Tag: BPI

Florida up a spot in ESPN Basketball Power Index after 11-0 start

Florida keeps winning on the hardwood and ESPN keeps moving the Gators up its Basketball Power Index as a result.

Florida notched a pair of Quadrant 1 wins since the last time Gators Wire checked in on the ESPN Basketball Power Index. As a result, the Gators are ranked a season-high No. 14 on the BPI, a one-spot increase in 10 days.

Note: The BPI is updated daily; however Gators Wire provides weekly updates so as not to overwhelm fans with constant changes.

Florida’s BPI is 16.3, further broken down as 9.5 (10th) on offense and 6.9 (33rd) on defense. Compared to last week’s BPI numbers — 15.7, 9.6 and 6.1 — the offense is slightly down and the defense improved a significant amount. The Gators are trending up in both categories, though, moving up one spot and into the top 10 of the offensive rankings and up 11 spots on defense.

“The College Basketball Power Index (BPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of performance going forward,” ESPN explains. “BPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Strength of Record (SOR) is a measure of team accomplishment based on how difficult a team’s W-L record is to achieve. Game predictions account for opponent strength, pace of play, site, travel distance, day’s rest and altitude, and are used to simulate the season 10,000 times to produce season projections.”

ESPN BPI Projections

ESPN now projects Florida to finish the season with a 23.2-7.8 overall record (1.1 more wins than last week) and a 10.2-7.8 record in conference play (0.3 more wins) based on results to date and BPI-based projections for remaining scheduled games. Beating strong programs such as Arizona State and North Carolina have greatly improved Florida’s non-conference résumé.

The Gators have 2.9% odds to win the conference, up from 2.2% a week ago. Florida faces the 41st-toughest schedule moving forward. As expected, the conference schedule will be a gauntlet.

NCAA Tournament Resume

The 11-0 start has the Gators ranked third overall in strength of record — up from 10th a week ago — which translates to a No. 1 seed if the season were to end today.

Florida’s overall strength of schedule is up to No. 53 and its non-conference strength of schedule is ranked No. 47. The Gators finally notched a “quality win” (against top 50 in BPI) by beating North Carolina, which ranks No. 19 in the latest BPI.

ESPN gives Florida 1.1% odds of winning the NCAA Tournament and 2.8% odds of making it to the championship game. A Final Four appearance (7.5%) or Elite Eight appearance (17.3%) continue to see increased odds, as do the chances of a Sweet 16 (38.5%) and Round of 32 appearance (73.4%).

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Wisconsin rises in both KenPom and ESPN BPI after win over Butler

Wisconsin rises in both KenPom and ESPN BPI after win over Butler

Wisconsin basketball ended its three-game losing streak on Saturday with an 83-74 win over Butler.

The victory improves the Badgers to 9-3 on the 2024-25 season. Importantly, it guarantees momentum entering the holiday break, barring an unforeseen loss to Detroit Mercy (No. 318 in KenPom) on Dec. 22.

Related: Big takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s important win over Butler

The Badgers had tumbled in both KenPom and ESPN BPI during the mentioned losing streak. The team fell from a fringe-top-20 contender down to the mid-30s of both rankings.

The win over Butler righted that trajectory. Wisconsin rose in both rating metrics:

  • KenPom: No. 33 (up from No. 35), with the No. 15 offense and No. 89 defense in the country.
  • BPI: No. 34 (up from No. 35), with a projected record of 20.3 – 10.7 and a 5.5% chance to win the Big Ten.

The Badgers are the No. 9 and No. 8-ranked team in the Big Ten in those two rankings, respectively. While a step down from where the team was after its 8-0 start, each slot is a significant upgrade over where it stood entering the season (No. 46 in KenPom, No. 39 in BPI).

That sentence likely captures the tone of the fanbase: the three-game losing streak paused big-picture expectations, especially in a gauntlet Big Ten. But overall, the Badgers look far better than any expected when the season began.

Wisconsin is back on the court on Dec. 22 at home against Detroit Mercy. It is then off until Jan. 3, 2025 when the Big Ten schedule continues with a home matchup against Iowa.

