Matt Norlander's Non-BCS Power Pyramid, Week 8

[ZagNative]

From CBS Sports:

The Pyramid isn’t living in the same world as the rest of college basketball. At least not yet. Did you happen to look at the results from the past four nights or so? The sport’s been filled with unlikely defeats and confusing transgressions all over the map. I don’t know what the Pac-12 is anymore, and the A10 is content to eat itself, it seems.

But over here, the rankings, while shifting, aren’t completely getting jumbled; there’s a sense of propriety here. What I really look forward to is the intra-conference games that are coming up, the tilts that will jilt the order here. We’ve got two newbies to the party this week, both who jumped over a number of teams based on a collective body of work that merited more than a 14 or 15 ranking.

7. Gonzaga (13-2). A Sentence: I’m ready for Kevin Pangos time. A Statistic: For the past seven years, the Zags have averaged between 67.4 and 68.7 possessions per game. Few is consistent, even if Gonzaga remains unpredictable. I’m liking this team, just not loving it yet. The Schedule: at Saint Mary’s Thursday; at Loyola Marymount Saturday.

9. Saint Mary’s (14-2). A Sentence: I kind of put Saint Mary’s top-10 by default, but I will say this three-game week means a lot for the Gaels, who will skyrocket to my respect if they can run the table this week. A Statistic: Clint Steindl, a starter averaging 23 minutes per game, is scoring 1.39 points per possession. That’s the fourth-best efficiency out there. Awesome! The Schedule: vs. San Francisco Monday; vs. Gonzaga Thursday; vs. Portland Saturday.

Roaming outside the Pyramid:

♦ Out this week: Ohio, St. Joseph’s. In: Dayton, Oral Roberts.
♦ I still don’t buy BYU yet.

[pbriz]

I'm sorry but Gonzaga would absolutely crush Iona. I think SMC would too.

Harvard may be the most overrated team in the nation right now.

[Baldwinzag]

Thanks for the link, ZN, yet blah...

When did Sagarin, Massey, Pomeroy, RPI, etc ratings go out the door when evaluating teams/rankings?

None of these teams listed above are ranked anywhere near the Top-15 in these computing rating systems based on #'s that matter (Gonzaga 8, 10, 14, 18). Average around 15.

What's up with Harvard getting all the free-passes(same w/Iona) for losing their only test, to inferior competition, and no decent wins? They beat a (10-6) Florida St by 5 its at the beginning of the year and that is it, folks. They have since been crushed by #16 UConn(15 pts) and to Fordham by 6 pts, yet nonetheless, still ranked in the Polls & all the Mid-Major Top-5's & such. Meanwhile, Gonzaga lost to #6 Mich St by 7 pts and Illinois on the road, but still can't surpass Harvard?

It feels like the Coaches wrote us off after losing back-to-back games to Big 10 teams(goodness, we dominated MSU in every phase of the game outside Mr. Draymond Green, we should have beat them). Illinois was a sound thumping after they shot lights out.

Doesn't make much sense/logic to me...

[Nevtelen]

Ive been kind of following the pyramid, but I dont put much stock in it. Im glad hes giving some not as well known mid majors some ink, but really? BYU, SMC and GU would all thump at least half those teams. I mean his #2 team, UNM lost to Santa Clara and has very few decent wins, not to mention some of those teams farther down.

[CDC84]

I've seen New Mexico is person, and if GU played them on a neutral floor, it would be a double digit win. Gonzaga simply has better players. The Lobos lost to Santa Clara on a neutral floor and got beat by New Mexico State at the Pit. Best win is St. Louis at home, who they barely beat.

I guess losing to Illinois on the road (which Ohio State did without Illinois' starting point guard) and Michigan State at home makes GU unimpressive. Zags had a chance to win both of those games, and the team has clearly improved since those losses.