The Pi-Rate Ratings

March 25, 2023

PiRate Ratings College Basketball — Saturday, March 25, 2023



HomeVisitorSpread
Kansas St.Florida Atlantic0.8
ConnecticutGonzaga1.2

Bracketnomics Comparisons

StatSDSUCreighton
O-RTG7022
D-RTG414
SOS57.959.3
3-Pt34.935.8
O-Reb32.025.2
2PT%D49.345.9
FTR33.328.6
R+T Rate9.00.1
Old R+T13.78.6
Marg8.88.3
Win Strk7 & 68 & 6
Pre25YESYES
ChampYESNo
Coach Exp3: 0-310: 1S16
3 UpperYESNO
F/C 20-12NOYES
DBLFIG15
OReb32.025.2
OStl10.47.2
OTurn15.114.9
DReb25.723.2
DStl9.38.6
DTurn17.212.4
Reb Marg4.63.9
Stl/G7.05.1
D Stl6.36.0
TO Marg1.3-1.8

Creighton is the slight favorite in this criteria, but it isn’t by much. If not for overall strength of schedule, the Aztecs would have the advantage due to better steal rate and turnover rate, the two criteria that are showing up to be more important this year than an average year. SDSU beat Alabama, because they jumped the passing lanes and won the R+T battle with ease.


StatFAUKansas St.
O-RTG2635
D-RTG2927
SOS50.558.5
3-Pt36.534.0
O-Reb31.430.4
2PT%D44.749.1
FTR28.936.2
R+T Rate8.71.6
Old R+T16.06.4
Marg13.26.6
Win Strk20 & 109 & 6
Pre25NONO
ChampYESNo
Coach Exp00
3 UpperNOYES
F/C 20-12NOYES
DBLFIG33
OReb31.430.4
OStl9.511.0
OTurn14.517.0
DReb25.129.9
DStl8.210.2
DTurn15.918.0
Reb Marg5.71.4
Stl/G6.57.9
D Stl5.67.3
TO Marg0.90.9

Florida Atlantic overcame Tennessee’s inside advantage in the Sweet 16, but we have seen the Vols’ inconsistent play all year and don’t think it was entirely the Owls’ defense that eliminated Tennessee’s biggest advantage. Kansas State also has the inside advantage, by even more than that enjoyed by UT. This looks like the end of a great mid-major run for FAU, as Kansas State has enough advantage here to make their first Final Four since Tex Winter and his triple post offense guided the Wildcats to the 1964 Final Four.


StatMiamiTexas
O-RTG615
D-RTG10410
SOS56.160.0
3-Pt37.034.5
O-Reb31.928.2
2PT%D51.547.3
FTR30.230.7
R+T Rate6.13.7
Old R+T11.08.0
Marg7.710.6
Win Strk9 & 77 & 6
Pre25NOYES
ChampCoYES
Coach Exp10 & 1FF0
3 UpperNOYES
F/C 20-12NONO
DBLFIG44
OReb31.928.2
OStl10.411.2
OTurn14.014.3
DReb28.429.1
DStl8.58.1
DTurn15.719.5
Reb Marg3.0-0.3
Stl/G7.27.9
D Stl5.95.7
TO Marg1.34.3

On paper, this is an exciting tossup that could go down to the last minute. However, there is a huge question mark in this game. Texas may not have the services of 6 foot 9 inch forward Dylan Disu, who has been the Longhorns’ best player down the stretch. They dismissed Xavier with Disu playing less than a minute before further injuring his leg.

If Disu cannot play, Miami can ramp up the tempo in this game and wear Texas down. Without Disu, Texas has a major liability on the glass, and they will have to force a lot of turnovers to make up for Miami’s potential extra shot attempts.

Jim Larranaga has taken a team to the Final Four once before, and he did so with a low major team beating the overall number one seed to get there. Miami made it this far last year. It looks favorable for Hurricane Warnings to go up in Houston next week.


StatConnecticutGonzaga
O-RTG31
D-RTG1373
SOS58.557.5
3-Pt36.438.6
O-Reb38.931.8
2PT%D45.050.3
FTR30.933.6
R+T Rate15.011.4
Old R+T21.218.8
Marg14.013.9
Win Strk14 & 612 & 11
Pre25NOYES
ChampNoYES
Coach Exp4: 0-422 & 2FF
3 UpperNOYES
F/C 20-12YESYES
DBLFIG34
OReb38.931.8
OStl9.310.2
OTurn15.913.1
DReb25.925.0
DStl9.87.3
DTurn16.616.5
Reb Marg9.45.9
Stl/G6.47.4
D Stl6.75.3
TO Marg-0.12.6

As far as the Bracketnomics are concerned, this may be the real National Championship Game. The two best offenses left in the field and two of the three best overall face off. But, UConn also has a top 20 defense, which is how most National Champions look–top 10 offense and top 20 defense.

Still, this game is not a slam dunk easy win for UConn. Gonzaga has a coach with a lot more tournament experience with two recent Final Fours and with players that have played in the National Championship on this roster. Gonzaga was a pre-season top 25 team, while the Huskies were not, and almost every past national champion was ranked in the pre-season.

The one stat that really concerns us is the turnover margin. As we told you above, turnover margin and steals have been considerably more important this year than an average year. UConn has a negative turnover margin and has a propensity to be a little too gracious throwing the ball to the wrong-colored jerseys. If Gonzaga can get 8 or more steals and force 14 or more turnovers in this game, they will likely win. If the Huskies can limit Bulldog steals to 6 or less, and they commit 12 or fewer turnovers, they will win. If it’s somewhere in between, this game could come down to a last second shot or even overtime.

March 23, 2023

PiRate Ratings College Basketball — Thursday, March 23, 2023

HomeVisitorSpread
Kansas St.Michigan St.0.7
ConnecticutArkansas4.3
TennesseeFlorida Atlantic5.8
UCLAGonzaga1.3

March 22, 2023

PiRate Ratings Bracketnomics — Sweet 16 Edition

Filed under: College Basketball — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — piratings @ 6:54 pm

The opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament was not so wonderful for the PiRate Ratings Bracketnomic System, as two of the projected Final Four fell out. Of the 16 teams we projected, 9 are still alive, including Connecticut, who we selected as an alternative pick for the title if you were afraid to go with a Big Ten team.

We didn’t listen to our own advice. The numbers showed Purdue to be the top team according to the Bracketnomics, but we spent multiple paragraphs telling you why Purdue’s style of play, as well as any team out of the past that was coached by a Gene Keady disciple, was not the way to win the NCAA Tournament. We thought it was time for that trend to end, but in the end, Purdue couldn’t handle the pressure defense of #16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson, and the Boilermakers became the second #1 seed to lose to a #16 seed.

There are still multiple teams remaining in the Sweet 16 that we stated had most of the resume of a national champion. Maybe you took our stats and made your own picks, like many have in the past. We know that many of you are better at interpreting this data than we are.

Many bracket pools allow people to redo their brackets each weekend, so here are the sweet 16 matchups with the bracketnomics data. If you don’t know what each item is, refer back to the Bracketnomics Primer of Monday, March, 13.

StatAlabamaS. D. St
O-RTG1870
D-RTG35
SOS61.7057.60
3-Pt34.134.9
O-Reb34.031.9
2PT%D40.949.4
FTR36.933.4
R+T Rate5.09.5
Old R+T14.414.2
Marg14.18.8
Win Strk9 & 56 & 6
Pre25YESYES
ChampYESYES
Coach Exp5:4-4/1S163: 0-3
3 UpperNOYES
F/C 20-12YESNO
DBLFIG31
OReb34.031.9
OStl8.210.3
OTurn15.915.1
DReb27.725.1
DStl9.79.4
DTurn13.617.3
Reb Marg7.34.9
Stl/G6.16.9
D Stl7.26.3
TO Marg-2.11.2

Everything points Alabama’s way in this game, as the Aztecs will have difficulty matching the Tide point-for-point if the first half possessions for both teams tops 35. SDSU’s only chance in this game is to force Alabama into making double digit turnovers in the first 25-28 minutes of the game.


StatCreightonPrinceton
O-RTG23100
D-RTG1396
SOS59.4049.80
3-Pt35.833.9
O-Reb25.429.6
2PT%D45.847.0
FTR28.630.7
R+T Rate0.16.3
Old R+T8.213.5
Marg8.27.6
Win Strk8 & 68 & 6
Pre25YESNO
ChampNoYES
Coach Exp10: 1S161: 0-1
3 UpperNOYES
F/C 20-12YESYES
DBLFIG53
OReb25.429.6
OStl7.47.1
OTurn14.815.3
DReb23.522.2
DStl8.79.0
DTurn12.513.4
Reb Marg3.76.6
Stl/G5.14.9
D Stl6.16.3
TO Marg-1.7-1.9

Princeton has a small chance to win this game. They can dominate the glass and the inside game. If they can hold Creighton’s 3-point shooting under its normal rate and get 8 or more second chance points, they can make this game close. Creighton has about an 80-85% chance of winning, not a sure thing, but almost.


StatFAUTennessee
O-RTG2960
D-RTG341
SOS50.3059.40
3-Pt36.733.0
O-Reb31.236.4
2PT%D44.944.8
FTR28.831.0
R+T Rate9.414.9
Old R+T16.419.9
Marg13.313.4
Win Strk20 & 98 & 5
Pre25NOYES
ChampYESNo
Coach Exp026:1FF28
3 UpperNOYES
F/C 20-12NONO
DBLFIG33
OReb31.236.4
OStl9.712.5
OTurn14.415.4
DReb24.626.6
DStl8.110.1
DTurn16.119.4
Reb Marg5.86.9
Stl/G6.78.3
D Stl5.66.7
TO Marg1.02.6

This game is all over the map. FAU has the superior offense, but Tennessee has the #1 defense. Tennessee’s schedule is considerably stronger, so the Vols make it through the most important factors as the favorite.

Tennessee is still missing one of their top players in Zakai Zeigler, and the Vols are a hot and cold team. When they are hot, they can beat anybody in the nation, like they did against Alabama. When, they are cold, they lose by double digits to Colorado.

FAU is a consistently good team, but the Owls face an uphill battle in this game. The Vols should advance to the Elite 8.


StatKan. St.Mich. St.
O-RTG4737
D-RTG1731
SOS58.3060.50
3-Pt33.638.7
O-Reb30.527.3
2PT%D49.248.2
FTR36.626.9
R+T Rate1.51.0
Old R+T6.57.8
Marg6.63.2
Win Strk9 & 67
Pre25NONO
ChampNoNo
Coach Exp024: 8 FFNC
3 UpperYESYES
F/C 20-12YESNO
DBLFIG33
OReb30.527.3
OStl10.97.2
OTurn17.314.4
DReb29.825.2
DStl10.48.4
DTurn18.113.2
Reb Marg1.62.9
Stl/G7.84.8
D Stl7.45.5
TO Marg0.8-0.9

This is an interesting match up. Neither team has a definite advantage. In a typical year, Michigan State would have a sizable rebounding advantage, but this year has been quite different. Kansas State has the inside advantage in this one.

Michigan State won’t force turnovers on the Wildcats, and when KSU has lost this year, the other team usually forces more turnovers on the Wildcats than they normally commit. We’re going with Kansas State in a close one.


StatHoustonMiami
O-RTG911
D-RTG4108
SOS56.4055.90
3-Pt34.236.8
O-Reb37.432.3
2PT%D42.951.6
FTR28.830.2
R+T Rate16.46.5
Old R+T23.511.1
Marg18.37.5
Win Strk13 & 99 & 7
Pre25YESNO
ChampYESCo
Coach Exp18 & 2FF10 & 1FF
3 UpperYESNO
F/C 20-12YESNO
DBLFIG44
OReb37.432.3
OStl12.510.6
OTurn13.014.2
DReb27.928.4
DStl8.48.7
DTurn18.615.8
Reb Marg7.53.1
Stl/G8.17.3
D Stl5.46.0
TO Marg3.81.2

IF? If Marcus Sasser is healthy enough to play near 100% effectively for 32 minutes, Houston is the clear choice to make it to the Elite 8. A groin injury is a tricky thing, because one wrong move can put the injured player out of commission for a long time. A healthy Sasser makes this game a double-digit win possibility for the Cougars, who would then be one win away from getting a chance to play in the Final Four at home.