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Florida climbs into top 15 of ESPN Basketball Power Index

Florida keeps winning, and ESPN keeps moving the Gators up its Basketball Power Index. Florida is ranked 15th in BPI after five weeks.

The Florida Gators continued to climb up the ESPN Basketball Power Index this week with a victory over Virginia, resulting in a three-spot jump to No. 15 after a fifth week of play.

Note: The BPI is updated daily; however Gators Wire provides weekly updates so as not to overwhelm fans with constant changes.

Florida’s BPI is 15.7, further broken down as 9.6 (11th) on offense and 6.1 (44th) on defense. It’s a bit of a give-and-take from last week’s BPI numbers — 15.8, 9.1 and 6.8 — but the offense continues to improve. The Gators jumped up four spots in the offensive rankings and fell nine spots on defense.

“The College Basketball Power Index (BPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of performance going forward,” ESPN explains. “BPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Strength of Record (SOR) is a measure of team accomplishment based on how difficult a team’s W-L record is to achieve. Game predictions account for opponent strength, pace of play, site, travel distance, day’s rest and altitude, and are used to simulate the season 10,000 times to produce season projections.”

ESPN BPI Projections

ESPN now projects Florida to finish the season with a 22.1-8.9 overall record (0.2 fewer wins than last week) and a 9.9-8.1 record in conference play (0.3 fewer wins) based on results to date and BPI-based projections for remaining scheduled games. Those changes are reflective of strong performances from several SEC teams.

The Gators have 2.2% odds to win the conference, down from 3.2% a week ago. Florida faces the 17th-toughest schedule moving forward. As expected, the conference schedule will be a gauntlet.

NCAA Tournament/Resume

The 9-0 start has the Gators ranked 10th overall in strength of record — up from 12th a week ago — which translates to a No. 3 seed if the season were to end today.

Florida’s overall strength of schedule is up to No. 132 and it’s non-conference strength of schedule is ranked No. 129. The Orange and Blue face two top-100 opponents over the next two weeks — North Carolina (19th) and Arizona State (63rd). The Gators haven’t faced a “quality opponent” (top 50 in BPI) yet.

ESPN gives Florida 0.5% odds of winning the NCAA Tournament and 2.1% odds of making it to the championship game. A Final Four appearance (6.1%) or Elite Eight appearance (15.2%) are more possible, and the odds of a Sweet 16 (33.7%) and Round of 32 appearance (68.0%) remain high.

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Florida makes big jump in ESPN BPI rankings after 8-0 start

A dominant week at the ESPN Events Invitational has the Florida Gators surging up the ESPN Basketball Power Index.

The Florida Gators men’s basketball made a statement run over Thanksgiving, taking down Wake Forest, 75-58, and Wichita State, 88-51, en route to an ESPN Events Invitational championship. As a result, the Gators jumped up to No. 18 on the ESPN Basketball Power Index.

Note: The BPI is updated daily; however Gators Wire provides weekly updates as not to overwhelm fans with constant changes.

Florida’s BPI is 15.8, further broken down as 9.1 (15th) on offense and 6.8 (35th) on defense. All three of those figures are up from our last update (13.5, 8.5 and 5.0). The Gators jumped up two spots in the offensive rankings and 30 on defense.

“The College Basketball Power Index (BPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of performance going forward,” ESPN explains. “BPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Strength of Record (SOR) is a measure of team accomplishment based on how difficult a team’s W-L record is to achieve. Game predictions account for opponent strength, pace of play, site, travel distance, day’s rest and altitude, and are used to simulate the season 10,000 times to produce season projections.”

ESPN BPI Projections

ESPN now projects Florida to finish the season with a 22.3-8.7 overall record (2.7 more wins than last week) and a 10.2-7.8 record in conference play (1.2 more wins) based on results to date and BPI-based projections for remaining scheduled games. The Gators have 3.2% odds to win the conference, up 2.2% a week ago.

