>\n

Teams that should be in if they avoid another bad loss (in no particular order): UCLA, Maryland, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Iowa State, Minnesota, Indiana, Saint Mary’s, Georgetown, West Virginia, Stanford, and Texas.<\/p>\n

With the locks listed below, the preceding teams would take up 31 of the possible 34 at-large bids. But with the inevitable conference tourney upsets looming, one-bid conference locks Vermont, Miami, Pacific, Nevada, and Holy Cross(??) could find themselves taking at-large bids from the teams above. <\/p>\n

Teams that can still get in by getting themselves noticed (in no particular order): NC State, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Buffalo*, UTEP*, Northern Iowa, Wichita State, Houston, and George Washington*.<\/p>\n

*Must win out through conference championship.<\/p>\n

Now the stone-cold locks – these teams will get in regardless of their finish. (leagues with only one possible at-large not included)<\/p>\n

ACC<\/strong> – UNC, Wake, Duke <\/p>\n

Pac 10<\/strong> – Washington, Arizona<\/p>\n

Big East<\/strong> – BC, Syracuse, UConn, Villanova, Pitt <\/p>\n

Big XII<\/strong> – Kansas, Oklahoma St., Oklahoma, Texas Tech<\/p>\n

Big Ten<\/strong> – Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan State <\/p>\n

SEC<\/strong> – Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi State, Florida, LSU <\/p>\n

WCC<\/strong> – Gonzaga <\/p>\n

MVC<\/strong> – Southern Illinois<\/p>\n

CUSA<\/strong> – Louisville, Cincinnati, Charlotte, DePaul <\/p>\n

WAC<\/strong> – Nevada<\/p>\n

ratings@kenpom.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bob Bowlsby 1\/3\/05 – "[W]e want the RPI to be the best tool possible. We believe this adjustment accomplishes that." Bob Bowlsby 2\/23\/05 – "The committee has talked till we’re blue in the face that [the RPI] is just one of many tools. … But the fact of the matter is it serves a role, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kenpom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/826"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kenpom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kenpom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kenpom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kenpom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=826"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kenpom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/826\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kenpom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kenpom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kenpom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}