If Sasser is unable to play, Miami has the advantage. If Sasser plays at less than full strength, then this game becomes a tossup.


StatXavierTexas
O-RTG715
D-RTG6410
SOS59.0060.00
3-Pt38.934.1
O-Reb30.828.5
2PT%D48.547.4
FTR31.830.7
R+T Rate5.73.9
Old R+T12.87.9
Marg7.410.6
Win Strk11 & 56 & 6
Pre25NOYES
ChampNoYES
Coach Exp11:48|4161: 0-1
3 UpperYESYES
F/C 20-12YESNO
DBLFIG44
OReb30.828.5
OStl9.011.2
OTurn15.114.3
DReb25.229.2
DStl9.68.2
DTurn14.519.6
Reb Marg5.5-0.3
Stl/G6.57.9
D Stl6.95.8
TO Marg-0.64.3

This is another interesting game. Xavier’s offense is national title-worthy, while their defense is right on the edge of eliminating them. Texas’s offense is just barely outside what most national champions have been rated on the attack side, but their defense is good enough.

The most glaring remaining stat is in coaching experience. Sean Miller has taken 11 past teams to the NCAA Tournament with 4 Elite 8’s and 4 (now 5) Sweet 16’s. Rodney Terry took Fresno St. to one NCAA Tournament and lost in the first game.

We’ve changed our opinion on this game twice. At the time of this writing, we’re going with Texas, but only because Xavier cannot exploit the Longhorns’ liability of handling the ball.


StatArkansasUConn
O-RTG513
D-RTG1514
SOS59.2058.30
3-Pt31.336.4
O-Reb30.639.0
2PT%D47.045.4
FTR39.230.9
R+T Rate5.915.6
Old R+T10.621.3
Marg6.913.8
Win Strk714 & 6
Pre25YESNO
ChampNONo
Coach Exp5:2E8|1S164: 0-4
3 UpperYESNO
F/C 20-12NOYES
DBLFIG43
OReb30.639.0
OStl11.99.2
OTurn15.915.8
DReb27.625.6
DStl9.59.7
DTurn17.916.8
Reb Marg2.89.3
Stl/G8.46.3
D Stl6.76.6
TO Marg1.50.1

UConn still has the best resume for a potential national champion, but we’re leery of this game. Throwing out all the criteria you see above, there is one big obvious criterion that cannot be overlooked, even if it isn’t part of this system.

Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman is the best college basketball coach in Division I and second best overall in college (Ben McCollum at Northwest Missouri State is the John Wooden of the 21st Century). Muss has taken two consecutive Razorback teams to the Elite 8, even though neither team had Elite 8 talent. This team is missing a key player and played for much of the season missing two key players. But, the more important piece, Nick Smith, is back.

The criteria favors Connecticut by a sizable margin, but give Arkansas a little bonus for Muss on the bench. It means UConn is favored by a little rather than a lot.


StatGonzagaUCLA
O-RTG121
D-RTG752
SOS57.2058.80
3-Pt38.734.3
O-Reb31.433.6
2PT%D50.646.6
FTR33.827.5
R+T Rate11.014.3
Old R+T18.417.5
Marg14.213.9
Win Strk11 & 1114 & 12
Pre25YESYES
ChampYESYES
Coach Exp22 & 2FF13: 1FF
3 UpperYESYES
F/C 20-12YESNO
DBLFIG43
OReb31.433.6
OStl10.512.5
OTurn12.912.9
DReb25.327.7
DStl7.27.0
DTurn16.720.6
Reb Marg5.43.7
Stl/G7.58.4
D Stl5.24.7
TO Marg3.04.6

This is the best of the Sweet 16 games. You have the top offense in the nation going against the #2 defense in the nation. The schedule strengths are close to even, not really enough to tip the scale much.

Gonzaga has the edge in outside shooting, but UCLA has an equal edge on the inside, but not by dominating with a post player, but by having tall guards like Jaime Jacquez and Amari Bailey. Of note, UCLA is quite banged up coming into this game. In addition to not having the services of star swing man Jaylen Clark, big man Adem Bona and sharpshooting guard David Singleton are nursing injuries. A team like UCLA can beat Northwestern with a depleted roster, but asking it to beat Gonzaga is too much. We believe that Bona and Singleton will play and not be 100% effective. All it takes is for Drew Timme to have his typical output, and Gonzaga is in the Elite 8.

March 19, 2023

PiRate Ratings College Basketball — Sunday, March 19, 2023

Filed under: College Basketball — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — piratings @ 4:39 am
HomeVisitorSpread
BaylorCreighton-0.3
ColoradoUtah Valley4.7
ConnecticutSaint Mary’s4.2
DuquesneRice5.5
Eastern KentuckyCleveland St.0.8
Florida AtlanticFairleigh Dickinson18.7
GonzagaTCU4.4
IndianaMiami (Fla)1.8
Kansas St.Kentucky-0.2
MarquetteMichigan St.3.2
North TexasSam Houston St.3.4
Oklahoma St.Eastern Washington11.5
OregonCentral Florida4.6
StetsonMilwaukee2.7
Tarleton St.Radford1.1
UABMorehead St.16.0
WisconsinLiberty2.9
XavierPittsburgh5.4

March 14, 2023

PiRate Ratings Bracket-Picking 2023

Filed under: College Basketball — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — piratings @ 12:30 pm

If you earned your PhD in Bracketnomics yesterday, then you are ready to delve right into the numbers that follow and understand the metrics that we use to choose winners in the NCAA Tournament bracket. If you missed it, check it out first before continuing below.

Let’s get right to it.  Here is a look at the 68 teams ranked by each metric, starting with the three most important ones.

Adjusted Offensive Efficiency

TeamO-RTG
Gonzaga1
Baylor2
Iowa3
Arizona4
Connecticut6
Purdue7
Marquette8
Xavier9
Missouri10
Houston11
Miami (Fla)12
Utah St.13
Kentucky14
West Virginia15
Providence16
Penn St.17
Texas18
Alabama19
Oral Roberts23
Pittsburgh24
UCLA25
Memphis26
Indiana27
Creighton28
Kansas29
Texas A&M30
Florida Atlantic32
Furman33
Maryland35
North Carolina St.37
Saint Mary’s40
Michigan St.41
Duke42
USC43
Colgate44
Auburn48
Tennessee49
Arkansas51
Kansas St.52
TCU53
Grand Canyon54
Louisiana57
Illinois58
Nevada61
San Diego St.64
Charleston70
UCSB71
Virginia74
Boise St.78
Iona79
Iowa St.96
Drake98
Vermont99
Princeton103
Northwestern109
Kent St.110
Arizona St.133
Texas A&M-CC137
VCU140
Kennesaw St.153
Fairleigh Dickinson155
Mississippi St.164
Montana St.170
UNC Asheville195
Howard204
Northern Kentucky217
SE Missouri St.263
Texas Southern330

Adjusted Defensive Efficiency

TeamD-RTG
UCLA1
Tennessee2
Alabama3
Houston4
Mississippi St.6
Kansas7
Iowa St.8
Saint Mary’s9
San Diego St.10
Texas11
Northwestern13
Boise St.14
Creighton15
Arkansas16
VCU17
Connecticut18
Kansas St.19
TCU20
Duke24
Virginia25
Purdue26
Arizona St.28
Auburn29
Illinois32
Maryland33
Memphis35
Florida Atlantic36
Texas A&M37
Kent St.38
Michigan St.40
Arizona41
Nevada42
Indiana43
Drake44
Marquette47
USC48
West Virginia52
Utah St.64
Iona67
Xavier70
Kentucky71
Montana St.73
Charleston75
Gonzaga76
North Carolina St.85
Penn St.101
Baylor104
Oral Roberts107
Providence108
UNC Asheville115
Kennesaw St.116
Northern Kentucky121
Miami (Fla)132
Princeton137
Pittsburgh142
Louisiana146
Vermont153
UCSB163
Iowa167
Missouri178
Furman183
Texas Southern196
Grand Canyon198
Howard212
Texas A&M-CC229
Colgate231
SE Missouri St.243
Fairleigh Dickinson361

Strength of Schedule (PiRate Ratings Formula)

TeamSOS
Kansas62.66
Alabama61.84
West Virginia60.80
Baylor60.64
Michigan St.60.44
Iowa St.60.13
Texas60.07
Tennessee59.39
TCU59.32
Creighton59.21
Xavier59.09
Arkansas59.06
UCLA58.88
Indiana58.87
Purdue58.85
Kentucky58.51
Auburn58.50
Marquette58.43
Penn St.58.38
Connecticut58.33
Kansas St.58.30
Illinois58.22
Iowa58.06
Arizona57.94
Maryland57.87
Arizona St.57.81
San Diego St.57.55
Memphis57.52
Duke57.36
Gonzaga57.29
Missouri57.24
Texas A&M57.19
Mississippi St.57.15
Providence57.13
Saint Mary’s57.09
Northwestern56.73
Houston56.41
Nevada56.36
Boise St.56.35
Utah St.56.26
Virginia56.14
USC56.04
Miami (Fla)55.89
North Carolina St.55.27
Pittsburgh54.58
VCU53.60
Florida Atlantic50.25
Drake50.07
Grand Canyon49.79
Kent St.49.77
Louisiana49.14
Iona49.08
Furman48.80
Montana St.48.22
Kennesaw St.48.04
Vermont47.70
Charleston47.69
Princeton47.34
Oral Roberts47.22
UCSB46.70
Northern Kentucky46.14
UNC Asheville45.68
Colgate44.71
SE Missouri St.44.35
Texas Southern44.23
Howard43.16
Texas A&M-CC40.76
Fairleigh Dickinson40.36

Who Looks Great So Far?

One team has an offensive rating in the top 10 and defensive rating in the top 25 with a schedule strength of 57 or better. That team is Connecticut. Purdue misses this by one defensive spot. Other teams that come close to fitting this criteria are Arizona and Marquette.

Houston, Alabama, and Texas are in the mix here as defensive teams that are close enough in the offensive range to contend. Houston just misses the minimum for schedule strength.


R+T Ratings (Rate Version)

TeamRateRT
Saint Mary’s16.86
Houston16.51
Kentucky15.77
Connecticut15.71
Purdue15.66
Tennessee14.91
Charleston14.69
Fairleigh Dickinson14.63
UCLA14.51
Iowa St.13.14
Mississippi St.11.03
Providence10.97
Gonzaga10.91
Duke10.80
Louisiana10.51
Texas A&M-CC10.34
North Carolina St.10.00
San Diego St.9.43
Florida Atlantic9.37
Iowa8.51
Texas A&M8.23
Northwestern7.49
Kent St.7.31
Illinois6.80
Northern Kentucky6.63
Xavier6.51
West Virginia6.40
Iona6.23
Princeton5.83
TCU5.77
Baylor5.54
Furman5.49
Miami (Fla)5.43
Virginia5.43
Montana St.5.31
Maryland5.31
Arkansas5.03
Alabama4.86
Kennesaw St.4.34
Drake4.23
Colgate4.23
Kansas4.17
Boise St.4.00
UCSB3.49
Arizona3.49
Texas3.37
VCU3.26
Texas Southern2.91
Auburn2.74
Pittsburgh2.74
Howard2.29
UNC Asheville2.17
Utah St.1.89
Oral Roberts1.71
Memphis1.43
SE Missouri St.0.91
Creighton0.57
Michigan St.0.57
Vermont0.51
Kansas St.0.51
Nevada0.46
Marquette0.17
Arizona St.0.11
Indiana-0.80
USC-4.69
Missouri-5.14
Grand Canyon-6.42
Penn St.-8.00

R+T Ratings (Old Version)

TeamR+T
Houston23.80
Purdue23.30
Connecticut21.25
Saint Mary’s20.70
Kentucky20.55
Tennessee19.85
Charleston19.20
Duke18.95
UCLA18.50
Baylor18.05
Gonzaga18.00
Florida Atlantic16.70
Providence16.25
Louisiana16.10
Alabama14.35
Iowa St.13.90
Texas A&M-CC13.80
Mississippi St.13.70
San Diego St.13.65
Texas A&M13.40
Princeton13.15
Xavier12.85
Arizona12.75
North Carolina St.12.15
Illinois11.70
Drake11.50
Kent St.11.05
Boise St.10.95
Colgate10.90
Furman10.70
Iona10.65
Montana St.10.55
Miami (Fla)10.35
Iowa10.10
Fairleigh Dickinson10.00
Utah St.10.00
Arkansas9.80
Maryland9.70
West Virginia9.25
TCU9.20
UCSB9.20
Northwestern8.90
Oral Roberts8.65
Pittsburgh8.50
Creighton8.40
Kansas8.40
Virginia8.35
Grand Canyon8.25
Kennesaw St.8.10
VCU7.85
Texas7.65
Michigan St.7.60
Kansas St.7.25
Northern Kentucky6.90
Memphis6.80
Indiana6.40
Nevada6.15
Auburn5.80
Howard5.50
Texas Southern4.90
Vermont4.10
UNC Asheville3.30
Marquette3.10
SE Missouri St.2.45
Arizona St.2.25
USC1.70
Penn St.-1.50
Missouri-3.45

R+T measures “spurtability,” the ability for a team to go on a wining scoring run. Once again, Connecticut and Purdue shine in these important metrics, while Houston has an incredible spurtability score.

