Strength of schedule at the conference level

[skyvue]

One thing that often gets overlooked is strength of schedule. Many who take a more pessimistic view of our program's current state tend to downplay or even ignore SOS as a factor in assessing a team, but I think it's a factor that should always be considered.

And I think it's worth examining on the conference level too. While some are downplaying the quality of the Big 12 this season, surely strength of schedule factors in here, too.

I've done just four conferences here -- I'm at work and shouldn't devote any more time to this (if somebody else wants to calculate the SEC and PAC 12, have at it) -- but I think they're the four key ones: the Big 12; the Big 10, because many observers point to them as the best in the country this season; the ACC, because they are generally viewed as one of the best conferences, year in and year out, and the Big East, because they actually rank highest in the NET rankings (that is to say, their lowest ranked teams are ranked higher than the Big 12's lowest ranked teams -- neither of those two conferences has any teams outside the Top 100, while the Big 10 and ACC both do).

The following SOS numbers come from Kenpom.

BIG 12
Baylor - 27
ISU - 8
KU - 2
KSU - 19
OU - 4
oswho - 12
Tech - 37
texas - 29
TCU - 32
WVU - 15 .... average SOS 18.5

BIG 10
Maryland - 14
Wisconsin - 37
Michigan St - 7
Illinois - 25
Iowa - 5
Ohio St - 17
Rutgers - 31
Penn St - 22
Michigan - 1
Purdue - 6
Indiana - 16
Minnesota - 3
Northwestern - 13
Nebraska - 9 .... average 14.7

BIG EAST
Seton Hall - 11
Villanova - 18
Creighton - 20
Providence - 35
Butler - 26
Marquette - 21
Xavier - 30
Georgetown - 23
St. John's - 39
DePaul - 28 .... average 23.1


ACC
Florida State - 46
Virginia - 60
Louisville - 58
Duke - 52
Ga Tech -- 34
NC State -- 55
Notre Dame - 77
Syracuse - 62
Clemson - 41
BC - 48
Miami - 33
Va Tech - 71
Wake Forest - 38
UNC - 24
Pitt - 59 .... average 50.5

It's amazing how far the ACC ranks behind the other conferences.

 

[Max Power]

Kansas being the #1 team and having that record against the 2nd tough test schedule is impressive

 

[152219]

Kansas being the #1 team and having that record against the 2nd tough test schedule is impressive

Have to tip your cap year in and year out on KU's OOC scheduling and how tough it is.

 

[skyvue]

Tech has the Big 12's worst SOS; they'd be the fourth best in the 15-team ACC.

 

[sheepdogs1]

Have to tip your cap year in and year out on KU's OOC scheduling and how tough it is.

They like to play Duke or Kentucky early in the season.

 

[stormspencer]

Tech has the Big 12's worst SOS; they'd be the fourth best in the 15-team ACC.

The ACC is VERY down this year. Duke, Louisville, and FSU are all legitimately good teams. Virginia is pretty good....about like us and Tech, but their record is inflated because of the low quality depth of that conference. You could also make an argument for NC State being ok because they are a bubble team (right on the cut line).

But after those above listed teams, the rest of the conference (from the middle down to the bottom) is very weak. It's a 14-team league and no other teams are even sniffing the tournament. And of course, UNC is having their second worst season in over 50 years.

I wouldn't be surprised if you only see one ACC team making it to the Sweet 16 this year.

 

[152219]

Virginia is pretty good....about like us and Tech, but their record is inflated because of the low quality depth of that conference.

That is impossible according to some on this board. :chestram2:

 

[MJSooner]

Tech has the Big 12's worst SOS; they'd be the fourth best in the 15-team ACC.

The Tech and Chris Beard lovefest are puzzling to me. Is the success the last two years attributable to Beard, or should we be crediting the Big XII POY and #6 pick, Jarrett Culver?

I mean they technically finished 6th in the league with a worse record than us at 18-13 after being picked third and receiving first-place votes preseason. He had subpar recruiting classes in '17 & '18, although it appears Culver was underrated in '17. The class last year was solid because of Ramsey and it looks like his teammate Peavy makes '20 a good class. But did he really take advantage of his tourney runs the last two years in recruiting? Doesn't appear that he did as Ramsey and Peavy are from Duncanville outside DFW.

