Last 10 Power Rankings

[Shuttlesworth]

According to http://www.teamrankings.com

No idea how these are figured, but it looks like we're in some pretty good company. Does not seem real.

1 Florida (10-0)

2 Wichita St (10-0)

3 Louisville (9-1)

4 Villanova (9-1)

5 Oregon (8-2)

6 Virginia (9-1)

7 N Carolina (9-1)

8 Wisconsin (8-2)

9 Nebraska (8-2)

10 Dayton (9-1)

11 St Johns (8-2)

12 Arizona (7-3)

13 Baylor (7-3)

14 Kansas (7-3)

15 Michigan (7-3)

16 New Mexico (8-2)

17 Ohio State (7-3)

18 Duke (7-3)

19 Creighton (7-3)

20 VCU (7-3)

[PimpMario]

Florida and WSU didn't play anyone in those 10 games.

[colhusker]

Nice to see us listed!

[throwback]

I was going to post something similar today - obviously I think NU has done enough to earn an at-large, but perhaps the NCAA committee will choose to punish NU for its early-season struggles.

 

If how you finish the season means anything though, NU should be comfortably in. If the committee looks at the last 10 list above, or if they look at this list I've compiled of major conference teams over the last 12 games, there's no way NU should be left out.

 

If you look at who NU compares to in this list, it's obvious NU has not just been playing at an NCAA at-large bid type of level over the past month and a half -- NU has been playing at a Sweet 16 type level.

 

Major conference teams with overall winning records in league play, last 12 games:

 

• 12-0 – Florida
• 11-1 – N Carolina, Virginia, Villanova
• 10-2 – NEBRASKA, Louisville
• 9-3 – Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, Oregon, Duke, Cincinnati, UConn, Saint Louis, VCU, Dayton, Creighton, St John’s
• 8-4 – Ohio St, Iowa St, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, UCLA, Syracuse, George Wash, St Joe’s, SMU, Memphis
• 7-5 or worse – Iowa, Minnesota, Mich St, Kansas St, Texas, Kentucky, Missouri, Arizona St, Colorado, Stanford, Cal, UMass, Pitt, Xavier, Providence

Conferences: Atlantic 10, American, ACC, Big Ten, Big XII, Big East, Pac 12, SEC

(I may have missed a couple of teams, but no one that would be equal to or better than NU's 10-2 record)

 

Now I know strength of schedule varies a bit in this group over a 12-game span, but that is a large chunk of games to look at, right around 40% of the schedule when these teams are all playing peers. This type of finish has to mean something to the NCAA committee if they truly want the best at-large teams right now.

 

NU wasn't one of the 36 best at-large teams early in the year.

 

However NU is easily playing at a level right now that not only makes it one of the 36 best at large teams, but that potentially would put it in the upper half of that 36-team list (Sweet 16 level). Hopefully the committee puts a lot of emphasis on the finish, which they should.