Also important is to note which teams have poor R+T Ratings, the type that can lead to early upset losses. Among those teams are Missouri, USC, Penn St., and Arizona St.


3-point FG%

Getting to the secondary ratings, these are still quite important and very usable when comparing teams head to head. Here are the 3-point shooting percentages for the 68 teams in the Field.

Team3PT%
Colgate40.8
Michigan St.39.5
Xavier39.5
Utah St.39.3
UNC Asheville39.0
Gonzaga38.7
Penn St.38.5
Grand Canyon38.3
Arizona38.2
Louisiana37.8
Howard37.7
Drake37.3
Baylor37.2
Florida Atlantic37.2
Saint Mary’s37.2
Indiana37.0
Oral Roberts36.9
Kennesaw St.36.8
Miami (Fla)36.8
Texas A&M-CC36.8
Boise St.36.5
Missouri36.1
Creighton36.0
Iona36.0
Pittsburgh36.0
Connecticut35.9
Vermont35.9
Kentucky35.4
Memphis35.3
San Diego St.35.3
UCSB35.3
Virginia35.3
Providence35.1
Northern Kentucky35.0
North Carolina St.34.9
Houston34.8
Marquette34.8
West Virginia34.8
Furman34.7
UCLA34.7
VCU34.7
Fairleigh Dickinson34.6
Nevada34.6
USC34.5
Kansas34.4
Princeton34.4
Iowa34.3
Kansas St.34.0
Iowa St.33.9
Texas33.9
Alabama33.8
Montana St.33.8
Duke33.6
Kent St.33.6
Charleston33.4
Maryland33.0
Tennessee32.9
Texas A&M32.8
SE Missouri St.32.7
Purdue32.6
Northwestern32.1
Arkansas31.7
Arizona St.31.4
Auburn31.4
Illinois30.9
TCU30.6
Texas Southern28.4
Mississippi St.26.6

The most glaring part of this is the absence of the top contenders to this point in this category. Against the top defenses, teams are going to need to rely on the three-point shot. Arizona moves up in the contender section with the top percentage among teams appearing near the top in the previous criteria. Purdue is weak here, and the Boilermakers might be vulnerable to a team that can force Purdue to take more perimeter shots than they want to take. Connecticut isn’t great here, but the Huskies don’t have a real liability in this department.


Offensive Rebound Rate

TeamOReb%
Connecticut39.4
Kentucky38.7
Purdue38.3
Tennessee36.8
Houston36.7
Texas A&M36.6
Duke36.2
Charleston35.6
Providence35.3
Mississippi St.35.2
Baylor34.7
Louisiana34.4
Howard34.3
Iowa St.33.9
Alabama33.8
West Virginia33.7
UCLA33.6
Texas A&M-CC33.5
Saint Mary’s33.4
Auburn33.3
TCU32.4
Fairleigh Dickinson32.3
Illinois32.3
Iowa32.2
Northern Kentucky32.1
San Diego St.32.1
Iona32.0
Miami (Fla)32.0
Xavier31.8
Gonzaga31.3
Grand Canyon31.2
Arizona31.1
Texas Southern31.1
Memphis31.0
Florida Atlantic30.7
Kansas30.7
Kent St.30.7
North Carolina St.30.7
Arkansas30.5
Pittsburgh30.4
Maryland30.2
Arizona St.29.6
Furman29.5
Princeton29.4
USC29.0
VCU29.0
Texas28.3
Northwestern28.2
Indiana28.0
Kansas St.28.0
Kennesaw St.28.0
Michigan St.27.4
Utah St.27.3
UCSB27.0
Missouri26.8
SE Missouri St.26.8
Boise St.26.7
Montana St.26.6
Marquette26.5
UNC Asheville26.3
Creighton25.5
Virginia25.5
Colgate25.4
Oral Roberts25.4
Drake24.8
Nevada23.0
Vermont20.5
Penn St.18.8

Offensive Rebound Rate is a part of R+T Rate, so we don’t want to count this twice. This is better used to compare two teams that are evenly matched. Note that three of the contenders are rated #1, #3, and #5 in this metric.


2-Point % Defense

Team2PtD%
Kentucky36.8
Maryland37.2
Alabama41.2
USC42.4
Houston42.8
Arizona St.43.8
Florida Atlantic44.6
Tennessee44.6
Grand Canyon45.0
Illinois45.3
Creighton45.6
Saint Mary’s45.6
Indiana45.7
Connecticut45.8
Arizona45.9
Oral Roberts45.9
Utah St.45.9
Mississippi St.46.2
VCU46.2
Virginia46.5
Northwestern46.6
Duke46.7
Kent St.46.7
Auburn46.8
Princeton46.8
UCLA46.8
Arkansas46.9
Iona47.0
Drake47.1
Texas47.1
Kansas47.2
Purdue47.3
Boise St.47.4
Montana St.47.4
Texas A&M47.4
Memphis47.6
Texas Southern47.9
Northern Kentucky48.4
Pittsburgh48.5
Louisiana48.6
Michigan St.48.6
UCSB48.6
UNC Asheville48.6
Xavier48.7
Kansas St.48.8
Penn St.48.8
Charleston49.1
Kennesaw St.49.1
Nevada49.1
TCU49.1
Iowa St.49.6
Providence49.6
San Diego St.49.9
Vermont49.9
Marquette50.0
SE Missouri St.50.2
Howard50.3
West Virginia50.5
North Carolina St.50.6
Furman50.7
Gonzaga50.8
Colgate51.2
Missouri51.7
Miami (Fla)51.8
Iowa52.6
Texas A&M-CC53.2
Baylor53.3
Fairleigh Dickinson55.4

The contenders all fare well in this category, but there are some teams at the bottom of this metric that might be a bit too generous inside the paint. Baylor, Iowa, Miami, Missouri, and Gonzaga have issues here, which could spell trouble against teams that can pound the ball inside.


Free Throw Rate

TeamFTR
Texas A&M45.9
Montana St.43.7
VCU41.8
UNC Asheville41.2
Nevada39.8
West Virginia39.7
Arkansas38.7
SE Missouri St.37.9
Baylor37.2
Purdue37.2
Louisiana37.1
Providence36.8
Alabama36.7
Grand Canyon36.6
Arizona36.5
Kansas St.36.3
Kennesaw St.36.3
Memphis35.8
Auburn35.5
Utah St.35.0
UCSB34.8
Mississippi St.34.6
Virginia34.5
Texas Southern34.4
Furman34.1
Howard33.9
TCU33.9
Illinois33.8
Maryland33.8
USC33.8
Gonzaga33.7
San Diego St.33.7
Charleston32.8
Iowa32.6
Kentucky32.5
Pittsburgh32.4
Princeton31.8
Connecticut31.6
Texas31.5
Kent St.31.3
Saint Mary’s31.2
Tennessee30.9
Arizona St.30.8
Duke30.8
Xavier30.8
Boise St.30.6
Indiana30.1
Miami (Fla)30.0
Northwestern29.7
Missouri29.5
Florida Atlantic29.3
Iona29.0
Vermont28.7
Northern Kentucky28.4
Drake28.2
Creighton28.1
Houston28.0
Iowa St.27.8
Texas A&M-CC27.6
Colgate27.3
Marquette27.1
UCLA27.1
Fairleigh Dickinson27.0
Michigan St.25.8
Kansas25.3
North Carolina St.25.3
Oral Roberts24.9
Penn St.21.4

The top contenders all fare well here. They can force defenses to foul and get their starters in foul trouble. Not much to see here.


Scoring Margin

TeamMarg
Houston19.4
Gonzaga14.6
Oral Roberts14.1
Florida Atlantic13.8
Tennessee13.8
Alabama13.7
UCLA13.6
Connecticut13.5
Charleston13.4
Drake11.4
Iona11.4
Saint Mary’s11.3
Arizona11.2
Furman10.9
Kent St.10.9
Purdue10.9
Texas10.5
Colgate9.6
Marquette9.3
Utah St.8.9
Duke8.6
Grand Canyon8.5
San Diego St.8.5
VCU8.5
Louisiana8.2
Creighton8.1
Boise St.7.9
Texas A&M-CC7.9
Illinois7.7
Memphis7.7
Montana St.7.6
Virginia7.5
North Carolina St.7.4
Princeton7.4
Miami (Fla)7.3
TCU7.3
Xavier7.3
Maryland7.2
Kentucky7.1
Arkansas7.0
Kansas7.0
Texas A&M7.0
Baylor6.9
Providence6.8
UCSB6.6
Indiana6.5
Kansas St.6.5
Kennesaw St.6.4
UNC Asheville6.4
Vermont6.4
Iowa5.8
Nevada5.7
Auburn5.6
Iowa St.5.6
Pittsburgh5.6
USC5.5
West Virginia5.3
Northwestern5.2
Mississippi St.4.9
Missouri4.9
Northern Kentucky4.6
Penn St.3.9
Howard3.6
Fairleigh Dickinson2.9
Michigan St.2.8
Arizona St.2.6
SE Missouri St.1.7
Texas Southern-2.2

Once again, the previous contenders do well here and fit the criteria. Note the major conference teams with scoring margins under 5.0 points per game.


Regular Season or Conference Tournament Champion

The following teams won either their regular season conference championship or their postseason conference tournament.

Alabama
Arizona
Charleston
Colgate
Drake
Duke
Florida Atlantic
Furman
Gonzaga
Grand Canyon
Houston
Howard
Iona
Kansas
Kennesaw St.
Kent St.
Louisiana
Marquette
Memphis
Montana St.
Northern Kentucky
Oral Roberts
Princeton
Purdue
Saint Mary’s
San Diego St.
SE Missouri St.
Texas
Texas A&M-CC
Texas Southern
UCLA
UCSB
UNC Asheville
VCU
Vermont
Virginia

Miami (Fla) was co-champion of the ACC, but technically not the champion.


Winning Streak of 10 or More

Team10+W
Charleston20
Florida Atlantic20
Oral Roberts17
Vermont15
Connecticut14
Iona14
UCLA14
Houston13
Purdue13
Colgate12
Saint Mary’s12
Gonzaga11
Mississippi St.11
TCU11
Xavier11
Drake10
Kansas10
Kent St.10
Louisiana10
Alabama9
Arizona St.9
Boise St.9
Duke9
Howard9
Kansas St.9
Marquette9
Miami (Fla)9
Missouri9
Providence9
UCSB9
UNC Asheville9
Utah St.9
VCU9
Arizona8
Auburn8
Creighton8
Furman8
Kennesaw St.8
Maryland8
Montana St.8
Princeton8
Tennessee8
Texas A&M-CC8
Virginia8
Arkansas7
Indiana7
Michigan St.7
Texas A&M7
USC7
Baylor6
Fairleigh Dickinson6
Grand Canyon6
Iowa St.6
Memphis6
Nevada6
San Diego St.6
Texas6
Iowa5
Northern Kentucky5
Northwestern5
Penn St.5
Pittsburgh5
Illinois4
Kentucky4
North Carolina St.4
SE Missouri St.4
West Virginia4
Texas Southern3

Don’t expect a team that hasn’t won 6 or more games in a row this year to do so in March Madness. Most past national champions had 8 or more game winning streaks, and many had 10 or more game winning streaks.


