X up to 10 in RPI

[Masterofreality]

Thanks in large part to AZ State's win over Stanford last night.

[Wisexuowl]

Gee, and I was clobbered by the "nervous nellies" and Mr Neutral (?) the day after our loss to ASU (now 17-7) for saying thay would be in the dance.

'Course, Mr Neutral (?) was ranting that same day how we would be a "bubble" team on selection Sunday while I told one and all we'd be 24-6 by the last home game.

[Mr. Neutral]

I don't know, Wise, I guess I just look at a 22-pt. loss to what was then the #113 team in the RPI (X was #11) as a bad game. You, on the other hand, saw nothing but sweetness and light, as usual.

Here's how the XU b-ball website described that loss-

It was a bad day for the Musketeers, including XU's worst loss under Sean Miller and worst since an 80-49 loss to La Salle in 1999-2000 season at Cincinnati Gardens.

[GBXU]

Does anyone remember if the ASU loss was originally classified as a 'Bad Loss'? At RealTimeRPI none of X's four loss are considered bad. I thought I remember it originally having one of those ugly question marks next to it.

[tacitus]

First of all, it was one of the worst losses under Miller due to the point margin... not because of to whom. It was a Pac 10 team on the road. We can afford to drop a couple games like that each year, even if it hurts at the time.

Secondly, as this instance proves, the RPI is still unstable until about the time conference play starts... then it starts getting accurate in terms of how good a team is (on a good night). Arizona had an RPI in the 80s before they played Delaware St. Beating Delaware St. caused them to drop to over 100! When we lost to them, we didn't move but three or four spots in terms of RPI rank, but we fell something like .3 points!! That's huge. Its just that our 6.8/6.7 rpi was still inflated. So many teams were that high at that point. Now that would put us in the top three or four. At this point we would have to lose our next three games... maybe four... to drop that far. RPI just keeps getting more stable and becomes a better indicator over time as more teams play each other. At this point, it is a pretty good indication of a teams success this year, of who "should" win if any two teams play the way they have been, and who "should" be in the tournament. At that point it meant jack. We should remember this next year...

Plus, Arz. St.'s RPI had to go up once they got to conference play. And the way they beat us, considering the talent we KNEW we had, one had to assume they would have a good season and make the tournament. They are just a few wins shy of an at large bid.

[Wisexuowl]

Does a #10 RPI ranking and a #10 National media ranking mean that Mr Neutral (?) is right saying we will be a "bubble" team on Selection Sunday?