2024-25 NET ratings thread

[Styre]

The first NET ratings of the season have been released, and NU checks in at #73. Obviously this needs to get better, as that is not enough to make the tournament, but there's a lot of season left to play. I'll track our resume every week or so.

A general rule of thumb is that Quad 1 wins help your resume and Quad 3/4 losses hurt it. So here's our first resume of the year:

QUAD 1 (0-2)
A #40 Dayton - L
N #47 Butler - L

QUAD 2 (0-0)

QUAD 3 (2-0)
H #132 Montana State - W
N #149 UNLV - W

QUAD 4 (4-0)
H #161 UIC - W
H #279 Pepperdine - W
H #299 Eastern Illinois - W
H #302 Lehigh - W

We'd like to see Butler stay in the top 50 to keep that as a Q1 loss, but Q2 losses don't hurt so it's not a big deal either way. Similarly, UIC would be a Q3 win if they improved just one spot to #160, but a Q3 win isn't worth much more than a Q4 win.

This week, NU has a Q1 road game at #54 Iowa and a Q1 home game against #10 Illinois. Obviously any win over Illinois would be big, but the game in Iowa City appears winnable and would be a good early resume builder.

 

[Styre]

After a brutal loss in Iowa City and a nailbiter upset of Illinois at home, NU finds itself at #63 in the NET ratings, a jump from last week. The Butler loss has dropped down to Quad 2, while the Montana State win keeps looking better.

QUAD 1 (1-2)
H #12 Illinois - W
A #37 Dayton - L
A #47 Iowa - L

QUAD 2 (0-1)
N #59 Butler - L

QUAD 3 (2-0)
H #102 Montana State - W
N #152 UNLV - W

QUAD 4 (4-0)
H #244 Pepperdine - W
H #250 UIC - W
H #270 Lehigh - W
H #300 Eastern Illinois - W

Only one game this week, a Quad 3 neutral site game against #171 Georgia Tech. Needless to say, a loss in Milwaukee would hurt.

 

[Hungry Jack]

I think that Montana State win might end up in Quad 2 down the road. Their epic dismantling of Northwest Indian College, 93-35, seemed to put them on a better trajectory of play. They will have their chance to make some hay against USC and TCU. I think they match up well with USC, who has been inconsistent this season.

 

[Styre]

The easy win in Milwaukee sees NU rising slightly to #59. Given the strength of the Big Ten, heading into the bulk of conference play with a NET in the 50s would be a good sign. Sadly, the Montana State win will not be improving anytime soon, as they dropped 40 places after being annihilated by USC.

QUAD 1 (1-2)
H #14 Illinois - W
A #23 Dayton - L
A #51 Iowa - L

QUAD 2 (0-1)
N #76 Butler - L

QUAD 3 (3-0)
H #141 Montana State - W
N #154 UNLV - W
N #175 Georgia Tech - W

QUAD 4 (4-0)
H #219 UIC - W
H #225 Pepperdine - W
H #268 Lehigh - W
H #305 Eastern Illinois - W

This week features one Quad 2 home game, with a much more respectable DePaul team at #70.

 

[olshin]

Kinda thinking our Butler game drops into Tier 3 by end of season. Not ideal, but ....... not a deal breaker.

 

[EagerFan]

Yeah, Butler needs to get their stuff together and start winning.

 

[Styre]

The comfortable win over DePaul has NU up to #54, solidly in bubble territory, though in doing so we knocked them into Quad 3. No major movement apart from Dayton tumbling, but they're still easily in Quad 1 territory.

QUAD 1 (1-2)
H #14 Illinois - W
A #41 Dayton - L
A #48 Iowa - L

QUAD 2 (0-1)
N #71 Butler - L

QUAD 3 (4-0)
H #86 DePaul - W
N #121 UNLV - W
H #152 Montana State - W
N #173 Georgia Tech - W

QUAD 4 (4-0)
H #184 UIC - W
H #202 Pepperdine - W
H #261 Lehigh - W
H #308 Eastern Illinois - W

This week will see NU's final non-conference game, a Quad 3 home game against #148 Northeastern.

 

[rwhitney014]

The comfortable win over DePaul has NU up to #54, solidly in bubble territory, though in doing so we knocked them into Quad 3. No major movement apart from Dayton tumbling, but they're still easily in Quad 1 territory.

QUAD 1 (1-2)
H #14 Illinois - W
A #41 Dayton - L
A #48 Iowa - L

QUAD 2 (0-1)
N #71 Butler - L

QUAD 3 (4-0)
H #86 DePaul - W
N #121 UNLV - W
H #152 Montana State - W
N #173 Georgia Tech - W

QUAD 4 (4-0)
H #184 UIC - W
H #202 Pepperdine - W
H #261 Lehigh - W
H #308 Eastern Illinois - W

This week will see NU's final non-conference game, a Quad 3 home game against #148 Northeastern.

It's really nice that Northeastern is #148, rather than the game we often play now against Mississippi Valley St., Detroit Mercy, Prairie View A&M, or Chicago State (especially when they beat us!). Obviously, gotta go out and win it, and clearly not a gimme because they seem like a solid bunch. But those games against Quad 4 teams can hurt you, so it's nice that one of these is a better quality opponent. Likewise with Montana State.

 

[Styre]

It's really nice that Northeastern is #148, rather than the game we often play now against Mississippi Valley St., Detroit Mercy, Prairie View A&M, or Chicago State (especially when they beat us!). Obviously, gotta go out and win it, and clearly not a gimme because they seem like a solid bunch. But those games against Quad 4 teams can hurt you, so it's nice that one of these is a better quality opponent. Likewise with Montana State.

Agreed. Even though we've only had one Quad 1 non-conference game, the average strength of opponent this year is much higher than normal. It's nice to challenge the team a bit more without having half the schedule in the 300s.

 

[rwhitney014]

Agreed. Even though we've only had one Quad 1 non-conference game, the average strength of opponent this year is much higher than normal. It's nice to challenge the team a bit more without having half the schedule in the 300s.

Right, and with the exception of EIU, we've handled those games the way you're supposed to. Montana State by 3 isn't so bad when they're where they are; beating the bricks off GT, DePaul, Pepperdine and Lehigh is excellent.

I suppose this is the blunt end of the knife with heartbreaking losses. I imagine they don't drop us in the metrics as much because they were so close. Still frustrating to be so close to 12-0 and ranked quite highly going into the conference season.

 

[Catreporter]

That Iowa loss really stings. Road win against a quality team would really have improved our number and given us a little cushion going into the grind. I'm hoping we sneak up on Penn State whose students and fans will be returning from the Fiesta Bowl, but their press destroyed Purdue and we might be vulnerable to it as well.