Preseason Top 25

Almost every past national champion was in the preseason top 25. The following NCAA Tournament teams were in the preseason top 25.

Team
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
Auburn
Baylor
Creighton
Duke
Gonzaga
Houston
Illinois
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
San Diego St.
TCU
Tennessee
Texas
UCLA
Virginia

Coach With Past NCAA Tournament Experience

TeamYrs.Deepest
Tennessee261 FF, 2 E8
West Virginia252 FF
Michigan St.241 NC, 8 FF
Kansas231 NC, 4 FF
Iona222 NC, 4 FF
Gonzaga222 FF
Kentucky211NC, 6 FF
Houston182 FF
Purdue145 Swt16
UCLA131 FF
TCU131 E8, 2 Swt16
Iowa116-11 no deep
Xavier114 E8, 4 Swt16
Auburn111 FF, 1 E8
Nevada114 Swt16
Creighton101 Swt16
Baylor101 NC, 2 E8
Virginia101 NC, 1E8, 2 Swt16
Miami (Fla)101 FF, 1 E8, 2 Swt16
Marquette91 FF
Texas A&M81 E8, 3 Swt16
Saint Mary’s81 Swt16
Illinois64-6 no deep
Providence61 Swr16
Alabama51 Swt16
Arkansas52 E8, 1 Swt16
Texas Southern52-5 no deep
USC51 E8, 1 Swt16
Maryland51-5 no deep
Vermont41-4 no deep
Connecticut40-4
Grand Canyon40-4
Iowa St.31 Swt16
Pittsburgh31 E8
Arizona St.31-3 no deep
Mississippi St.31-3 no deep
Boise St.30-3
Colgate30-3
Louisiana30-3
North Carolina St.30-3
San Diego St.30-3
Charleston20-2
VCU20-1*
Northern Kentucky12-1 no deep
Oral Roberts12-1 no deep
Texas A&M-CC10-1
Arizona11 Swt16
Drake11-1 no deep
Indiana11-1 no deep
Memphis11-1 no deep
Northwestern11-1 no deep
Utah St.11-1 no deep
Kent St.10-1
Missouri10-1
Montana St.10-1
Princeton10-1
UCSB10-1
Kennesaw St.00
UNC Asheville00
Duke00
Fairleigh Dickinson00
Florida Atlantic00
Furman00
Howard00
Kansas St.00
Penn St.00
SE Missouri St.00
Texas00
*Mike Rhoades (VCU) couldn’t play in 2022 tourney due to the Rams having issues with Covid.

3 or more Upperclassmen in Starting 5

Almost every team in the Dance has 3 or more seniors and juniors starting, due to Covid, and the NCAA granting an additional year of eligibility. Only the following teams fail to meet this criteria.

Alabama
Connecticut
Creighton
Duke
Florida Atlantic
Miami (Fla)
USC
VCU

Note that two of the key contenders, Alabama and Connecticut do not meet this criteria. Kentucky won the 2012 National Championship without an upperclassmen starting.


Two Front Court Starters Combine for 20 PPG/12 RPG

A team with two starters combining for 20 & 12 is a team that tends to score the most consistently in the NCAA Tournament. These players can get a lot of garbage points, which in the Big Dance, is vital.

Team20:12
AlabamaYES
ArizonaYES
AuburnYES
ConnecticutYES
CreightonYES
DukeYES
GonzagaYES
HoustonYES
IndianaYES
IonaYES
IowaYES
KansasYES
Kansas St.YES
KentuckyYES
LouisianaYES
MarylandYES
MemphisYES
Mississippi St.YES
Montana St.YES
NevadaYES
Oral RobertsYES
PrincetonYES
ProvidenceYES
PurdueYES
Texas A&M-CCYES
Texas SouthernYES
UCSBYES
UNC AshevilleYES
Utah St.YES
VCUYES
XavierYES
Arizona St.NO
ArkansasNO
BaylorNO
Boise St.NO
CharlestonNO
ColgateNO
DrakeNO
Fairleigh DickinsonNO
Florida AtlanticNO
FurmanNO
Grand CanyonNO
HowardNO
IllinoisNO
Iowa St.NO
Kennesaw St.NO
Kent St.NO
MarquetteNO
Miami (Fla)NO
Michigan St.NO
MissouriNO
North Carolina St.NO
Northern KentuckyNO
NorthwesternNO
Penn St.NO
PittsburghNO
Saint Mary’sNO
San Diego St.NO
SE Missouri St.NO
TCUNO
TennesseeNO
TexasNO
Texas A&MNO
UCLANO
USCNO
VermontNO
VirginiaNO
West VirginiaNO

3 Or More Double Figure Scorers

TeamDBL
Arizona5
Boise St.5
Charleston5
Colgate5
Creighton5
Iowa5
Providence5
Utah St.5
Arkansas4
Auburn4
Baylor4
Fairleigh Dickinson4
Furman4
Gonzaga4
Houston4
Kansas4
Kentucky4
Marquette4
Maryland4
Miami (Fla)4
North Carolina St.4
Pittsburgh4
Saint Mary’s4
Texas4
Texas Southern4
West Virginia4
Xavier4
Alabama3
Connecticut3
Florida Atlantic3
Grand Canyon3
Howard3
Iona3
Kansas St.3
Kennesaw St.3
Kent St.3
Louisiana3
Michigan St.3
Missouri3
Montana St.3
Nevada3
Oral Roberts3
Penn St.3
Princeton3
SE Missouri St.3
TCU3
Tennessee3
Texas A&M-CC3
UCLA3
VCU3
Vermont3
Virginia3
Arizona St.2
Drake2
Duke2
Illinois2
Indiana2
Iowa St.2
Memphis2
Northern Kentucky2
Northwestern2
Purdue2
Texas A&M2
UCSB2
UNC Asheville2
USC2
Mississippi St.1
San Diego St.1

Who Has “The Look?”

Unlike most years, the 2023 edition of March Madness has NO single team that stands out above all others. A half-dozen teams possess many of the criteria that past national champions had, but none have across-the-board positive resumes.

If you have read prior publications here, you know how leery I am of teams coached by Gene Keady proteges, and Big Ten teams in general. The style of play in that league, especially with Purdue, has not been the way to win national titles for many years. Michigan State was the last Big Ten team to win the championship 23 years ago, the only time a Big Ten team has cut down the nets in the last 31 tournaments. It will eventually happen again one year, but picking the Boilermakers to win six games with little ability to force turnovers, get cheap fast break points, and consistently hit the 3-point shot makes it hard for us to see Purdue going all the way.

Connecticut has a lot in its favor, namely the top three most important criteria. But, the Huskies did not win their regular season or conference tournament championship. Marquette has issues with their R+T Ratings. Alabama is young and inexperienced, but the Crimson Tide fits almost all other criteria. However, their offensive efficiency is a tad lower than what a typical national champion has.

Let’s go through the bracket and see how the individual matchups look. That will find us our choice this year. You may see different results based on the criteria above, so don’t take our picks as Gospel. We tend to choose very few upsets until the later rounds when the criteria shows the lower seed to be superior. We will list the teams we feel have a chance to upset favored teams in the early rounds.


Round of 64

WinnerLoser
AlabamaPlay-In Winner (TAMCC)
West VirginiaMaryland
San Diego St.Charleston
VirginiaFurman (Upset possible)
CreightonNorth Carolina St.
BaylorUCSB
Utah St.Missouri (Bad R+T)
ArizonaPrinceton
PurduePlay-in Winner (FDU)
MemphisFlorida Atlantic
DukeOral Roberts (close game?)
TennesseeLouisiana (close game?)
KentuckyProvidence (Upset possible)
Kansas St.Montana St.
Michigan St.USC (close game)
MarquetteVermont
HoustonNorthern Kentucky
AuburnIowa
Miami (Fla)Drake (exciting game!)
IndianaKent St.
Play-in Winner (Pittsburgh)Iowa St. (Upset)
XavierKennesaw St.
Texas A&MPenn St. (neg. R+T)
TexasColgate
KansasHoward
ArkansasIllinois
Saint Mary’sVCU
ConnecticutIona
TCUPlay-in Winner (Nevada)
GonzagaGrand Canyon
Boise St.Northwestern
UCLAUNC Asheville

Round of 32

WinnerLoser
AlabamaWest Virginia (close game?)
San Diego St.Virginia
BaylorCreighton (close game)
ArizonaUtah St.
PurdueMemphis
DukeTennessee
KentuckyKansas St.
MarquetteMichigan St. (close game)
HoustonAuburn
Miami (Fla)Indiana (close game)
XavierPittsburgh
TexasTexas A&M (close game)
KansasArkansas
ConnecticutSaint Mary’s
GonzagaTCU (close game)
UCLABoise St.

Sweet 16

WinnerLoser
AlabamaSan Diego St.
ArizonaBaylor
PurdueDuke (could be brutal)
MarquetteKentucky
Miami (Fla)Houston (Sasser injury???)
TexasXavier
ConnecticutKansas (close Game)
GonzagaUCLA (close game)

If Marcus Sasser is healthy, Houston would be favored, but my information tells me he will not be healthy by this time. UCLA also has multiple injury issues.


Elite 8

WinnerLoser
ArizonaAlabama
PurdueMarquette (R+T favors PU)
TexasMiami (Fla)
ConnecticutGonzaga

Arizona gets the nod over Alabama due to having more experienced, game-tested veterans, while Alabama is led by underclassmen. Marquette lacks the R+T rating to win a close game, and we can’t see them blowing Purdue off the floor, which is how they would have to win this game. Texas and Miami are evenly matched, but the Longhorns have just a little better criteria. Gonzaga’s defense isn’t as strong as in recent years, even though their offense is the best in the nation. UConn has much better defensive criteria and almost as good offensive criteria.


Final Four

WinnerLoser
PurdueArizona
ConnecticutTexas

It comes down to the two teams that best fit the most important part of the criteria. Neither the Boilermakers nor the Huskies have a typical national champions resume, but these two teams best fit that criteria.

Purdue’s main Achilles’ Heel is their inability to force turnovers against opponents. They have to buck a long trend and win half-court possession games, something that has not worked in the Final Four since Bobby Knight led Indiana to two championships in the 1980s. However, Purdue’s R+T ratings combined with their efficiency and schedule strength overrule the other liabilities. We don’t personally have total faith in the Boilermakers breaking the 43-year curse of Keadyball, where PU can win playing a halfcourt game against regular season oppoents, but just like Moneyball hasn’t worked for the Oakland A’s in the playoffs, Keadyball does not work in the NCAA Tournament. If it is every going to work, it’s going to work this year, when the Boilermakers have the most dominant player in the nation. Note that PU had the most dominant player in the nation in 1994 in Glenn Robinson, and the Boilermakers were ousted in the Elite 8 (the only Elite 8 appearance since Lee Rose lead PU to the 1980 Final Four).

Connecticut has better metrics than Texas, but the Huskies won neither the Big East regular season or conference tournament championship. National champions tend to win at least one if not both. The last team to cut the nets without cutting them in the regular season was (wait for it)–Connecticut in 2014.


National Championship Game

WinnerLoser
PurdueConnecticut

Can the curse be broken? If you saw the final minutes of the Big Ten Championship Game on Sunday, you saw a Boilermaker team that wilted against Penn State’s full court press defense. The Nittany Lions don’t have a fantastic pressure defensive team, so a team that can play a havoc style of defense might be able to take Purdue out of its game plan. Additionally, Purdue has been weaker than average from behind the 3-point line. They keep winning because they have the top player in the nation in the paint. A dominant big man has not led his team to the national championship in many years, and there are many examples of said post player’s team losing to a quicker, smaller team.

