Tag: NET rankings

Florida basketball drops in NET rankings despite signature win over UNC

Florida basketball notched its biggest win of the season on Tuesday against North Carolina, but the NET rankings didn’t reward the Gators.

Florida basketball secured its biggest win of the season over North Carolina on Tuesday but perplexingly dropped out of the NCAA NET rankings top five.

The Gators opened the month at No. 6 on the rankings and dipped to No. 7 despite holding a perfect record, but the Orange and Blue held the No. 5 spot going into Tuesday’s matchup. A Quadrant 1 victory usually means improvement in these rankings, or at least holding steady, but the math didn’t work in Florida’s favor.

Iowa State swapped places with Florida, which means the Gators were ranked in the top 5 before the win over UNC. To make things even more confusing ISU didn’t play on Tuesday.

Trying to explain Florida’s dip in the NET

The most logical explanation is the disparity in Q1 wins, but all three of Iowa State’s victories that fall in the category would have qualified as Q1 matchups 24 hours ago. Both programs are 1-0 in Q2 matchups, and neither team has lost a Q3 or Q4 matchup. So, what’s up?

Well, the one stat left to look at is Wins Above Bubble (WAB), in which Iowa State has one more win (6-0) than Florida (5-0). The metric, created by analytics website BartTorvik.com, is similar to WAR (wins above replacement) in baseball and was added to the NET rankings calculation this season.

Typically, WAB is calculated a plus-minus value, so the conversion to wins and losses is a bit of a mystery to us here at Gators Wire. For anyone familiar with these kinds of metrics, a lot of math is involved and can be a bit complicated. We’re not going to pretend we understand the nuances of a secret formula, but that’s the stat we’ll point to when explaining Florida’s slight dip in these rankings.

It’s important to remember that while they are called “rankings” the NET is an evaluation tool at heart — that’s what the E and T stand for. It’s not a hard list and the selection committee can sort things however they please. Still, it’s odd to see Florida go down on a rankings list after such a big win. That’s life, though.

“The 2024-25 men’s basketball season marks the seventh season of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, which replaced the RPI prior to the 2018-19 season as the primary sorting tool for evaluating teams,” according to the NCAA.

While Top 25 polls remain popular, it’s the NET rankings that are used by the NCAA Tournament committee to seed teams in March. The rankings rely on a quadrant system (below), where Quadrant 1 (Q1) wins and Q3/Q4 losses matter the most.

Breaking down Florida’s wins by Quadrant

Before going into Florida’s resume, it’s important to understand how the quadrants are divided. Where a game is played has as much to do with the quadrant as the quality of the opponent. As the rankings change, so do the quality of the wins.

For example, Florida’s win at Florida State was a Q1 win at the time but as since been downgraded to a Q2 victory based on the criteria below.

  • Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
  • Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
  • Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
  • Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353

The good news is Florida has two fairly firm Q1 wins under its belt now, which will help come Selection Sunday.

Florida’s two Q1 victories are its most recent wins against No. 50 Arizona State and No. 37 North Carolina, both of which came at a neutral site.

The Gators won its lone Q2 matchup against Florida State (No. 76) on the road, but a neutral site win over Wichita State (No. 124) at the ESPN Events Invitational has been downgraded to a Q3 win since we last checked in.

In addition to the Wichita State win, Florida has defeated South Florida (No. 186), Virginia (No. 101) and Wake Forest (No. 104), giving UF a 4-0 record against Q3 opponents.

Wake Forest is the closest of those victories to moving into Q2 range being a neutral-site victory, where the cutoff is No. 100. Virginia is ranked higher than Wake Forest, but the win came on Florida’s home court. The South Florida win also came on a neutral court, but the Bulls are closer to Q4 than Q2 at this point.

Finally, Florida is 4-0 against Q4 opponents. All four wins have come at home: Florida A&M (No. 311), Grambling (No. 295), Jacksonville (No. 168) and Southern Illinois (No. 180). Odds are slim for any of these programs to crack the Q3 threshold, but ascending past No. 161 seems doable for the latter two teams mentioned.

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Texas A&M rises in the NET rankings after 70-66 win over Purdue

Texas A&M’s rise in the NET rankings is no surprise after the Aggie’s 70-66 win over Purdue

Texas A&M (9-2) is off to the best start of any season under head coach Buzz Williams, as the Aggies have reeled off five consecutive wins after defeating No. 11 Purdue 70-66 on Saturday afternoon.

