So with non-conference play effectively over (except for Central Connecticut-Rutgers tomorrow), here's where we stand in the NET rankings, the primary metric the NCAA uses to award postseason berths:
As of this morning, NU is #46 in the NET rankings. This would place us solidly on the bubble. Teams in the 40s generally make it in; teams in the 50s generally do not. Here's our resume, remembering the UIS game doesn't count:
Quad 1 (0-2)
N #28 Providence - L
A #47 Wake Forest - L
Quad 2 (1-0)
A #116 Maryland - W
Quad 3 (0-0)
Quad 4 (6-0)
N #243 Georgia - W
H #267 High Point - W
H #277 New Orleans - W
H #291 NJIT - W
H #346 Fairleigh Dickinson - W
H #355 Eastern Illinois - W
When sorting teams, the committee looks for Quad 1 wins and Quad 3/4 losses. While we have no bad losses, we also have no good wins, and (unlike the RPI) we get no credit for playing and losing to good teams. Maryland is our best win by far, but that won't become a Quad 1 win unless they work their way up to 75 or better - and if they drop to 136 it becomes a Quad 3 win. Georgia is horrendous - it's almost unbelievable that beating an SEC team on a neutral court is only a Quad 4 win, but that's how bad they are. Canceling the DePaul game wasn't a huge deal, but it cost us a potential Quad 2 or Quad 3 win. Canceling PVAM was a non-factor as that would have been a Quad 4 game.
For better or for worse, NU's postseason future will depend entirely on Big Ten play. Some points:
1. To qualify for any postseason tournament, NU must be .500 or better. Therefore, we must win at least 8 conference games if we want to lock in a .500 record.
2. We need Quad 1 wins. MSU on Sunday will be our first opportunity to get one.
3. We must avoid losing to Maryland, Penn State, Rutgers, or Nebraska.
I'll try to update our NET resume every so often as the season progresses.
As of this morning, NU is #46 in the NET rankings. This would place us solidly on the bubble. Teams in the 40s generally make it in; teams in the 50s generally do not. Here's our resume, remembering the UIS game doesn't count:
Quad 1 (0-2)
N #28 Providence - L
A #47 Wake Forest - L
Quad 2 (1-0)
A #116 Maryland - W
Quad 3 (0-0)
Quad 4 (6-0)
N #243 Georgia - W
H #267 High Point - W
H #277 New Orleans - W
H #291 NJIT - W
H #346 Fairleigh Dickinson - W
H #355 Eastern Illinois - W
When sorting teams, the committee looks for Quad 1 wins and Quad 3/4 losses. While we have no bad losses, we also have no good wins, and (unlike the RPI) we get no credit for playing and losing to good teams. Maryland is our best win by far, but that won't become a Quad 1 win unless they work their way up to 75 or better - and if they drop to 136 it becomes a Quad 3 win. Georgia is horrendous - it's almost unbelievable that beating an SEC team on a neutral court is only a Quad 4 win, but that's how bad they are. Canceling the DePaul game wasn't a huge deal, but it cost us a potential Quad 2 or Quad 3 win. Canceling PVAM was a non-factor as that would have been a Quad 4 game.
For better or for worse, NU's postseason future will depend entirely on Big Ten play. Some points:
1. To qualify for any postseason tournament, NU must be .500 or better. Therefore, we must win at least 8 conference games if we want to lock in a .500 record.
2. We need Quad 1 wins. MSU on Sunday will be our first opportunity to get one.
3. We must avoid losing to Maryland, Penn State, Rutgers, or Nebraska.
I'll try to update our NET resume every so often as the season progresses.