There are two parts to this equation. There has to be a team good enough to exploit the power team’s liabilities. What we see here is an ideal draw for the Boilermakers. The teams that can best employ the tactics needed to stop Purdue are mostly on the other side of the bracket, and the few in their bracket that might be able to stop PU are likely to be eliminated before their line on the bracket coincided with Purdue’s line on the bracket. Additionally, you can know for sure that Purdue has spent extra time in practice preparing for opposing teams to try to pressure Purdue’s guards. Braden Smith and Mason Gillis will need to step up and play their best ball of the season, and that is not a given, but we cannot see Purdue succumbing to the press like they did against Penn State. If teams don’t practice pressing constantly, they aren’t going to be that good using the defense, and if Purdue can break some presses for easy baskets, that ploy will be discontinued.

Connecticut has something going in their favor, but it is quirky. Twice before, the Huskies won the national championship in outlier style. In point of fact, their two national championships in 2011 and 2014 are the only outliers to the PiRate Ratings Criteria in the 21st Century. They are similar in style to Purdue. Don’t count on the Huskies to force opposing offenses out of their normal style of play with pressure defense.

So, there you have it. We are going against our personal biases and relying on the metrics, and the metrics say that Purdue is going to end their curse. Maybe it is 2004 again, but will any Purdue player appear with a bloody sock? The Boston Red Sox broke their 86-year curse by dominating in the new 21st Century metrics. Purdue has the 7th best offensive efficiency and 26th best defensive efficiency ratings with a schedule strength almost nine points above average.

Connecticut has the 6th best offensive efficiency and the 18th best defensive efficiency with a schedule strength that is eight points above average. You can’t go wrong picking the Huskies to go all the way, and if you have two choices to fill out a bracket, you might consider splitting your vote with Purdue and Connecticut. But, officially, our choice to cut the nets is Purdue.

March 7, 2023

PiRate Ratings Bracketology

Date3/7/2023
SeedTeamTeamTeamTeamTeamTeam
1AlabamaHoustonKansasPurdue
2UCLATexasBaylorArizona
3MarquetteKansas St.TennesseeGonzaga
4ConnecticutXavierIndianaVirginia
5San Diego St.Saint Mary’sMiami (Fla)TCU
6Iowa St.DukeCreightonTexas A&M
7KentuckyMichigan St.NorthwesternMaryland
8IllinoisIowaMissouriArkansas
9Florida AtlanticBoise St.AuburnProvidence
10MemphisWest VirginiaNorth Carolina St.USC
11PittsburghRutgersMississippi St.NevadaWisconsinPenn St.
12Oral RobertsVCUDrakeCharleston
13Utah ValleyToledoIonaLouisiana
14YaleFurmanUC Santa BarbaraKennesaw St.
15ColgateVermontUNC AshevilleMontana St.
16Cleveland St.Texas A&M-CCSE Missouri St.GramblingHowardFairleigh Dickinson

Last 4 Byes: North Carolina St., USC, Pittsburgh, Rutgers

Last 4 In: Mississippi St., Nevada, Wisconsin, Penn St.

First 4 Out: Utah St., Arizona St., Oklahoma St., North Carolina

Next 4 Out: Clemson, Michigan, Oregon, Vanderbilt

PiRate Ratings Conference Tournament Schedules

All Times Eastern Standard


America East Conference — Higher Seed Hosts

Semifinals (ESPN+)

#1 Vermont (21-10) vs. #5 Binghamton (13-17) 7 PM

#2 UMass Lowell (25-7) vs. #3 New Hampshire (15-14) 6 PM


Atlantic 10 Conference — Brooklyn

1st Round (ESPN+)

#12 Richmond (14-17) vs. #13 Massachusetts (15-15) 11:30 AM

#10 Saint Joseph’s (14-16) vs. #15 Loyola (MD) (10-20) 2 PM

#11 La Salle (13-18) vs. #14 Rhode Island (9-21) 4:30 PM


Atlantic Coast Conference — Greensboro, NC

1st Round (ACCN)

#12 Florida St. (9-22) vs. #13 Georgia Tech (14-17) 2PM

#10 Boston College (15-16) vs. #15 Louisville (4-27) 4:30 PM

#11 Virginia Tech (18-13) vs. #14 Notre Dame (11-20) 7 PM


Big Sky Conference — Boise, ID

Semifinals

#4 Montana (17-13) vs. #9 Northern Arizona (11-22) 8:30 PM ESPNU

#2 Montana St. (23-9) vs. #3 Weber St. (18-14) 11 PM ESPN2


Big West Conference — Henderson, NV (Las Vegas)

1st Round (ESPN+)

#8 Cal St. Bakersfield (10-21) vs. #9 Cal St. Northridge (7-24) 9 PM

#7 Long Beach St. (17-15) vs. #10 Cal Poly (7-24) 11:30 PM


Colonial Athletic Association — Washington, D.C.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (CBSSN)

#2 Charleston (30-3) vs. #4 UNC Wilmington (24-9) 7 PM


Horizon League — Indianapolis

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (ESPN)

#3 Cleveland St. (21-12) vs. #4 Northern Kentucky (21-12) 7 PM


Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference — Atlantic City, NJ

1st Round (ESPN+)

#8 Mount St. Mary’s (12-19) vs. #9 Canisius (10-19) 5 PM

#7 Fairfield (13-17) vs. #10 Saint Peter’s (12-17) 7 PM

#6 Manhattan (12-17) vs. #11 Marist (10-19) 9 PM


Northeast Conference — Higher Seed Hosts

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (ESPN2)

#1 Merrimack (17-16) vs. #2 Fairleigh Dickinson (19-14) 7 PM

Merrimack is not eligible for the NCAA Tournament

FDU has already won the league’s automatic bid


Southland Conference — Lake Charles, LA

Semifinals

#1 Texas A&M-CC (21-10) vs. #8 McNeese St. (11-22) 6:30 PM ESPNU

#2 Northwestern St. (21-10) vs. #7 New Orleans (12-19) 9PM ESPN+


Summit League — Sioux Falls, SD

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (ESPN2)

#1 Oral Roberts (29-4) vs. #3 North Dakota St. (16-16) 9 PM


West Coast Conference — Las Vegas

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (ESPN)

#1 Saint Mary’s (26-6) vs. #2 Gonzaga (27-5) 9 PM


Western Athletic Conference — Las Vegas

1st Round (ESPN+)

#8 Cal Baptist (16-15) vs. #9 Abilene Christian (13-16) 3 PM

#5 Grand Canyon (20-11) vs. #12 UT-Arlington (11-20) 5 PM

#7 Tarleton (16-15) vs. #10 UT-Rio Grande Valley (15-16) 9 PM

#6 Stephen F. Austin (19-12) vs. #11 Utah Tech (13-18) 11 PM

This tournament is seeded by KenPom Ratings rather than standings


Still to Come Today: Updated Bracketology

PiRate Ratings College Basketball — Tuesday, March 7, 2023

HomeVisitorSpread
Boston CollegeLouisville5.7
Cal BaptistAbilene Christian1.3
Cal St. BakersfieldCal St. Northridge2.6
CharlestonUNC Wilmington8.3
Cleveland St.Northern Kentucky-0.9
FairfieldSaint Peter’s3.6
Florida St.Georgia Tech-1.8
Grand CanyonUT-Arlington8.1
La SalleRhode Island0.4
Long Beach St.Cal Poly8.5
ManhattanMarist0.3
MerrimackFairleigh Dickinson2.9
MontanaNorthern Arizona3.5
Montana St.Weber St.5.1
Mount St. Mary’sCanisius-1.3
Northwestern St.New Orleans9.2
Oral RobertsNorth Dakota St.10.7
RichmondMassachusetts1.2
Saint Joseph’sLoyola (Chi)2.5
Saint Mary’sGonzaga-2.4
Stephen F. AustinUtah Tech2.6
Tarleton St.UT Rio Grande Valley5.9
Texas A&M-CCMcNeese St.9.5
UMass LowellNew Hampshire11.9
VermontBinghamton13.3
Virginia TechNotre Dame7.6

Coming Later Today: Conference Tournament Schedules & Updated Bracketology

March 6, 2023

PiRate Ratings Conference Tournament Update

Teams That Have Punched Their Tickets

Fairleigh DickinsonNEC19-14
Southeast Missouri St.OVC19-16
UNC AshevilleBSTH27-7
DrakeMVC27-7
Kennesaw St.ASUN26-8

Monday’s Conference Tournament Schedule

All Times Eastern Standard

Big Sky Conference — Boise, ID

Quarterfinals Day 2 (ESPN+)

#4 Montana (16-13) vs. #5 Idaho St. (11-20) 7:30 PM

#3 Weber St. (17-14) vs. #6 Sacramento St. (14-17) 10 PM


Colonial Athletic Association — Washington, D.C.

Semifinals (CBSSN)

#1 Hofstra (24-8) vs. #4 UNC Wilmington (23-9) 6 PM

#2 Charleston (29-3) vs. #3 Towson (21-11) 8:30 PM


Horizon League — Indianapolis

Semifinals

#1 Youngstown St. (24-8) vs. #4 Northern Kentucky (20-12) 7 PM on ESPNU

#2 Milwaukee (21-10) vs. #3 Cleveland St. (20-12) 9:30 PM on ESPN2


Southern Conference — Asheville, NC

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (ESPN)

#1 Furman (26-7) vs. #7 Chattanooga (18-16) 7 PM


Southland Conference — Lake Charles, LA

Semifinals (ESPN+)

#4 Nicholls St. (16-14) vs. #8 McNeese St. (10-22) 6 PM

#3 Southeastern Louisiana (18-13) vs. #7 New Orleans (11-19) 8:30 PM


Summit League — Sioux Falls, SD

Semifinals (ESPN+)

#1 Oral Roberts (28-4) vs. #5 St. Thomas (19-13) 7 PM

#2 South Dakota St. (19-12) vs. #3 North Dakota St. (15-16) 9:30 PM


Sun Belt Conference — Pensacola, FL

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (ESPN 2)

#2 Louisiana (25-7) vs. #8 South Alabama (19-15) 7 PM


West Coast Conference — Las Vegas

Semifinals

#1 Saint Mary’s (25-6) vs. #5 BYU (19-14) 9 PM on ESPN

#2 Gonzaga (26-5) vs. #6 San Francisco (20-13) 11:30 PM on ESPN2


Still to Come Today: Updated Bracketology

PiRate Ratings College Basketball — Monday, March 6, 2023

Monday’s PiRate Ratings Spreads

HomeVisitorSpread
HofstraUNC Wilmington6.0
Nicholls St.McNeese St.5.9
Youngstown St.Northern Kentucky3.4
FurmanChattanooga6.1
Oral RobertsSt. Thomas10.1
LouisianaSouth Alabama0.2
MontanaIdaho St.5.3
CharlestonTowson5.8
Southeastern LouisianaNew Orleans6.5
Saint Mary’sBYU6.6
MilwaukeeCleveland St.-1.7
South Dakota St.North Dakota St.3.1
Weber St.Sacramento St.1.7
GonzagaSan Francisco12.5

