We are still in the NCAA hunt

[Coach34]

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/rpi/_/page/1/sort/RPI

RPI is at 55.

We win Saturday to get back on track. Tough game with A&M- but a loss wont hurt our RPI. Then we have to win out to get in- SC, Tenn, @LSU. May have to grab a win in the SEC Tourney

A P5 school with an RPI of 40 or better has not been left out of the NCAA Tourney since the expansion to 68 teams

[Quaoarsking]

A P5 school with an RPI of 40 or better has never been left out of the NCAA Tourney

False: in 2001, the #40 team was left out. And guess who it was.

http://www.basketballprospectus.com/rpi.php?y=2001

[Ari Gold]

Can’t wait for these rebuttals...

[Bulldog1]

False: in 2001, the #40 team was left out. And guess who it was.

http://www.basketballprospectus.com/rpi.php?y=2001

It hasn’t happened since the field expanded to 68

[Quaoarsking]

It hasn’t happened since the field expanded to 68

Touche, but limiting the time frame to just this decade makes too small of a sample size to draw conclusions from, and anyway there's no guarantee we would've gotten one of the 3 extra bids had they taken 68 in 2001.

[shoeless joe]

I told someone before the game that what we need are quality wins. A bad loss won't hurt us as much as not getting a quality win. We are still in position IF we win all the big games from here on out

[Coach34]

It hasn’t happened since the field expanded to 68

my bad for not including that- but that team was 16-12, 7-9 in the SEC, and lost in the 1st round of the SEC Tourney. Not hard to see why they were left out

[Jack Lambert]

Is it safe to say we are in the NIT at the minimum?

[msstate7]

We need vandy to keep winning, right?

[Bulldog1]

my bad for not including that- but that team was 16-12, 7-9 in the SEC, and lost in the 1st round of the SEC Tourney. Not hard to see why they were left out

If we win out, we still can’t afford a first game exit in the tourney.

[Bulldog1]

Is it safe to say we are in the NIT at the minimum?

Yes, unless the wheels fall off.

[smootness]

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/rpi/_/page/1/sort/RPI

RPI is at 55.

We win Saturday to get back on track. Tough game with A&M- but a loss wont hurt our RPI. Then we have to win out to get in- SC, Tenn, @LSU. May have to grab a win in the SEC Tourney

A P5 school with an RPI of 40 or better has not been left out of the NCAA Tourney since the expansion to 68 teams

Our RPI is at 55 according to ESPN, which already accounts for our remaining schedule. Our actual RPI is at 70.

There is virtually no way we can get our RPI down to 40 at this point. It just isn't going to happen. We are almost certainly out of the NCAA Tournament barring either winning out in the regular season and winning 2-3 in the SECT, or just winning the SECT.

[Cooterpoot]

If we make the NCAA tournament, I'll ban myself until the summer. It's not happening.

[MarketingBully]

If we finish 4-1 and our SEC tournament draw includes rematches with UK and Auburn (which I think we have chances to beat), it could be done. Have to take one game at a time though. Have to start with pounding Ole Miss Saturday.

[Jack Lambert]

If we make the NCAA tournament, I'll ban myself until the summer. It's not happening.

When summer starts is kind of subjective. Today feels kind of like summer.

[MarketingBully]

If we make the NCAA tournament, I'll ban myself until the summer. It's not happening.

I wouldn’t make that bet. Our team is talented enough to reel off the necessary wins to get there.

[Bubb Rubb]

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/rpi/_/page/1/sort/RPI

RPI is at 55.

We win Saturday to get back on track. Tough game with A&M- but a loss wont hurt our RPI. Then we have to win out to get in- SC, Tenn, @LSU. May have to grab a win in the SEC Tourney

A P5 school with an RPI of 40 or better has not been left out of the NCAA Tourney since the expansion to 68 teams

We are out of it. There are not enough opportunities to dramatically improve the RPI. Not enough big wins. The Ole Miss and Vandy losses are killers.

