Formula for #6 RPI Nonconference Rating

[StLouBlue]

A couple points I would like to add.

On the Bracketbuster game, as part of the agreement, you also play that team the next year. So it ends up being a home and home with usually a pretty good mid-major team, helps scheduling.

On your point 4, being the conference regular season champ hasn't won the tourney. I think part of the reason is that the MVC has gained enough respect recently that the regular season champ is usually a lock for the NCAA, so that team may not be playing with as much desparation as other teams. Also, the MVC is a fairly even conference, in that there usually isn't one dominate team like a Gonzaga.

Your point on retaining coaches is probably the biggest reason the MVC has improved. There are some very good coaches in this league and the longer they stick around the better this league should get. Coaches like Hinson and Les who struggled early on in the MVC have also shown good improvement this year as well. Because the talent level is fairly equal across the league a good coaching job can sometimes be the difference between the teams. The whole how do you retain your coaches is another subject, but I think each school has done a good job so far. This off season might be tough though with so many nearby B10 & B12 schools probably changing coaches.

Your point about not scheduling cupcakes also is true. Another thing to look at for the MVC is that they play 18 league games rather than 16 in the A-10. A year like this where the lowest MVC teams are right around 200 RPI, means those are 18 strong games. In the past where the bottom dwellers were 250+, those league games punished your RPI, kind of like St Bonny and Duq are doing to the A10.

This should be a fun weekend of basketball for the MVC. I think 4 is probably, but also can see 3 or 5, not really sure how it will play out.