Monday’s PiRate Ratings

#TeamPiRateConference
1Houston119.9American Athletic
2Alabama119.9Southeastern
3UCLA118.8Pac-12
4Tennessee118.6Southeastern
5Connecticut118.0Big East
6Gonzaga117.1West Coast
7Texas116.9Big 12
8Kansas116.7Big 12
9Arizona116.4Pac-12
10Purdue116.4Big Ten
11Creighton115.5Big East
12Baylor114.9Big 12
13Saint Mary’s114.7West Coast
14Marquette114.7Big East
15Xavier114.4Big East
16Arkansas114.3Southeastern
17West Virginia113.6Big 12
18Kansas St.113.5Big 12
19Kentucky113.5Southeastern
20TCU113.3Big 12
21San Diego St.113.3Mountain West
22Maryland113.2Big Ten
23Indiana113.0Big Ten
24Auburn113.0Southeastern
25Iowa St.112.9Big 12
26Texas A&M112.8Southeastern
27Illinois112.5Big Ten
28Iowa112.3Big Ten
29Duke112.3Atlantic Coast
30Utah St.112.2Mountain West
31Michigan St.112.2Big Ten
32Memphis112.1American Athletic
33Miami (Fla)111.6Atlantic Coast
34Rutgers111.5Big Ten
35North Carolina111.5Atlantic Coast
36USC111.3Pac-12
37Florida Atlantic111.3Conference USA
38Virginia111.3Atlantic Coast
39Boise St.111.2Mountain West
40Oklahoma St.111.1Big 12
41Michigan111.1Big Ten
42Texas Tech110.7Big 12
43Oregon110.7Pac-12
44Providence110.7Big East
45Northwestern110.7Big Ten
46North Carolina St.110.6Atlantic Coast
47Mississippi St.110.2Southeastern
48Florida110.0Southeastern
49Penn St.110.0Big Ten
50Ohio St.109.9Big Ten
51Oklahoma109.8Big 12
52Missouri109.7Southeastern
53Cincinnati109.5American Athletic
54New Mexico109.5Mountain West
55Nevada109.4Mountain West
56Clemson109.4Atlantic Coast
57Colorado109.3Pac-12
58UAB109.3Conference USA
59Villanova109.2Big East
60Seton Hall109.2Big East
61Arizona St.109.2Pac-12
62Washington St.108.8Pac-12
63Drake108.8Missouri Valley
64Pittsburgh108.8Atlantic Coast
65Liberty108.8Atlantic Sun
66Virginia Tech108.8Atlantic Coast
67Utah108.8Pac-12
68Dayton108.7Atlantic 10
69Central Florida108.6American Athletic
70Wisconsin108.5Big Ten
71Charleston108.4Colonial Athletic
72North Texas108.4Conference USA
73VCU108.2Atlantic 10
74BYU108.1West Coast
75Oral Roberts108.0Summit
76Yale108.0Ivy League
77Sam Houston St.107.8Western Athletic
78Vanderbilt107.6Southeastern
79Iona107.6Metro Atlantic
80Kent St.107.0Mid-American
81Stanford107.0Pac-12
82St. John’s107.0Big East
83Marshall106.8Sun Belt
84Toledo106.8Mid-American
85Utah Valley106.7Western Athletic
86Bradley106.7Missouri Valley
87Wake Forest106.7Atlantic Coast
88Santa Clara106.5West Coast
89Furman106.2Southern
90Hofstra106.1Colonial Athletic
91UNLV105.9Mountain West
92Nebraska105.7Big Ten
93Tulane105.5American Athletic
94Indiana St.105.5Missouri Valley
95Saint Louis105.3Atlantic 10
96James Madison105.2Sun Belt
97Mississippi104.7Southeastern
98Wichita St.104.6American Athletic
99Washington104.6Pac-12
100UC Irvine104.6Big West
101Louisiana104.6Sun Belt
102San Francisco104.6West Coast
103South Alabama104.4Sun Belt
104Syracuse104.3Atlantic Coast
105Southern Utah104.3Western Athletic
106Temple104.1American Athletic
107Colorado St.104.1Mountain West
108Akron104.0Mid-American
109Southern Miss103.9Sun Belt
110Loyola Marymount103.8West Coast
111Butler103.8Big East
112San Jose St.103.8Mountain West
113Colgate103.7Patriot League
114UNC Greensboro103.7Southern
115Grand Canyon103.6Western Athletic
116Duquesne103.5Atlantic 10
117UC Santa Barbara103.3Big West
118Montana St.103.2Big Sky
119Belmont103.1Missouri Valley
120Vermont103.1America East
121Charlotte103.0Conference USA
122Princeton102.9Ivy League
123UMass Lowell102.8America East
124Youngstown St.102.8Horizon
125Towson102.6Colonial Athletic
126LSU102.4Southeastern
127Southern Illinois102.4Missouri Valley
128Middle Tennessee102.4Conference USA
129George Mason102.3Atlantic 10
130Davidson102.2Atlantic 10
131Stephen F. Austin102.2Western Athletic
132Eastern Washington102.1Big Sky
133Cal St. Fullerton102.1Big West
134Hawaii102.0Big West
135Troy102.0Sun Belt
136Samford102.0Southern
137Fresno St.101.9Mountain West
138Penn101.9Ivy League
139Fordham101.9Atlantic 10
140Kennesaw St.101.8Atlantic Sun
141Ohio101.7Mid-American
142DePaul101.7Big East
143Georgia101.7Southeastern
144South Florida101.6American Athletic
145Cornell101.6Ivy League
146Seattle101.5Western Athletic
147Wyoming101.4Mountain West
148Georgia Tech101.3Atlantic Coast
149Notre Dame101.2Atlantic Coast
150Missouri St.101.2Missouri Valley
151UC Riverside101.0Big West
152UNC Asheville100.9Big South
153Richmond100.7Atlantic 10
154Louisiana Tech100.7Conference USA
155Air Force100.6Mountain West
156UC Davis100.6Big West
157Long Beach St.100.6Big West
158Boston College100.6Atlantic Coast
159Tarleton St.100.5Western Athletic
160Cal Baptist100.5Western Athletic
161Portland100.5West Coast
162South Dakota St.100.4Summit
163Ball St.100.4Mid-American
164Lipscomb100.3Atlantic Sun
165Chattanooga100.1Southern
166Longwood100.1Big South
167UNC Wilmington100.1Colonial Athletic
168Montana100.0Big Sky
169Western Kentucky99.8Conference USA
170Harvard99.7Ivy League
171Appalachian St.99.7Sun Belt
172Old Dominion99.7Sun Belt
173Utah Tech99.6Western Athletic
174Massachusetts99.5Atlantic 10
175St. Bonaventure99.5Atlantic 10
176Eastern Kentucky99.5Atlantic Sun
177Florida St.99.5Atlantic Coast
178SMU99.4American Athletic
179Northern Kentucky99.4Horizon
180Quinnipiac99.4Metro Atlantic
181New Mexico St.99.3Western Athletic
182Stetson99.2Atlantic Sun
183Radford99.2Big South
184Abilene Christian99.2Western Athletic
185Navy99.1Patriot League
186Wright St.99.1Horizon
187Brown99.1Ivy League
188Florida Gulf Coast98.9Atlantic Sun
189Saint Joseph’s98.9Atlantic 10
190UTEP98.8Conference USA
191Grambling98.8Southwestern Athletic
192Drexel98.7Colonial Athletic
193Texas A&M CC98.6Southland
194Norfolk St.98.6Mideastern Athletic
195Buffalo98.6Mid-American
196Rider98.6Metro Atlantic
197Gardner Webb98.5Big South
198North Carolina Central98.5Mideastern Athletic
199Bryant98.5America East
200Cleveland St.98.5Horizon
201Georgetown98.5Big East
202Pepperdine98.5West Coast
203East Carolina98.4American Athletic
204Texas St.98.4Sun Belt
205Minnesota98.4Big Ten
206Northern Iowa98.3Missouri Valley
207Pacific98.3West Coast
208South Carolina98.3Southeastern
209Siena98.2Metro Atlantic
210Detroit Mercy98.1Horizon
211George Washington98.1Atlantic 10
212Weber St.98.1Big Sky
213Georgia Southern97.9Sun Belt
214Oregon St.97.9Pac-12
215St. Thomas97.9Summit
216Rice97.9Conference USA
217Queens97.8Atlantic Sun
218Murray St.97.6Missouri Valley
219Wofford97.4Southern
220San Diego97.3West Coast
221Mercer97.3Southern
222Northwestern St.97.3Southland
223North Dakota St.97.3Summit
224Florida Int’l97.0Conference USA
225La Salle96.9Atlantic 10
226Milwaukee96.8Horizon
227Campbell96.6Big South
228Rhode Island96.5Atlantic 10
229Purdue Fort Wayne96.5Horizon
230Northern Arizona96.5Big Sky
231Jacksonville96.5Atlantic Sun
232Northern Colorado96.4Big Sky
233Western Carolina96.4Southern
234Sacramento St.96.4Big Sky
235Delaware96.4Colonial Athletic
236Loyola (Chi.)96.4Atlantic 10
237North Florida96.3Atlantic Sun
238Jacksonville St.96.1Atlantic Sun
239East Tennessee St.96.0Southern
240Howard95.9Mideastern Athletic
241Robert Morris95.8Horizon
242Portland St.95.7Big Sky
243Winthrop95.6Big South
244Fairfield95.6Metro Atlantic
245UMBC95.5America East
246UT Arlington95.5Western Athletic
247Morehead St.95.5Ohio Valley
248SIU Edwardsville95.4Ohio Valley
249Northern Illinois95.3Mid-American
250Army95.3Patriot League
251Bellarmine95.3Atlantic Sun
252California95.2Pac-12
253Canisius95.1Metro Atlantic
254Alcorn St.95.1Southwestern Athletic
255Nicholls St.95.0Southland
256Maryland Eastern Shore95.0Mideastern Athletic
257Louisville94.9Atlantic Coast
258Niagara94.8Metro Atlantic
259Idaho St.94.7Big Sky
260Southeast Missouri St.94.7Ohio Valley
261North Alabama94.7Atlantic Sun
262Southern94.6Southwestern Athletic
263Southeastern Louisiana94.6Southland
264USC Upstate94.6Big South
265UT Rio Grande Valley94.6Western Athletic
266Boston University94.5Patriot League
267Illinois St.94.5Missouri Valley
268Dartmouth94.3Ivy League
269Lafayette94.3Patriot League
270Miami (O)94.1Mid-American
271Oakland94.1Horizon
272UT-Martin94.1Ohio Valley
273American94.0Patriot League
274Southern Indiana93.9Ohio Valley
275Western Illinois93.9Summit
276Georgia St.93.9Sun Belt
277UC San Diego93.9Big West
278Prairie View A&M93.8Southwestern Athletic
279Mount St. Mary’s93.8Metro Atlantic
280Louisiana Monroe93.6Sun Belt
281Coastal Carolina93.6Sun Belt
282Valparaiso93.6Missouri Valley
283North Dakota93.6Summit
284Arkansas St.93.5Sun Belt
285New Hampshire93.4America East
286Lehigh93.3Patriot League
287Cal St. Bakersfield93.3Big West
288Bowling Green93.2Mid-American
289Tennessee Tech93.1Ohio Valley
290Maine93.1America East
291Tennessee St.92.9Ohio Valley
292South Dakota92.9Summit
293Illinois Chicago92.7Missouri Valley
294Chicago St.92.5Independents
295Manhattan92.4Metro Atlantic
296Bucknell92.4Patriot League
297Binghamton92.3America East
298Charleston Southern92.3Big South
299Northeastern92.3Colonial Athletic
300UTSA92.3Conference USA
301Texas Southern92.2Southwestern Athletic
302Wagner92.2Northeast
303Tulsa92.2American Athletic
304High Point92.2Big South
305Marist92.1Metro Atlantic
306Cal Poly92.1Big West
307Texas A&M Commerce92.1Southland
308Merrimack92.0Northeast
309Denver92.0Summit
310Saint Peter’s92.0Metro Atlantic
311Morgan St.92.0Mideastern Athletic
312Idaho91.9Big Sky
313Jackson St.91.9Southwestern Athletic
314UMKC91.9Summit
315Fairleigh Dickinson91.6Northeast
316William & Mary91.5Colonial Athletic
317Alabama A&M91.4Southwestern Athletic
318Western Michigan91.2Mid-American
319North Carolina A&T91.1Colonial Athletic
320Loyola (MD)90.9Patriot League
321Omaha90.8Summit
322Austin Peay90.8Atlantic Sun
323Eastern Michigan90.8Mid-American
324The Citadel90.7Southern
325Stony Brook90.7Colonial Athletic
326Cal St. Northridge90.7Big West
327Little Rock90.3Ohio Valley
328Sacred Heart90.3Northeast
329Stonehill90.0Northeast
330NJIT90.0America East
331Arkansas Pine Bluff89.7Southwestern Athletic
332Central Michigan89.5Mid-American
333Elon89.5Colonial Athletic
334St. Francis PA89.3Northeast
335Central Connecticut89.1Northeast
336McNeese St.89.1Southland
337Presbyterian88.9Big South
338Central Arkansas88.7Atlantic Sun
339Coppin St.88.5Mideastern Athletic
340Albany88.4America East
341Lindenwood88.4Ohio Valley
342Incarnate Word88.2Southland
343Holy Cross88.2Patriot League
344New Orleans88.1Southland
345Eastern Illinois88.1Ohio Valley
346Alabama St.88.0Southwestern Athletic
347Columbia87.8Ivy League
348South Carolina St.87.7Mideastern Athletic
349Bethune Cookman87.6Southwestern Athletic
350Monmouth87.6Colonial Athletic
351Hampton87.5Colonial Athletic
352VMI87.4Southern
353Evansville87.4Missouri Valley
354St. Francis NY86.7Northeast
355Houston Christian85.9Southland
356Florida A&M85.9Southwestern Athletic
357Delaware St.85.6Mideastern Athletic
358Lamar85.6Southland
359Mississippi Valley St.85.4Southwestern Athletic
360IUPUI84.2Horizon
361Green Bay82.6Horizon
362Hartford81.5Independents
363Long Island79.6Northeast