Led by an elite defensive performance and impressive decision-making from star point guard Wade Taylor IV, this looks like A&M’s best roster under Williams, especially after witnessing the play of junior forward Pharrel Payne, who played his best game of the year after finishing with 16 points and nine rebounds in 24 minutes.

With the win, Texas A&M’s nonconference success has set the Aggies up well before entering SEC play, as the conference looks good from top to bottom. However, the road ahead is challenging as the Aggies look to end nonconference play with two final matchups against Houston Christian and Abilene Christian.

After the win, Texas A&M has risen six spots in the NET rankings to No. 26, including 2-1 Quad 1 and 3-1 Quad 2 win/loss records. Out of the stacked SEC, Texas A&M is the 9th-ranked conference team in the rankings.

Texas A&M will return home to face Houston Christian at Reed Arena on Dec. 20 at 1:00 p.m. CST. The game can be watched on ESPN+/SECN+.

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Florida basketball at No. 7 in NET rankings after 9-0 start

Florida continued its undefeated streak to start the 2024-25 college basketball season, but the Gators took a one-spot dip in the NET rankings.

Florida debuted at No. 6 in the first NCAA NET rankings of the 2024-25 college basketball season, and the Gators are roughly in the same spot at No. 7 one week later.

The one-spot dip is a result of the Marquette Golden Eagles splitting a pair of Quadrant 1 games over the past week. A road loss to No. 9 Iowa State doesn’t hurt Marquette and a home win over No. 36 Wisconsin helps a lot, especially come Selection Sunday.

“The 2024-25 men’s basketball season marks the seventh season of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, which replaced the RPI prior to the 2018-19 season as the primary sorting tool for evaluating teams,” according to the NCAA.

While Top 25 polls remain popular, it’s the NET rankings that are used by the NCAA Tournament committee to seed teams in March. The rankings rely on a quadrant system (below), where Quadrant 1 (Q1) wins and Q3/Q4 losses matter the most.

Breaking down Florida’s wins by Quadrant

Before going into Florida’s resume, it’s important to understand how the quadrants are divided. Where a game is played has as much to do with the quadrant as the quality of the opponent. As the rankings change, so do the quality of the wins.

For example, Florida’s win at Florida State was a Q1 win a week ago, when the Seminoles were ranked No. 67 in the NET. Florida State has since dropped to No. 81, making it a Q2 win for Florida.

  • Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
  • Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
  • Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
  • Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353

As mentioned above, Florida State’s dip in the NET means Florida currently has zero Q1 matchups through nine games.

The Gators are 2-0 in Q2 matchups, including a neutral site victory over Wichita State (No. 79) at the ESPN Events Invitational and a road win over FSU (No. 81).

Florida’s home win over Virginia (No. 125) gives UF a 3-0 record against Q3 matchups this season, the others being neutral-site victories over Wake Forest (No. 117) at the ESPN Events Invitational and South Florida (No. 172) in Jacksonville.

Florida is 4-0 against Q4 opponents. All four wins have come at home: Florida A&M (No. 305), Grambling (No. 267), Jacksonville (No. 165) and Southern Illinois (No. 209).

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MSU Basketball listed surprisingly low in initial NET rankings

The initial NET rankings were released on Monday, and Michigan State basketball was surprisingly low

The initial NET rankings were released on Monday, and Michigan State basketball was surprisingly low.

Michigan State came in at No. 41 in the first batch of rankings released on Monday. That is surprisingly low for a team that is just outside the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 and just inside at No. 25 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

The NET rankings — which stands for NCAA Evaluation Tool — is used as the contemporary sorting tool to measure a team’s quality and help evaluate team resumes for selection and seeding in the NCAA tournament. This is simply another tool similar to KenPom or other similar power rankings systems.

Michigan State is 6-2 overall and 1-2 in Quad 1 games this year. The Spartans’ rankings is most likely lower than expected due to narrow wins over Bowling Green and Samford — who are not highly-rated teams.

The Spartans will get the opportunity to boost their NET ranking in a pair of conference games this week. Michigan State first heads to Minnesota on Wednesday before hosting Nebraska on Saturday.

Click here to see the complete NET rankings as they stand today.

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Florida basketball debuts at No. 6 in NCAA NET rankings

December means the NCAA NET rankings are here, and Florida is a top-10 program after an 8-0 start to the 2024-25 college basketball season.

