If the Zags Win in Moraga, and Tie with St. Mary’s for Championship . . .

[TravelinZag]

What are the tie-breakers, and which team would hold the upper hand? This query ignores the fact that St. Mary’s has the easier schedule down the stretch.

[maynard g krebs]

What are the tie-breakers, and which team would hold the upper hand? This query ignores the fact that St. Mary’s has the easier schedule down the stretch.

Not 100% sure but I think usually tiebreaker is record v third place team, if equal then record v fourth place team etc.

[gaels87]

What are the tie-breakers, and which team would hold the upper hand? This query ignores the fact that St. Mary’s has the easier schedule down the stretch.

tiebreakers from the WCC....

A. If there is a tie in the standings, regardless of the number of teams involved, the following factors shall be used, in this order, until all ties are broken:
1. Head-to-head competition.
2. Won-Loss record versus each league member (or the cumulative record of teams tied in a position) based on descending order of finish in the final Conference standings.
3. This comparison on a descending basis will continue until seeding is complete. If a tie still exists, the final deciding factor will be the teams’ placement in the most recent Collegiate Basketball News Company RPI published by Jim Sukup.

B. In the event of a tie involving more than two teams, the same tie-breaking process is used until one team is removed from the deadlock.
1. Once a team is removed from the tie, the remaining ties are broken by reverting back to the first step in the procedure (head-to-head competition).
2. The procedure will then continue (comparing results on a descending basis), always reverting back to head-to-head competition to break remaining ties.

C. If there is more than one tie in the standings, the tie, which can be broken via the earliest tie-breaking step, will be broken first.
1. The review will begin with the lower tie.
2. If the lower tie cannot be resolved under step one (B1), the higher tie will be considered.
3. If the higher tie cannot be resolved via step one, the lower tie will be reviewed under step two (B2).
4. If the lower tie cannot be resolved under step two, then the higher tie will be considered under step two.
5. This process of alternating consideration will continue until one of the ties is resolved.
6. Once a tie is resolved, the remaining tie will revert to step one of the system.

[23dpg]

tiebreakers from the WCC....

A. If there is a tie in the standings, regardless of the number of teams involved, the following factors shall be used, in this order, until all ties are broken:
1. Head-to-head competition.
2. Won-Loss record versus each league member (or the cumulative record of teams tied in a position) based on descending order of finish in the final Conference standings.
3. This comparison on a descending basis will continue until seeding is complete. If a tie still exists, the final deciding factor will be the teams’ placement in the most recent Collegiate Basketball News Company RPI published by Jim Sukup.

B. In the event of a tie involving more than two teams, the same tie-breaking process is used until one team is removed from the deadlock.
1. Once a team is removed from the tie, the remaining ties are broken by reverting back to the first step in the procedure (head-to-head competition).
2. The procedure will then continue (comparing results on a descending basis), always reverting back to head-to-head competition to break remaining ties.

C. If there is more than one tie in the standings, the tie, which can be broken via the earliest tie-breaking step, will be broken first.
1. The review will begin with the lower tie.
2. If the lower tie cannot be resolved under step one (B1), the higher tie will be considered.
3. If the higher tie cannot be resolved via step one, the lower tie will be reviewed under step two (B2).
4. If the lower tie cannot be resolved under step two, then the higher tie will be considered under step two.
5. This process of alternating consideration will continue until one of the ties is resolved.
6. Once a tie is resolved, the remaining tie will revert to step one of the system.

Great, the WCC still uses the RPI. Glad to see that they're keeping current.

[jake]

This isn't scientific by any means, but within one conference I've always thought the RPI wasn't an awful comparison (maybe arguable). Whatever tiebreaker you use at that point isn't going to be great anyway. You're at the end of the tiebreaker rope already. While we're ahead of St. Mary's in KenPom and Sagarin, it's not by much, and Sagarin has St. Mary's ahead of us in the ranking more heavily weighted towards recent games, and I think rightly so. Hoping that changes this weekend.

[Hooray4Daye&Gray]

So if BYU and Pacific tie, BYU will be rewarded for losing to a terrible LMU team while Pacific lost to San Francisco? That seems backward.

[willandi]

This isn't scientific by any means, but within one conference I've always thought the RPI wasn't an awful comparison (maybe arguable). Whatever tiebreaker you use at that point isn't going to be great anyway. You're at the end of the tiebreaker rope already. While we're ahead of St. Mary's in KenPom and Sagarin, it's not by much, and Sagarin has St. Mary's ahead of us in the ranking more heavily weighted towards recent games, and I think rightly so. Hoping that changes this weekend.

Excepting that the SMC RPI gets a boost by playing the Zags twice, their toughest opponent of the year. Gonzaga doesn't get to play the Zags, so, despite a harder OOC schedule, and the same in conference schedule, SMC is given the tie breaker...because Gonzaga plays tougher opponents.

[jake]

Excepting that the SMC RPI gets a boost by playing the Zags twice, their toughest opponent of the year. Gonzaga doesn't get to play the Zags, so, despite a harder OOC schedule, and the same in conference schedule, SMC is given the tie breaker...because Gonzaga plays tougher opponents.

Valid/good point. I'd just love to see us playing better, because I think we'll need to to even worry about the tiebreakers.

[CDC84]

According to realtimerpi.com, GU is at 47, Saint Mary's is at 25. BYU is at 71. The WCC is at 12.

[willandi]

According to realtimerpi.com, GU is at 47, Saint Mary's is at 25. BYU is at 71. The WCC is at 12.

Based on ESPN stats and RPI rankings,

SMC had no games against RPI 1-25, they are 2-0 against 26-50 and 2-1 51-100. The have a LRPI (road and neutral games only) of 73

Zags are 2-1 against RPI 1-25. 2-2 on 26-50 and 1-0 for 51-100. Zags LRPI is 48.

Seems like the Zags schedule was tougher and they lose by not playing themselves.

SMC is 30 RPI on ESPN and Zags are 49.

[JAGzag]

I’m happy to be a Zag fan. Happy our team still gets out there and plays anyone, anywhere. Let Gael fans be happy with playing it safe and betting their entire post season on beating Gonzaga. Because that’s worked so well building a national program?

[Ezag]

No tie then, beat them outright! Have to contain Landale!

[TexasZagFan]

I’m happy to be a Zag fan. Happy our team still gets out there and plays anyone, anywhere. Let Gael fans be happy with playing it safe and betting their entire post season on beating Gonzaga. Because that’s worked so well building a national program?

Zags built their program with a "play anyone, anywhere" ethos. What is SMC's ethos? I think SMC fans are getting a bit restless with playing it safe, based on what I read from Nevada Don, and my occasional forays into godisagael.com.

[TexasZagFan]

No tie then, beat them outright! Have to contain Landale!

Coaching staff is going to have to dip into their bag of tricks. Can you wear down Landale with an uptempo game, and a defense that mugs him when he gets the ball? Jacob's five fouls can be useful there. Rui didn't look all that bad against Jock on defense. His 7'2" wingspan is an asset, combined with his athleticism.

It's pick your poison against the Gaels.

[JPtheBeasta]

Excepting that the SMC RPI gets a boost by playing the Zags twice, their toughest opponent of the year. Gonzaga doesn't get to play the Zags, so, despite a harder OOC schedule, and the same in conference schedule, SMC is given the tie breaker...because Gonzaga plays tougher opponents.

I Visited he real-time RPI website a couple of days ago and SMC didn’t get much of a boost from beating us, if I interpreted it correctly. It was counterintuitive to me.