Florida faces the 24th-toughest schedule moving forward with many of its weakest opponents in the rearview mirror. As expected, the SEC slate will be a gauntlet.

NCAA Tournament/Resume

The 8-0 start has the Gators ranked 12th overall in strength of record, which translates to a No. 3 seed if the season were to end today — up from 14th and a No. 4 seed a week ago.

Florida finally faces some decent competition in the non-conference schedule, which has the strength of schedule rankings up to No. 133 from No. 225, and it faces a trio of top-100 opponents over the next few weeks. The Gators haven’t faced a “quality opponent” (top 50 in BPI) yet.

ESPN gives Florida 0.7% odds of winning the NCAA Tournament and 2.4% odds of making it to the championship game. A Final Four appearance (7.0%) or Elite Eight appearance (15.6%) are more realistic now, as are the odds of a Sweet 16 (35.7%) and Round of 32 appearance (69.6%).

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Florida holds steady in ESPN Basketball Power Index through Week 3

Florida basketball is undefeated through the first six games of the season, but a relatively weak non-conference slate has the Gators steady in ESPN’s BPI.

The Florida Gators men’s basketball team added a six-straight win to start the 2024-25 college basketball season, defeating Southern Illinois on Friday, and remains at No. 32 on the ESPN Basketball Power Index heading into its Thanksgiving tournament.

While the Orange and Blue didn’t move from No. 32, the Gators’ BPI is up to 13.5, further broken down as 8.5 (17th) on offense and 5.0 (65th) on defense. All three of those figures are up from our last update (12.8, 7.9 and 4.9). Florida is up six spots in the offensive rankings and moved down one on defense.

“The College Basketball Power Index (BPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of performance going forward,” ESPN explains. “BPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Strength of Record (SOR) is a measure of team accomplishment based on how difficult a team’s W-L record is to achieve. Game predictions account for opponent strength, pace of play, site, travel distance, day’s rest and altitude, and are used to simulate the season 10,000 times to produce season projections.”

ESPN BPI Projections

ESPN now projects Florida to finish the season with a 19.6-10.4 overall record (0.5 more wins than after Week 1) and a 9-9 record in conference play (0.3 more wins) based on results to date and BPI-based projections for remaining scheduled games. The Gators only have 1.0% odds to win the conference, up 0.2% a week ago.

Florida faces the 20th-toughest schedule moving forward with many of its weakest opponents in the rearview mirror. As expected, the SEC slate will be a gauntlet.

NCAA Tournament/Resume

The undefeated start has the Gators ranked 14th overall in strength of record, which translates to a No. 4 seed if the season were to end today — both unchanged from a week ago.

Florida has only played non-conference opponents, which makes its strength of schedule very low (225th) — down from 207th. Many of these numbers will change drastically once the beefier portion of the non-conference schedule begins, and again when SEC play starts up.

ESPN gives Florida 0.1% odds of winning the NCAA Tournament and 0.6% odds of making it to the championship game. A Final Four appearance (2.0%) or Elite Eight appearance (5.7%) are both unlikely at this point, but the odds of a Sweet 16 (16.5%) and Round of 32 appearance (43.7%) continue to increase with each week.

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Here’s what BPI predicts for Florida-SIU matchup Friday night

ESPN’s BPI predicts another double-digit win for the Florida Gators tonight inside the O’Connell Center.

The Florida basketball team returns to the collegiate parquet on Friday night to host the Southern Illinois Salukis for its sixth game of the 2024-25 campaign. So far, the Gators own a perfect 5-0 record with every coming in double-digits.

Using the Basketball Power Index, ESPN predicts another dominant victory for the Orange and Blue, giving Florida 94.2% odds to beat Southern Illinois with a 17.5 predicted point differential. ESPN also gives the matchup a quality rating of 57.7, putting it among the upper third of Friday night’s hoops schedule.

“BPI is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of performance going forward,” the site reads. “BPI represents how many points above or below average a team is… Game predictions account for opponent strength, pace of play, site, travel distance, day’s rest and altitude, and are used to simulate the season 10,000 times to produce season projections.”