Alphabetical

#TeamPiRateConference
184Abilene Christian99.2Western Athletic
155Air Force100.6Mountain West
108Akron104.0Mid-American
2Alabama119.9Southeastern
317Alabama A&M91.4Southwestern Athletic
346Alabama St.88.0Southwestern Athletic
340Albany88.4America East
254Alcorn St.95.1Southwestern Athletic
273American94.0Patriot League
171Appalachian St.99.7Sun Belt
9Arizona116.4Pac-12
61Arizona St.109.2Pac-12
16Arkansas114.3Southeastern
331Arkansas Pine Bluff89.7Southwestern Athletic
284Arkansas St.93.5Sun Belt
250Army95.3Patriot League
24Auburn113.0Southeastern
322Austin Peay90.8Atlantic Sun
163Ball St.100.4Mid-American
12Baylor114.9Big 12
251Bellarmine95.3Atlantic Sun
119Belmont103.1Missouri Valley
349Bethune Cookman87.6Southwestern Athletic
297Binghamton92.3America East
39Boise St.111.2Mountain West
158Boston College100.6Atlantic Coast
266Boston University94.5Patriot League
288Bowling Green93.2Mid-American
86Bradley106.7Missouri Valley
187Brown99.1Ivy League
199Bryant98.5America East
296Bucknell92.4Patriot League
195Buffalo98.6Mid-American
111Butler103.8Big East
74BYU108.1West Coast
160Cal Baptist100.5Western Athletic
306Cal Poly92.1Big West
287Cal St. Bakersfield93.3Big West
133Cal St. Fullerton102.1Big West
326Cal St. Northridge90.7Big West
252California95.2Pac-12
227Campbell96.6Big South
253Canisius95.1Metro Atlantic
338Central Arkansas88.7Atlantic Sun
335Central Connecticut89.1Northeast
69Central Florida108.6American Athletic
332Central Michigan89.5Mid-American
71Charleston108.4Colonial Athletic
298Charleston Southern92.3Big South
121Charlotte103.0Conference USA
165Chattanooga100.1Southern
294Chicago St.92.5Independents
53Cincinnati109.5American Athletic
56Clemson109.4Atlantic Coast
200Cleveland St.98.5Horizon
281Coastal Carolina93.6Sun Belt
113Colgate103.7Patriot League
57Colorado109.3Pac-12
107Colorado St.104.1Mountain West
347Columbia87.8Ivy League
5Connecticut118.0Big East
339Coppin St.88.5Mideastern Athletic
145Cornell101.6Ivy League
11Creighton115.5Big East
268Dartmouth94.3Ivy League
130Davidson102.2Atlantic 10
68Dayton108.7Atlantic 10
235Delaware96.4Colonial Athletic
357Delaware St.85.6Mideastern Athletic
309Denver92.0Summit
142DePaul101.7Big East
210Detroit Mercy98.1Horizon
63Drake108.8Missouri Valley
192Drexel98.7Colonial Athletic
29Duke112.3Atlantic Coast
116Duquesne103.5Atlantic 10
203East Carolina98.4American Athletic
239East Tennessee St.96.0Southern
345Eastern Illinois88.1Ohio Valley
176Eastern Kentucky99.5Atlantic Sun
323Eastern Michigan90.8Mid-American
132Eastern Washington102.1Big Sky
333Elon89.5Colonial Athletic
353Evansville87.4Missouri Valley
244Fairfield95.6Metro Atlantic
315Fairleigh Dickinson91.6Northeast
48Florida110.0Southeastern
356Florida A&M85.9Southwestern Athletic
37Florida Atlantic111.3Conference USA
188Florida Gulf Coast98.9Atlantic Sun
224Florida Int’l97.0Conference USA
177Florida St.99.5Atlantic Coast
139Fordham101.9Atlantic 10
137Fresno St.101.9Mountain West
89Furman106.2Southern
197Gardner Webb98.5Big South
129George Mason102.3Atlantic 10
211George Washington98.1Atlantic 10
201Georgetown98.5Big East
143Georgia101.7Southeastern
213Georgia Southern97.9Sun Belt
276Georgia St.93.9Sun Belt
148Georgia Tech101.3Atlantic Coast
6Gonzaga117.1West Coast
191Grambling98.8Southwestern Athletic
115Grand Canyon103.6Western Athletic
361Green Bay82.6Horizon
351Hampton87.5Colonial Athletic
362Hartford81.5Independents
170Harvard99.7Ivy League
134Hawaii102.0Big West
304High Point92.2Big South
90Hofstra106.1Colonial Athletic
343Holy Cross88.2Patriot League
1Houston119.9American Athletic
355Houston Christian85.9Southland
240Howard95.9Mideastern Athletic
312Idaho91.9Big Sky
259Idaho St.94.7Big Sky
27Illinois112.5Big Ten
293Illinois Chicago92.7Missouri Valley
267Illinois St.94.5Missouri Valley
342Incarnate Word88.2Southland
23Indiana113.0Big Ten
94Indiana St.105.5Missouri Valley
79Iona107.6Metro Atlantic
28Iowa112.3Big Ten
25Iowa St.112.9Big 12
360IUPUI84.2Horizon
313Jackson St.91.9Southwestern Athletic
231Jacksonville96.5Atlantic Sun
238Jacksonville St.96.1Atlantic Sun
96James Madison105.2Sun Belt
8Kansas116.7Big 12
18Kansas St.113.5Big 12
140Kennesaw St.101.8Atlantic Sun
80Kent St.107.0Mid-American
19Kentucky113.5Southeastern
225La Salle96.9Atlantic 10
269Lafayette94.3Patriot League
358Lamar85.6Southland
286Lehigh93.3Patriot League
65Liberty108.8Atlantic Sun
341Lindenwood88.4Ohio Valley
164Lipscomb100.3Atlantic Sun
327Little Rock90.3Ohio Valley
157Long Beach St.100.6Big West
363Long Island79.6Northeast
166Longwood100.1Big South
101Louisiana104.6Sun Belt
280Louisiana Monroe93.6Sun Belt
154Louisiana Tech100.7Conference USA
257Louisville94.9Atlantic Coast
236Loyola (Chi.)96.4Atlantic 10
320Loyola (MD)90.9Patriot League
110Loyola Marymount103.8West Coast
126LSU102.4Southeastern
290Maine93.1America East
295Manhattan92.4Metro Atlantic
305Marist92.1Metro Atlantic
14Marquette114.7Big East
83Marshall106.8Sun Belt
22Maryland113.2Big Ten
256Maryland Eastern Shore95.0Mideastern Athletic
174Massachusetts99.5Atlantic 10
336McNeese St.89.1Southland
32Memphis112.1American Athletic
221Mercer97.3Southern
308Merrimack92.0Northeast
33Miami (Fla)111.6Atlantic Coast
270Miami (O)94.1Mid-American
41Michigan111.1Big Ten
31Michigan St.112.2Big Ten
128Middle Tennessee102.4Conference USA
226Milwaukee96.8Horizon
205Minnesota98.4Big Ten
97Mississippi104.7Southeastern
47Mississippi St.110.2Southeastern
359Mississippi Valley St.85.4Southwestern Athletic
52Missouri109.7Southeastern
150Missouri St.101.2Missouri Valley
350Monmouth87.6Colonial Athletic
168Montana100.0Big Sky
118Montana St.103.2Big Sky
247Morehead St.95.5Ohio Valley
311Morgan St.92.0Mideastern Athletic
279Mount St. Mary’s93.8Metro Atlantic
218Murray St.97.6Missouri Valley
185Navy99.1Patriot League
92Nebraska105.7Big Ten
55Nevada109.4Mountain West
285New Hampshire93.4America East
54New Mexico109.5Mountain West
181New Mexico St.99.3Western Athletic
344New Orleans88.1Southland
258Niagara94.8Metro Atlantic
255Nicholls St.95.0Southland
330NJIT90.0America East
194Norfolk St.98.6Mideastern Athletic
261North Alabama94.7Atlantic Sun
35North Carolina111.5Atlantic Coast
319North Carolina A&T91.1Colonial Athletic
198North Carolina Central98.5Mideastern Athletic
46North Carolina St.110.6Atlantic Coast
283North Dakota93.6Summit
223North Dakota St.97.3Summit
237North Florida96.3Atlantic Sun
72North Texas108.4Conference USA
299Northeastern92.3Colonial Athletic
230Northern Arizona96.5Big Sky
232Northern Colorado96.4Big Sky
249Northern Illinois95.3Mid-American
206Northern Iowa98.3Missouri Valley
179Northern Kentucky99.4Horizon
45Northwestern110.7Big Ten
222Northwestern St.97.3Southland
149Notre Dame101.2Atlantic Coast
271Oakland94.1Horizon
141Ohio101.7Mid-American
50Ohio St.109.9Big Ten
51Oklahoma109.8Big 12
40Oklahoma St.111.1Big 12
172Old Dominion99.7Sun Belt
321Omaha90.8Summit
75Oral Roberts108.0Summit
43Oregon110.7Pac-12
214Oregon St.97.9Pac-12
207Pacific98.3West Coast
138Penn101.9Ivy League
49Penn St.110.0Big Ten
202Pepperdine98.5West Coast
64Pittsburgh108.8Atlantic Coast
161Portland100.5West Coast
242Portland St.95.7Big Sky
278Prairie View A&M93.8Southwestern Athletic
337Presbyterian88.9Big South
122Princeton102.9Ivy League
44Providence110.7Big East
10Purdue116.4Big Ten
229Purdue Fort Wayne96.5Horizon
217Queens97.8Atlantic Sun
180Quinnipiac99.4Metro Atlantic
183Radford99.2Big South
228Rhode Island96.5Atlantic 10
216Rice97.9Conference USA
153Richmond100.7Atlantic 10
196Rider98.6Metro Atlantic
241Robert Morris95.8Horizon
34Rutgers111.5Big Ten
234Sacramento St.96.4Big Sky
328Sacred Heart90.3Northeast
189Saint Joseph’s98.9Atlantic 10
95Saint Louis105.3Atlantic 10
13Saint Mary’s114.7West Coast
310Saint Peter’s92.0Metro Atlantic
77Sam Houston St.107.8Western Athletic
136Samford102.0Southern
220San Diego97.3West Coast
21San Diego St.113.3Mountain West
102San Francisco104.6West Coast
112San Jose St.103.8Mountain West
88Santa Clara106.5West Coast
146Seattle101.5Western Athletic
60Seton Hall109.2Big East
209Siena98.2Metro Atlantic
248SIU Edwardsville95.4Ohio Valley
178SMU99.4American Athletic
103South Alabama104.4Sun Belt
208South Carolina98.3Southeastern
348South Carolina St.87.7Mideastern Athletic
292South Dakota92.9Summit
162South Dakota St.100.4Summit
144South Florida101.6American Athletic
260Southeast Missouri St.94.7Ohio Valley
263Southeastern Louisiana94.6Southland
262Southern94.6Southwestern Athletic
127Southern Illinois102.4Missouri Valley
274Southern Indiana93.9Ohio Valley
109Southern Miss103.9Sun Belt
105Southern Utah104.3Western Athletic
175St. Bonaventure99.5Atlantic 10
354St. Francis NY86.7Northeast
334St. Francis PA89.3Northeast
82St. John’s107.0Big East
215St. Thomas97.9Summit
81Stanford107.0Pac-12
131Stephen F. Austin102.2Western Athletic
182Stetson99.2Atlantic Sun
329Stonehill90.0Northeast
325Stony Brook90.7Colonial Athletic
104Syracuse104.3Atlantic Coast
159Tarleton St.100.5Western Athletic
20TCU113.3Big 12
106Temple104.1American Athletic
4Tennessee118.6Southeastern
291Tennessee St.92.9Ohio Valley
289Tennessee Tech93.1Ohio Valley
7Texas116.9Big 12
26Texas A&M112.8Southeastern
193Texas A&M CC98.6Southland
307Texas A&M Commerce92.1Southland
301Texas Southern92.2Southwestern Athletic
204Texas St.98.4Sun Belt
42Texas Tech110.7Big 12
324The Citadel90.7Southern
84Toledo106.8Mid-American
125Towson102.6Colonial Athletic
135Troy102.0Sun Belt
93Tulane105.5American Athletic
303Tulsa92.2American Athletic
58UAB109.3Conference USA
156UC Davis100.6Big West
100UC Irvine104.6Big West
151UC Riverside101.0Big West
277UC San Diego93.9Big West
117UC Santa Barbara103.3Big West
3UCLA118.8Pac-12
123UMass Lowell102.8America East
245UMBC95.5America East
314UMKC91.9Summit
152UNC Asheville100.9Big South
114UNC Greensboro103.7Southern
167UNC Wilmington100.1Colonial Athletic
91UNLV105.9Mountain West
36USC111.3Pac-12
264USC Upstate94.6Big South
246UT Arlington95.5Western Athletic
265UT Rio Grande Valley94.6Western Athletic
272UT-Martin94.1Ohio Valley
67Utah108.8Pac-12
30Utah St.112.2Mountain West
173Utah Tech99.6Western Athletic
85Utah Valley106.7Western Athletic
190UTEP98.8Conference USA
300UTSA92.3Conference USA
282Valparaiso93.6Missouri Valley
78Vanderbilt107.6Southeastern
73VCU108.2Atlantic 10
120Vermont103.1America East
59Villanova109.2Big East
38Virginia111.3Atlantic Coast
66Virginia Tech108.8Atlantic Coast
352VMI87.4Southern
302Wagner92.2Northeast
87Wake Forest106.7Atlantic Coast
99Washington104.6Pac-12
62Washington St.108.8Pac-12
212Weber St.98.1Big Sky
17West Virginia113.6Big 12
233Western Carolina96.4Southern
275Western Illinois93.9Summit
169Western Kentucky99.8Conference USA
318Western Michigan91.2Mid-American
98Wichita St.104.6American Athletic
316William & Mary91.5Colonial Athletic
243Winthrop95.6Big South
70Wisconsin108.5Big Ten
219Wofford97.4Southern
186Wright St.99.1Horizon
147Wyoming101.4Mountain West
15Xavier114.4Big East
76Yale108.0Ivy League
124Youngstown St.102.8Horizon

