Every year I get into arguments with people about how not to schedule like an idiot. But this year, just when I was about to sit down and rip Florida State for scheduling a game versus Louisiana Monroe, the Twitter feed @ivyball simultaneously began tweeting ideas from a similar vein. Not only were they interesting to read, as the school he was talking about – Columbia – plays in a small conference while FSU is a high-major, but also, he just nailed it.
So these are coming from small-school perspective, but the basic idea is still the same. And that's this: the RPI is easily manipulated, and since it's such a big part of the Selection Sunday process, failing to do so is inexcusable. For example, FSU scheduling a game vs ULM means that the Noles' RPI is going to be lower at season's end, even if they win that game by 50 points. ULM is going to be horrible. They're pretty much a lock to have an RPI over 300. It would be much smarter to schedule a non-Division I opponent, as those games aren't counted in the RPI. Plus, a lot of Division II and NAIA teams are better than ULM. Simply playing the game vs. ULM could drop FSU an entire seed come the NCAA Tourney, or – if they're on the bubble – be the difference between that and the NIT.
Regardless, here's what @ivyball had to say:
Columbia released its schedule today. Hard to keep up on conf re-alignment news, but somehow it became a half-member of the Patriot League.
— Ivy Basketball (@ivybball) August 24, 2012
This "going for wins" crap has to stop. Non-conf games are precious & we should put our teams in position for upside opportunities.
— Ivy Basketball (@ivybball) August 24, 2012
You know how you rack up the most BCS wins. Schedule the most BCS games. High-profile wins are the currency of NCAA discussion.
— Ivy Basketball (@ivybball) August 24, 2012
If I were an Ivy coach, I'd schedule 6 BCS games per year & take remaining 8 & play home-road w/other mids. MTEs every other year.
— Ivy Basketball (@ivybball) August 24, 2012
And if the Ivy League would allow the 29th game, then I'd schedule one D-III at home every year to add a home game w/no RPI effect.
— Ivy Basketball (@ivybball) August 24, 2012
There aren't a lot of folks that can tell you Ivy teams' W-L records, but they do remember 2 Ivies beating FSU & BC the year before.
— Ivy Basketball (@ivybball) August 24, 2012
The presence of less sophisticated, mid-major focused postseason tourneys has made chasing cheap Ws worthwhile, but that's a brass ring.
— Ivy Basketball (@ivybball) August 24, 2012
Recruits don't care about CBI or CIT berths in a vacuum. They want to play big-time oppts on TV. Easiest way to get on TV? Play BCS teams.
— Ivy Basketball (@ivybball) August 24, 2012
And no, it's not a recipe for embarrassment as a league. Dart lost by 6 at Rutgers. Cornell by 4 at Illinois. Lower division Ivies, folks…
— Ivy Basketball (@ivybball) August 24, 2012
Sure, that's why some do. It's short-sighted. Can't grow program that way. RT
@sryan1419:@ivybball Coaches are trying to keep their jobs.— Ivy Basketball (@ivybball) August 24, 2012
But they've been doing this for 9 years now… RT
@sryan1419:@ivybball …Columbia is not Gtown. They need wins FIRST to grow the program.— Ivy Basketball (@ivybball) August 24, 2012
I hate the RPI but it's the common metric. And 75% of it is who you play. 25% how you do in those gms, but even that is skewed by home/away.
— Ivy Basketball (@ivybball) August 24, 2012
In other words, your W-L record needs to be managed in coordination with those other factors, not as the end-all, be-all.
— Ivy Basketball (@ivybball) August 24, 2012
Pomeroy, Sagarin and other poss-based systems will find you out regardless of who you play, but the RPI suffers from its binary W-L format.
— Ivy Basketball (@ivybball) August 24, 2012
That's why you want to put yourself in situations where a small win or huge loss is possible, not vice versa.
— Ivy Basketball (@ivybball) August 24, 2012