[msstate7]

Win out and beat auburn in sec tourney is probably our only shot.

[Coach34]

We havent gone from 1st 4 out yesterday afternoon to completely out of it now I assure you. We simply need to win.

[MarketingBully]

We havent gone from 1st 4 out yesterday afternoon to completely out of it now I assure you. We simply need to win.

We need Vandy and Missouri to keep winning and we need Arkansas and A&M to flounder down the stretch. It could happen too.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

We need to win out. Winning out would put us at 11-7 with wins over A&M & TN. 23-8 overall. Win 1 in the SEC tourney & finish 24-9 I feel fairly confident we'd get in. Anything short of that in the regular season it's going to take a deep run in the SEC tourney.

[msstate7]

We need Vandy and Missouri to keep winning and we need Arkansas and A&M to flounder down the stretch. It could happen too.

Ark falling apart would hurt us too, right? That is one of our better wins

[confucius say]

Ark falling apart would hurt us too, right? That is one of our better wins

Maybe he means so we can take their tourney spot. Not sure though.

[Bubb Rubb]

We havent gone from 1st 4 out yesterday afternoon to completely out of it now I assure you. We simply need to win.

Our being "first four out" was one man's opinion. If the season ended yesterday, we weren't even on the bubble. Now we are further away after losing to Vandy. I hate it but it is what it is. The math is the problem....we don't have the number of quality wins we need, and we don't have enough opportunities for quality wins to overcome it. The few chances we had to get one, we pissed away.

I guess I could envision a scenario where we win out and play our way in with a couple of tourney wins, but if we can't beat Vandy, what should we expect against UT?

[msstate7]

Our being "first four out" was one man's opinion. If the season ended yesterday, we weren't even on the bubble. Now we are further away after losing to Vandy. I hate it but it is what it is. The math is the problem....we don't have the number of quality wins we need, and we don't have enough opportunities for quality wins to overcome it. The few chances we had to get one, we pissed away.

I guess I could envision a scenario where we win out and play our way in with a couple of tourney wins, but if we can't beat Vandy, what should we expect against UT?

Tenn is an awful matchup for us. They shoot 3s great. Not sure we can handle Williams

[Liverpooldawg]

We weren’t in most pundits 1st four out. Most had us at the tail end of the next four after that. We aren’t on the bubble now, and we basically have to win out to get back. That’s being realistic.

[Dawgology]

When summer starts is kind of subjective. Today feels kind of like summer.

This is the kind of humor that constantly gets overlooked by this board!

[confucius say]

We weren’t in most pundits 1st four out. Most had us at the tail end of the next four after that. We aren’t on the bubble now, and we basically have to win out to get back. That’s being realistic.

Win next two and your back on bubble. Win the two after that and you?re in or right on cut line going to Lsu.

[starkvegasdawg]

This may be a massively unpopular opinion, but I?d rather make the NIT this year. If we somehow make the NCAA we?ll go in as a 13 seed and get the shit kicked out of us in the first round. I?d rather be a 2 or 3 seed in the NIT and get a home game or two. Also give us a better chance to win a couple games going into the off season.

[Ari Gold]

This may be a massively unpopular opinion, but I?d rather make the NIT this year. If we somehow make the NCAA we?ll go in as a 13 seed and get the shit kicked out of us in the first round. I?d rather be a 2 or 3 seed in the NIT and get a home game or two. Also give us a better chance to win a couple games going into the off season.

It’s not unpopular it’s ****ing stupid.
No one would rather make the NIT than the big dance.

[Bulldog1]

This may be a massively unpopular opinion, but I?d rather make the NIT this year. If we somehow make the NCAA we?ll go in as a 13 seed and get the shit kicked out of us in the first round. I?d rather be a 2 or 3 seed in the NIT and get a home game or two. Also give us a better chance to win a couple games going into the off season.

