Big game at Tennessee tomorrow

[msstate7]

They're currently 63rd in rpi and a 5 point favorite. We need this one for any shot at the NIT or NCAA

[maroonmania]

I think we win this one.

[missouridawg]

Road wins are so, so important from here on out.

[smootness]

This got such a great response in the thread I posted earlier that I'll post it again here...

Tomorrow's game against Tennessee is a big one for us. It's another road game, but it is certainly one I think we should win. Tennessee, with Mostella gone, is just about as young as we are, though Hubbs is a senior. They play a ton of freshmen as well, and their freshmen aren't as talented as ours. They played some very good teams tough in the non-conference season, and while they're just 2-4 in the SEC, they've been competitive in every game they've played. We need the win, as they still have a decent RPI, and ours has taken a hit as some of the teams we've beaten, like Boise St. and LSU, have been sliding in the RPI.

Looking at last year, Alabama was a 5 seed in the NIT with an RPI of 70, 8 wins against RPI 150+ and 3 losses to teams outside the top 100 in the RPI. They beat 3 teams in the top 50 of the RPI and 7 inside the top 100. Georgia was a 3 seed with an RPI of 60, 8 wins against RPI 150+ and just one loss to a team outside the top 100, but no wins against the top 50, 6 against the top 100.

We currently have 7 wins against the top 150+, and if LSU continues to slide, that number could increase to 10 with them and Missouri still left. But 5 of those wins come against 290+, which doesn't help us. We have one win against the top 50 (we need Arkansas to continue to win) and 2 against the top 100. We have 6 games left against the current top 50 and 11 against the current top 100, Tennessee being one. I think we need to get to an RPI at least within the top 80 to have a shot at the NIT. We're currently between 105-124, depending on where you look, and to get there we probably need to win at least 5-6 of those against the top 100, in addition to beating Missouri and LSU, with an understanding that the current RPI of several SEC teams will fade from here as they lose conference games. That would put a 10-8 conference record probably at the absolute low end of where we need to be, which would mean a 7-6 finish at worst. Here are our remaining games, with their current RPI according to ESPN in parentheses:

@ Tennessee (63)
Missouri (255)
@ Alabama (70)
@ Ole Miss (44)
Tennessee (63)
@ Auburn (73)
South Carolina (22)
@ Georgia (39)
Florida (6)
Ole Miss (44)
@ Vanderbilt (77)
@ South Carolina (22)
LSU (120)

I think we have a pretty good shot to finish with at least 6 more wins, but getting to 11-7 or 12-6 in conference to really put us in position won't be easy. We probably need to win 4-5 of our next 6 for me to start to feel good about it, with 4 of those being on the road. It starts tomorrow; we really need to win that one.

[lamont]

We match up well with them just as we did with UPig. If we come to play- we can take this game and get another good RPI win

[DawgPoundtheRock]

How does UNM have an RPI of 44?

[smootness]

How does UNM have an RPI of 44?

Their season is a lesson in scheduling. They haven't beaten anyone with an RPI higher than 65, but their OOC schedule was very good for RPI purposes. No opponents ranked below 232, only 3 below 200, and 6 in the top 103. Games like Creighton and MTSU were great for their RPI, even though they lost. That's pretty much how you want to do it - schedule very few terrible teams and several good ones, and beat everybody from 100+.

They also have benefitted from a tough opening to the SEC schedule. They've already played Kentucky, Florida, and SC, and haven't played anybody in conference below 73. It will start dropping. 2 games against Missouri, games against LSU and A&M, and unfortunately, 2 against us, will hurt.

But we need to look at their OOC schedule and start following that plan.

[BayouDawg]

I think we win this one. Tennessee looked pathetic the other night against randy and the boys. Going on the road is never easy especially with a young team. I think we continue to play well and improve and win this one pretty handily. Of course our freshman could play like, well, freshman and lay a turd though.

[Goldendawg]

Maybe this team will be road warriors and win every road game. Didn't we have a BB team that went undefeated on the road years ago in SEC games.?

[msstate7]

There's a few big rpi games coming up for us that we don't play in...

Boise state plays Nevada (#32 rpi)

aTm plays Georgia (#39), at OM (#44), at West Virginia (#36)

We really need Boise state to beat Nevada and aTm to win a couple of those games

[BayouDawg]

Maybe this team will be road warriors and win every road game. Didn't we have a BB team that went undefeated on the road years ago in SEC games.?

Yep the 2004 team went undefeated on the road. Only 2 conference losses were at home to KY and Bama. That team should have made it to the Elite 8 atleast

[Goldendawg]

Noticed Dontae Jones has been named a 2017 SEC Legend. Great "one and done", from NEMCC. Heck, he should be recognized for his great academic record while at NE. Didn't he finish about 60** hrs in one summer and there was later an NCAA rule change in his honor with a limit on the amt of hrs you could take? Heck of a ball player, and heck of a scholar.***

[MarketingBully]

I think we win by 10 today. They don't have a good point guard and start a freshman at that position. I don't think he is that good or wasn't highly rated. Any team that doesn't have great guard play will struggle against us. If we can keep the rebounding even and I think we hit our threes today, we will come out on top today. Also, Mostella was dismissed from the team two games ago and he was a huge player for him. He torched us last year. Glad he is no longer there.