ESPN BPI Season Projections

The Gators are currently ranked 32nd on the Basketball Power Index with a 12.8 index, while the Salukis are 159th with a -0.4 BPI. SIU is better defensively than offensively — but both are very middle-of-the-pack — while Florida features a top-25 offense (8.1, 22nd).

ESPN projects Florida to finish the season with a 19.1-10.9 overall record and an 8.7-9.3 record in conference play based on results to date and BPI-based projections for remaining scheduled games. The Gators only have 0.8% odds to win the conference, down from 1.3% a week ago.

Todd Golden’s gang faces the 26th-toughest schedule moving forward with two weak non-conference opponents out of the way.

How to watch Florida-Southern Illinois

The Gators and Salukis tip off at 7 p.m. ET inside the O’Dome on Friday night. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network and can be heard on the Gators Sports Network.

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Florida moves up three spots in ESPN Basketball Power Index after 5-0 start

Wins over Florida State and FAMU have the Florida Gators up three spots on ESPN’s Basketball Power Index.

Florida remains undefeated through five games to start the 2024-25 college basketball season, and the Gators keep moving up the ESPN Basketball Power Index as a result.

The Orange and Blue are up three spots to No. 32 from a week ago, with a 12.8 BPI, further broken down as 7.9 (23rd) on offense and 4.9 (64th) on defense. All three of those figures are up from our last update (12.6, 7.7 and 4.8), but the Gators dropped three spots in the offensive rankings and moved up two on defense.

“The College Basketball Power Index (BPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of performance going forward,” ESPN explains. “BPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Strength of Record (SOR) is a measure of team accomplishment based on how difficult a team’s W-L record is to achieve. Game predictions account for opponent strength, pace of play, site, travel distance, day’s rest and altitude, and are used to simulate the season 10,000 times to produce season projections.”

ESPN BPI Projections

ESPN now projects Florida to finish the season with a 19.1-10.9 overall record (0.1 more wins than after Week 1) and an 8.7-9.3 record in conference play (0.3 fewer) based on results to date and BPI-based projections for remaining scheduled games. The Gators only have 0.8% odds to win the conference, down from 1.3% a week ago.

Florida faces the 26th-toughest schedule moving forward with two weak non-conference opponents out of the way.

NCAA Tournament/Resume

The defeated start has the Gators ranked 14th overall in strength of record, which translates to a No. 4 seed if the season were to end today. Last week, the Gators were a projected No. 6 seed.

Florida has only played non-conference opponents, which makes its strength of schedule very low (207th). Many of these numbers will change drastically once the beefier portion of the non-conference schedule begins, and again when SEC play starts up.

ESPN gives Florida 0.2% odds of winning the NCAA Tournament and 0.3% odds of making it to the championship game. A Final Four appearance (1.3%) or Elite Eight appearance (4.2%) are both unlikely at this point, but a Sweet 16 (13.2%) and Round of 32 appearance (39.0%) have better odds.

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Here’s what BPI predicts for Florida-FAMU matchup Tuesday night

ESPN’s Basketball Power index heavily favors the Gators over the Rattlers on Tuesday night.

Florida basketball is off to a 4-0 start to the 2024-25 campaign and ranked among the top 25 in both the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and AP Poll.

So far, the Gators have mostly faced fellow Sunshine State foes and that does not change much on Tuesday night when they host the Florida A&M Rattlers inside the O’Connell Center. Having already dispatched the Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee last game, [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag]’s gang now gets a shot at the other school from the state’s capital.

Using the Basketball Power Index, ESPN predicts a dominant UF victory over FAMU, giving Florida 99.5% odds to win with a 31.1 predicted point differential. ESPN also gives the matchup a quality rating of 35.0, making it a middle-of-the-pack game of the evening.

“BPI is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of performance going forward,” the site reads. “BPI represents how many points above or below average a team is… Game predictions account for opponent strength, pace of play, site, travel distance, day’s rest and altitude, and are used to simulate the season 10,000 times to produce season projections.”