Give me the tourney all day, every day over the NIT

[Cowboydawg]

I think we could make a little run if we slipped in as a 12 seed. I just don't see any dominant teams this year. This team, when playing well, is capable of beating a 5 and a 4 and get to the sweet 16. The harder part will be to slip in as a 12 seed though.

[Liverpooldawg]

This may be a massively unpopular opinion, but I?d rather make the NIT this year. If we somehow make the NCAA we?ll go in as a 13 seed and get the shit kicked out of us in the first round. I?d rather be a 2 or 3 seed in the NIT and get a home game or two. Also give us a better chance to win a couple games going into the off season.

Making the big dance >>>>>>winning the NIT.

[MadDawg]

Making the big dance >>>>>>winning the NIT.

But only as an at-large, right? Getting in by winning the SECT doesn't count. At least that used to be the mantra. I realize a lot has changed.

[preachermatt83]

Yea I wanna go to the tourney but I'm just gonna scored that at worst we are looking at nit and we could have a shot at winning the nit. Would be pretty cool to be the youngest team in basketball and then win the nit. Would make me very confident in next years team.

[BuckyIsAB****]

We havent gone from 1st 4 out yesterday afternoon to completely out of it now I assure you. We simply need to win.

Game over bro. Game over

[BuckyIsAB****]

Making the big dance >>>>>>winning the NIT.

Id rather win the NIT than make the tournament and lose early

[Bubb Rubb]

Id rather win the NIT than make the tournament and lose early

So you'd feel good about being crowned the 68th best team in the country?

[BuckyIsAB****]

So you'd feel good about being crowned the 68th best team in the country?

Huge difference in winning the last game of the year for a trophy (even if it is for 68th) rather than going out quietly in the first round.

So yea I guess so

[preachermatt83]

Huge difference in winning the last game of the year for a trophy (even if it is for 68th) rather than going out quietly in the first round.

So yea I guess so
Rep given

[Goldendawg]

To quote, Dumb and Dumber, "So there is a chance".

[Goldendawg]

This may be a massively unpopular opinion, but I?d rather make the NIT this year. If we somehow make the NCAA we?ll go in as a 13 seed and get the shit kicked out of us in the first round. I?d rather be a 2 or 3 seed in the NIT and get a home game or two. Also give us a better chance to win a couple games going into the off season.

A home game with about 3000 in attendance?

[calidawg]

Oh my god. There are people in this thread who would rather win the NIT than go to the NCAA tourney. Unbelievable wow

[Goldendawg]

Oh my god. There are people in this thread who would rather win the NIT than go to the NCAA tourney. Unbelievable wow

No one cares about the NIT except the NCAA making $ from the also-rans that pay for home games to be in it.

[MarketingBully]

Maybe he means so we can take their tourney spot. Not sure though.

That is correct.

[MarketingBully]

I watched the presser after the game with Coach Howland and Ado and he was rightfully upset about the box out call on Stapleton and I know the reason why. It was a text book box out. I was proud of Coach Howland speaking up on that. He also gave us the big reason why we lost that game. They had 13 offensive rebounds to our 8. If we even that out and rebound better, we win that game easily.

https://youtu.be/3IR4o2WXohE

[MarketingBully]

Tenn is an awful matchup for us. They shoot 3s great. Not sure we can handle Williams

They don?t shoot them like Auburn does. I think only Auburn beats us at home this year.

[MarketingBully]

my bad for not including that- but that team was 16-12, 7-9 in the SEC, and lost in the 1st round of the SEC Tourney. Not hard to see why they were left out

We would also lose a non conference game under Stans that would make you shake your head and go wtf. This screwed up our seeding in the 2007-2008 year and forced us to win the SEC tournament in 2009 and why we missed the dance in 2010. So while Stans had easy OOC schedules he would also lose at least one of those games to a 150-200+ RPI team that wrecked our chances. This team took care of business in the non-con going 12-1.