I think Beard is a solid coach and could end up really good, but there seems to be a premature rush to judgment that he is a Coach K, Calipari or even Bill Self caliber coach. My point is I think the jury is still out on how great he really is and the praise he has received so far might be extreme.

 

[thebigabd]

This includes non-conference and conference, right? how does the big 12 rank if you take out Big 12 teams? I am sure it bolsters everyones SOS quite a bit to play KU and Baylor twice. That is basically playing the #1 team 4 times.

 

[thebigabd]

The Tech and Chris Beard lovefest are puzzling to me. Is the success the last two years attributable to Beard, or should we be crediting the Big XII POY and #6 pick, Jarrett Culver?

I mean they technically finished 6th in the league with a worse record than us at 18-13 after being picked third and receiving first-place votes preseason. He had subpar recruiting classes in '17 & '18, although it appears Culver was underrated in '17. The class last year was solid because of Ramsey and it looks like his teammate Peavy makes '20 a good class. But did he really take advantage of his tourney runs the last two years in recruiting? Doesn't appear that he did as Ramsey and Peavy are from Duncanville outside DFW.

I think Beard is a solid coach and could end up really good, but there seems to be a premature rush to judgment that he is a Coach K, Calipari or even Bill Self caliber coach. My point is I think the jury is still out on how great he really is and the praise he has received so far might be extreme.

You have to take into account that Beard is at Texas Tech.

 

[152219]

This includes non-conference and conference, right? how does the big 12 rank if you take out Big 12 teams? I am sure it bolsters everyones SOS quite a bit to play KU and Baylor twice. That is basically playing the #1 team 4 times.

According to Kenpom

KU- 10
Baylor- 142
WVU- 32
Tech- 295
OU- 30
OSU- 51
Texas- 185
TCU- 218
ISU- 83
KSU- 135

Link for NCSOS
https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankNCSOS

 

[BanjoCharley]

BIG 12
Baylor - 27
ISU - 8
KU - 2
KSU - 19
OU - 4
oswho - 12
Tech - 37
texas - 29
TCU - 32
WVU - 15 .... average SOS 18.5

It's the Texas schools pulling us down.

 

[152219]

Teams in the power conferences with top 50 OOC schedules.

KU- 10
UNC- 21
Florida- 22
OU- 30
WVU- 32
Seton Hall- 42
Nova- 50

Okie State is 51

 

[152219]

BIG 12
Baylor - 27
ISU - 8
KU - 2
KSU - 19
OU - 4
oswho - 12
Tech - 37
texas - 29
TCU - 32
WVU - 15 .... average SOS 18.5

It's the Texas schools pulling us down.

They had the worst 4 OOC schedules (see the post right above yours).

 

[BoulderSooner]

The Tech and Chris Beard lovefest are puzzling to me. Is the success the last two years attributable to Beard, or should we be crediting the Big XII POY and #6 pick, Jarrett Culver?

I mean they technically finished 6th in the league with a worse record than us at 18-13 after being picked third and receiving first-place votes preseason. He had subpar recruiting classes in '17 & '18, although it appears Culver was underrated in '17. The class last year was solid because of Ramsey and it looks like his teammate Peavy makes '20 a good class. But did he really take advantage of his tourney runs the last two years in recruiting? Doesn't appear that he did as Ramsey and Peavy are from Duncanville outside DFW.

I think Beard is a solid coach and could end up really good, but there seems to be a premature rush to judgment that he is a Coach K, Calipari or even Bill Self caliber coach. My point is I think the jury is still out on how great he really is and the praise he has received so far might be extreme.

they finished 3rd in the league

 

[MJSooner]

they finished 3rd in the league

I said technically they finished 6th, as they are the sixth seed. Yes, I know 4 teams tied for third. If you go to the big XII site and look at standings, it shows them listed sixth.

They have the worst overall record of the 4 teams and have a 4 game losing streak. If we were in the same boat with the worst record and on a losing streak and was the 6th seed, no one on this board would say, "yeah, but we finished tied for third."

Especially when you look at those SOS numbers. 295 NCSOS?!!?

 

[skyvue]

Especially when you look at those SOS numbers. 295 NCSOS?!!?

Yes, during nonconf play, I was questioning their rankings. I know they had an amazing season last year, but they also lost some key players. A nonconference schedule like that should be factored in.