PiRate Ratings By Conference

America East
TeamRating
Vermont103.1
UMass Lowell102.8
Bryant98.5
UMBC95.5
New Hampshire93.4
Maine93.1
Binghamton92.3
NJIT90.0
Albany88.4
American Athletic
TeamRating
Houston119.9
Memphis112.1
Cincinnati109.5
Central Florida108.6
Tulane105.5
Wichita St.104.6
Temple104.1
South Florida101.6
SMU99.4
East Carolina98.4
Tulsa92.2
Atlantic 10
TeamRating
Dayton108.7
VCU108.2
Saint Louis105.3
Duquesne103.5
George Mason102.3
Davidson102.2
Fordham101.9
Richmond100.7
Massachusetts99.5
St. Bonaventure99.5
Saint Joseph’s98.9
George Washington98.1
La Salle96.9
Rhode Island96.5
Loyola (Chi.)96.4
Atlantic Coast
TeamRating
Duke112.3
Miami (Fla)111.6
North Carolina111.5
Virginia111.3
North Carolina St.110.6
Clemson109.4
Pittsburgh108.8
Virginia Tech108.8
Wake Forest106.7
Syracuse104.3
Georgia Tech101.3
Notre Dame101.2
Boston College100.6
Florida St.99.5
Louisville94.9
Atlantic Sun
TeamRating
Liberty108.8
Kennesaw St.101.8
Lipscomb100.3
Eastern Kentucky99.5
Stetson99.2
Florida Gulf Coast98.9
Queens97.8
Jacksonville96.5
North Florida96.3
Jacksonville St.96.1
Bellarmine95.3
North Alabama94.7
Austin Peay90.8
Central Arkansas88.7
Big 12
TeamRating
Texas116.9
Kansas116.7
Baylor114.9
West Virginia113.6
Kansas St.113.5
TCU113.3
Iowa St.112.9
Oklahoma St.111.1
Texas Tech110.7
Oklahoma109.8
Big East
TeamRating
Connecticut118.0
Creighton115.5
Marquette114.7
Xavier114.4
Providence110.7
Villanova109.2
Seton Hall109.2
St. John’s107.0
Butler103.8
DePaul101.7
Georgetown98.5
Big Sky
TeamRating
Montana St.103.2
Eastern Washington102.1
Montana100.0
Weber St.98.1
Northern Arizona96.5
Northern Colorado96.4
Sacramento St.96.4
Portland St.95.7
Idaho St.94.7
Idaho91.9
Big South
TeamRating
UNC Asheville100.9
Longwood100.1
Radford99.2
Gardner Webb98.5
Campbell96.6
Winthrop95.6
USC Upstate94.6
Charleston Southern92.3
High Point92.2
Presbyterian88.9
Big Ten
TeamRating
Purdue116.4
Maryland113.2
Indiana113.0
Illinois112.5
Iowa112.3
Michigan St.112.2
Rutgers111.5
Michigan111.1
Northwestern110.7
Penn St.110.0
Ohio St.109.9
Wisconsin108.5
Nebraska105.7
Minnesota98.4
Big West
TeamRating
UC Irvine104.6
UC Santa Barbara103.3
Cal St. Fullerton102.1
Hawaii102.0
UC Riverside101.0
UC Davis100.6
Long Beach St.100.6
UC San Diego93.9
Cal St. Bakersfield93.3
Cal Poly92.1
Cal St. Northridge90.7
Colonial Athletic
TeamRating
Charleston108.4
Hofstra106.1
Towson102.6
UNC Wilmington100.1
Drexel98.7
Delaware96.4
Northeastern92.3
William & Mary91.5
North Carolina A&T91.1
Stony Brook90.7
Elon89.5
Monmouth87.6
Hampton87.5
Conference USA
TeamRating
Florida Atlantic111.3
UAB109.3
North Texas108.4
Charlotte103.0
Middle Tennessee102.4
Louisiana Tech100.7
Western Kentucky99.8
UTEP98.8
Rice97.9
Florida Int’l97.0
UTSA92.3
Horizon
TeamRating
Youngstown St.102.8
Northern Kentucky99.4
Wright St.99.1
Cleveland St.98.5
Detroit Mercy98.1
Milwaukee96.8
Purdue Fort Wayne96.5
Robert Morris95.8
Oakland94.1
IUPUI84.2
Green Bay82.6
Independents
TeamRating
Chicago St.92.5
Hartford81.5
Ivy League
TeamRating
Yale108.0
Princeton102.9
Penn101.9
Cornell101.6
Harvard99.7
Brown99.1
Dartmouth94.3
Columbia87.8
Metro Atlantic
TeamRating
Iona107.6
Quinnipiac99.4
Rider98.6
Siena98.2
Fairfield95.6
Canisius95.1
Niagara94.8
Mount St. Mary’s93.8
Manhattan92.4
Marist92.1
Saint Peter’s92.0
Mid-American
TeamRating
Kent St.107.0
Toledo106.8
Akron104.0
Ohio101.7
Ball St.100.4
Buffalo98.6
Northern Illinois95.3
Miami (O)94.1
Bowling Green93.2
Western Michigan91.2
Eastern Michigan90.8
Central Michigan89.5
Mideastern Athletic
TeamRating
Norfolk St.98.6
North Carolina Central98.5
Howard95.9
Maryland Eastern Shore95.0
Morgan St.92.0
Coppin St.88.5
South Carolina St.87.7
Delaware St.85.6
Missouri Valley
TeamRating
Drake108.8
Bradley106.7
Indiana St.105.5
Belmont103.1
Southern Illinois102.4
Missouri St.101.2
Northern Iowa98.3
Murray St.97.6
Illinois St.94.5
Valparaiso93.6
Illinois Chicago92.7
Evansville87.4
Mountain West
TeamRating
San Diego St.113.3
Utah St.112.2
Boise St.111.2
New Mexico109.5
Nevada109.4
UNLV105.9
Colorado St.104.1
San Jose St.103.8
Fresno St.101.9
Wyoming101.4
Air Force100.6
Northeast
TeamRating
Wagner92.2
Merrimack92.0
Fairleigh Dickinson91.6
Sacred Heart90.3
Stonehill90.0
St. Francis PA89.3
Central Connecticut89.1
St. Francis NY86.7
Long Island79.6
Ohio Valley
TeamRating
Morehead St.95.5
SIU Edwardsville95.4
Southeast Missouri St.94.7
UT-Martin94.1
Southern Indiana93.9
Tennessee Tech93.1
Tennessee St.92.9
Little Rock90.3
Lindenwood88.4
Eastern Illinois88.1
Pac-12
TeamRating
UCLA118.8
Arizona116.4
USC111.3
Oregon110.7
Colorado109.3
Arizona St.109.2
Washington St.108.8
Utah108.8
Stanford107.0
Washington104.6
Oregon St.97.9
California95.2
Patriot League
TeamRating
Colgate103.7
Navy99.1
Army95.3
Boston University94.5
Lafayette94.3
American94.0
Lehigh93.3
Bucknell92.4
Loyola (MD)90.9
Holy Cross88.2
Southeastern
TeamRating
Alabama119.9
Tennessee118.6
Arkansas114.3
Kentucky113.5
Auburn113.0
Texas A&M112.8
Mississippi St.110.2
Florida110.0
Missouri109.7
Vanderbilt107.6
Mississippi104.7
LSU102.4
Georgia101.7
South Carolina98.3
Southern
TeamRating
Furman106.2
UNC Greensboro103.7
Samford102.0
Chattanooga100.1
Wofford97.4
Mercer97.3
Western Carolina96.4
East Tennessee St.96.0
The Citadel90.7
VMI87.4
Southland
TeamRating
Texas A&M CC98.6
Northwestern St.97.3
Nicholls St.95.0
Southeastern Louisiana94.6
Texas A&M Commerce92.1
McNeese St.89.1
Incarnate Word88.2
New Orleans88.1
Houston Christian85.9
Lamar85.6
Southwestern Athletic
TeamRating
Grambling98.8
Alcorn St.95.1
Southern94.6
Prairie View A&M93.8
Texas Southern92.2
Jackson St.91.9
Alabama A&M91.4
Arkansas Pine Bluff89.7
Alabama St.88.0
Bethune Cookman87.6
Florida A&M85.9
Mississippi Valley St.85.4
Summit
TeamRating
Oral Roberts108.0
South Dakota St.100.4
St. Thomas97.9
North Dakota St.97.3
Western Illinois93.9
North Dakota93.6
South Dakota92.9
Denver92.0
UMKC91.9
Omaha90.8
Sun Belt
TeamRating
Marshall106.8
James Madison105.2
Louisiana104.6
South Alabama104.4
Southern Miss103.9
Troy102.0
Appalachian St.99.7
Old Dominion99.7
Texas St.98.4
Georgia Southern97.9
Georgia St.93.9
Louisiana Monroe93.6
Coastal Carolina93.6
Arkansas St.93.5
West Coast
TeamRating
Gonzaga117.1
Saint Mary’s114.7
BYU108.1
Santa Clara106.5
San Francisco104.6
Loyola Marymount103.8
Portland100.5
Pepperdine98.5
Pacific98.3
San Diego97.3
Western Athletic
TeamRating
Sam Houston St.107.8
Utah Valley106.7
Southern Utah104.3
Grand Canyon103.6
Stephen F. Austin102.2
Seattle101.5
Tarleton St.100.5
Cal Baptist100.5
Utah Tech99.6
New Mexico St.99.3
Abilene Christian99.2
UT Arlington95.5
UT Rio Grande Valley94.6

Coming Later Today: Updated Bracketology & Conference Tournament Schedules

Older Posts »

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.