ESPN BPI Season Projections

The Gators are currently ranked 29th on the Basketball Power Index with a 13.2 index, while the Rattlers are 359th with a -14.9 BPI. FAMU struggles on both offense and defense, while Florida features a top-25 offense (8.6, 21st).

ESPN projects Florida to finish the season with a 19.5-10.5 overall record and a 9.1-8.9 record in conference play based on results so far and BPI-based projections for remaining scheduled games. The Gators only have 1.3% odds to win the conference. Florida faces the 44th-toughest schedule moving forward.

How to watch Florida-FAMU

The Gators and Rattlers tip off at 7 p.m. ET inside the O’Dome on Tuesday night. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Nework+ and can be heard on the Gators Sports Network.

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Florida projected to beat Florida State by ESPN BPI

Florida has a chance to start the college basketball season 4-0 Friday with a win over rival Florida State, and ESPN projects a UF victory.

Florida’s 3-0 start to the 2024-25 college basketball season is on the line Friday when the Gators travel to Tallahassee to face the Florida State Seminoles.

Using the Basketball Power Index, ESPN predicts a Gators victory over the ‘Noles, giving Florida 61.4% odds to win with a 2.9 predicted point differential. ESPN also gives the matchup a quality rating of 72.7, making it the eighth-most exciting matchup of the evening.

“BPI is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of performance going forward,” the site reads. “BPI represents how many points above or below average a team is… Game predictions account for opponent strength, pace of play, site, travel distance, day’s rest and altitude, and are used to simulate the season 10,000 times to produce season projections.”

ESPN BPI Season Projections

The Gators are currently ranked 34th on the Basketball Power Index with a 12.6 index, while the Seminoles are 91st with a 6.7 BPI. FSU boasts a strong defense (6.7, 34th), while Florida features a top-20 offense (7.8, 20th).

ESPN projects Florida to finish the season with an 18.8-11.2 overall record and an 8.8-9.2 record in conference play based on results to date and BPI-based projections for remaining scheduled games. The Gators only have 0.8% odds to win the conference. Florida faces the 38th-toughest schedule moving forward.

Where to Watch Florida-Florida State

The rivalry matchup between Florida and Florida State will air on the ACC Network, which is not accessible on ESPN+ without a separate subscription or linked cable provider. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 15.

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Where Gators basketball ranks in BPI after undefeated first week

A 3-0 start for Florida has the Gators ranked 35th on the ESPN Basketball Power Index and projected as a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Following a 3-0 start to the 2024-25 college basketball season, the Florida Gators are ranked 35th on the ESPN Basketball Power Index.

The Orange and Blue sport a 12.6 BPI, broken down further as 7.7 (20th) on offense and 4.8 (66th) on defense.

“The College Basketball Power Index (BPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of performance going forward,” ESPN explains. “BPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Strength of Record (SOR) is a measure of team accomplishment based on how difficult a team’s W-L record is to achieve. Game predictions account for opponent strength, pace of play, site, travel distance, day’s rest and altitude, and are used to simulate the season 10,000 times to produce season projections.”

ESPN BPI Projections

ESPN projects Florida to finish the season with a 19-11 overall record and a 9-9 record in conference play based on results to date and BPI-based projections for remaining scheduled games. The Gators only have 1.3% odds to win the conference. Florida faces the 32nd-toughest schedule moving forward.

NCAA Tournament/Resume

Florida’s 3-0 start has the Gators ranked 23rd overall in strength of record, which translates to a No. 6 seed if the season were to end today. Florida has only played non-conference opponents ranked well below the top 100, which makes its strength of schedule very low (203rd). Many of these numbers will change drastically once the beefier portion of the non-conference schedule begins, and again when SEC play starts up.

ESPN gives Florida 0.1% odds of winning the NCAA Tournament and 0.7% odds of making it to the championship game. A Final Four appearance (1.9%) or Elite Eight appearance (5.1%) are both unlikely at this point, but a Sweet 16 (14.3%) and Round of 32 appearance (36.3%) have better odds.

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