Ben Ball News & Notes

by Nestor on Jan 8, 2008 5:03 AM PST in Basketball

It is still kind of early. But as the football season is now formally over, it is the time of year that basketball rankings start creeping into the national consciousness. Here is how it looks today (courtesy of Sportsline.com):

Now that the Pac-10 season has started, the Bruins are also making a move in the RPI department. From Bruin Basketball Report:

Although still early in the season, UCLA's RPI improved dramatically with their two road wins last week. The Bruin's RPI ranking improved from 55 to 15, in addition its SOS (Strength of Schedule) improved from 209 to 46.

And the significance of that Bay Area trip was not lost on ESPN ‘bracketologist’ Joe Lunardi:

Obviously, as mentioned above, it is still way too early. None of this chatter will mean anything if the Bruins lose focus and stumble against any of the Pac-10 teams. And that possibility is real every week in what is arguably the toughest conference in America.

Bruins will have another set of tough games coming up this week. And they received some good news yesterday. From the LA Times:

Junior forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, who had reported a sore right knee Saturday after colliding with teammate Russell Westbrook late in the California game, has only a bruise.

UCLA didn't practice Monday, but Mbah a Moute is expected to be at full strength when the Bruins return to work today in preparation for games against Washington and Washington State, both at Pauley Pavilion.

We will certainly need Luc at 100 percent against Brockman et al. on Thursday night.

We will have more notes on that game later this week.

GO BRUINS.

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Comments

LOL

Lunardi doesn't even have the SUCsters making the tournament. Looks like Mayo will have to take his NBA-auditioning, 30-shots-a-game side show to the NIT!

by godblesstyus95 on Jan 8, 2008 8:21 AM PST reply actions

Silly Lunardi

He just doesn't understand trojan mathematics.

by bruinhoo on Jan 8, 2008 11:04 AM PST up reply actions

That is CLASSIC!

This is truly, truly hilarious! Can you imagine Cheatey Petey doing this? Oh, but since it's basketball, it's ok! Soon they'll only count their wins and none of their losses. Hey, as Taj said, "a lot of guys are mature enough to know that those standings don't really mean much." You're right Taj...it doesn't mean anything that U$C is last in the Pac-10...cause in hoops, U$C just doesn't mean anything.

by tasser10 on Jan 8, 2008 11:25 AM PST up reply actions

TIMMEH

Every time I see him he always has that same stupid look on his face. What a d-bag.

by Tydides on Jan 8, 2008 3:06 PM PST up reply actions

He looks like a cartoon

Dude has no tact.

by tasser10 on Jan 9, 2008 8:03 AM PST up reply actions

Tourney

Man, I'd love to see UCLA open up in Anaheim. I'd definitely try to score some tickets.

by Raisin on Jan 8, 2008 1:26 PM PST up reply actions

a top 4 seed

all but assures we play in Anaheim so I wouldn't worry. If we drop that low I'll be much more concerned about the team and not about wether or not I can go.

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Jan 8, 2008 1:40 PM PST up reply actions

Too Close?

Wasn't there a rule that a team can't play within a certain distance of its home for the tourney? I remember reading this somewhere wrt to Wazzu last year going to Sacramento.

by kidro2001 on Jan 8, 2008 1:53 PM PST up reply actions

Too close

That's what I always thought too, but I guess not.

by Raisin on Jan 8, 2008 2:16 PM PST up reply actions

Home Court

I think the limitation is a team can not play on its own home court or play at a venue where they are the host school. If there was a regional at Staples and $c was the host school, then UCLA could play there, but $c could not.

by Bruin77 on Jan 8, 2008 2:34 PM PST up reply actions

Ahh

Gotcha. The Big West is hosting the first and second round games in Anaheim.

by Raisin on Jan 8, 2008 2:38 PM PST up reply actions

Wazzu was the host school...

in Spokane last year. Host school can't play at that venue.

I don't imagine that anyone even considered Wazzu would make the tourney last year, no less be in line for a favorable seed when the regional hosts were selected.

by bruinhoo on Jan 8, 2008 11:59 PM PST up reply actions

I remember that really annoyed me at the time

Wazzu is in Pullman, 75 miles from Spokane. So they were stuck having to go down to Sacramento. Meanwhile, Gonzaga is in Spokane. Now why couldn't they have hosted?

by jaffa on Jan 9, 2008 12:54 AM PST up reply actions

That Mater Dei Coach

may have convinced David & Travis Ware twins to verbal with North Carolina. The announcer for the Cal Bear game last Saturday mentioned it. Since Howland was on these two twin brothers for quite a while, and now that we know the idiot well, perhaps the Ware twins eluded us because of it.

by Htse005 on Jan 8, 2008 9:31 PM PST up reply actions

Ya

However their basketball head coach is Gary McKnight father of UCLA video coordinator Clay McKnight

by lil eg not cs on Jan 8, 2008 11:03 PM PST up reply actions

Question!

What is R P I? Someone please explain! Much appreciated!

by bruinelder on Jan 8, 2008 9:58 AM PST reply actions

It's sort of like the BCS

it's a ranking system, but it doesn't claim to show which team is the best. It takes into account strength of schedule and opponent's strength of schedule in order to better highlight teams that should receive more or less consideration for the tournament or for seeding purposes.

by Tydides on Jan 8, 2008 10:01 AM PST up reply actions

I like!

Thanks for the 411! U-C-L-A! GO BRUINS!

So when we mop the floor with Wazzu we should climb even higher?

by bruinelder on Jan 8, 2008 10:07 AM PST up reply actions

Here's the actual formula

It's fairly complicated, so I'll just post the link to Kem Pomeroy's explanation.

It's basically a combination of the team's winning percentage (with different weights for road/neutral/home wins), opponent's winning percentages, and opponent's opponent's winning percentages.

by stevenucla on Jan 8, 2008 10:09 AM PST up reply actions

In January

I don't even bother looking at RPI or brackets. It's too early and what's there now won' have any meaning when the committee makes the bracket in March. Playing in the Pac 10, our RPI will be plenty strong so long as we win so for now, all I'm worried about is the results on the court.

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Jan 8, 2008 10:54 AM PST reply actions

Sagarin has us #4

Its always been my contention that Lunardi uses the Sagarin rankings in large part to form his undulating "reverse S" bracktology selections. See for yourself how Looney wields his crystal ball magic.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/bkt0708.htm?loc=interstitialskip

by charnaw on Jan 8, 2008 11:22 AM PST reply actions