skyvue
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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.
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.