With the first month of the college basketball season in the books, the NCAA NET rankings are now available, and the Florida Gators begin December ranked No. 6 overall following an 8-0 start.

“The 2024-25 men’s basketball season marks the seventh season of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, which replaced the RPI prior to the 2018-19 season as the primary sorting tool for evaluating teams,” according to the NCAA.

While Top 25 polls remain popular, it’s the NET rankings that are used by the NCAA Tournament committee to seed teams in March. The rankings rely on a quadrant system (below), where Quadrant 1 (Q1) wins and Q3/Q4 losses matter the most.

Breaking down Florida’s wins by Quadrant

Before going into Florida’s resume, it’s important to understand how the quadrants are divided. Where a game is played has as much to do with the quadrant as the quality of the opponent.

For example, Florida’s lone Q1 win this year is against Florida State. The Seminoles are ranked No. 67 in the NET, but playing the game in Tallahassee means it’s a Q1 matchup. Had the game taken place at home or at a neutral site, it would be a Q2 matchup.

It’s also important to recognize that quadrant records vary has the season progresses and the NET is updated. What is a Q1 win today might not be one tomorrow.

  • Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
  • Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
  • Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
  • Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353

As mentioned above, the Florida State win is UF’s only Q1 matchup of the season, and it’s a borderline Q1 win at that. Florida also has just one Q2 matchup on the books, a neutral site victory over Wichita State (No. 93) on Friday at the ESPN Events Invitational.

The Gators have won both Q3 matchups this season, one against Wake Forest (No. 115) at the ESPN Events Invitational and the other against South Florida (No. 173) in a neutral-site season opener.

The bulk of Florida’s games have come against Q4 opponents at home, Florida A&M (No. 334), Grambling (No. 183), Jacksonville (No. 165) and Southern Illinois (No. 174).

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Where Wisconsin basketball lands in first installation of NCAA NET rankings

Where Wisconsin basketball lands in first installation of NCAA NET rankings

Wisconsin basketball checked in at No. 17 in the first installation of the NCAA men’s basketball NET rankings on Monday.

Unlike ESPN BPI and KenPom, the NET ranking is a list that evaluates a program’s performance primarily based on the strength of its resume.

A significant aspect of the NET rankings is a team’s record in each quadrant. The NET features four quadrants formed based on game location and the opponent’s ranking, per the NCAA.

Here’s how those quadrants shake out:

  • Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
  • Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
  • Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
  • Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353

For instance, if the Badgers defeated Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse and the Jayhawks held a 25 NET ranking, UW would receive a Quadrant 1 victory. If Greg Gard’s group dropped a game to Minnesota at the Kohl Center and the Golden Gophers boasted a NET of 80, it would be considered a Quadrant 3 loss.

Through eight games, the Badgers have collected one Quadrant 1 win over Pittsburgh in the Greenbrier Tip-Off and a pair of Quadrant 2 wins over UCF and Arizona.

Only Illinois (No. 10), Ohio State (No. 12), Oregon (No. 15) and UCLA (No. 16) are ranked ahead of Wisconsin in this season’s opening version of the ranking.

Wisconsin is off to an 8-0 start for the first time since 2013-14. Greg Gard’s crew is captained by star wing John Tonje, a former Missouri Tiger playmaker who averages nearly 23 points per appearance off 52.7% from the floor, 42.1% from three-point range and 94.5% from the charity stripe.

UW will be back on the hardwood for its first Big Ten match against the Michigan Wolverines on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at the Kohl Center.

Where Florida stands in NET rankings following SEC finals loss

Florida is a top-30 team entering the NCAA Tournament according to the NET rankings.

Florida basketball made a tremendous run in the Southeastern Conference Tournament this month, but alas, hit a roadblock in the championship game against the Auburn Tigers, who prevailed over the Gators to earn the crown, 86-67.

Following the loss, the Orange and Blue fell three spots overall in the NET rankings from before Sunday’s game to No. 29. Todd Golden’s gang now sits between the No. 28 Indiana State Sycamores and No. 30 Texas Longhorns.

Here’s how the quadrant system breaks things up:

  • Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
  • Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
  • Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
  • Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353

The Gators are now 6-8 against Quadrant 1 opponents, 4-2 against Quadrant 2 opponents, 9-1 against Quadrant 3 opponents and 5-0 against Quadrant 4 opponents. They finished the SEC Tournament with a 24-11 record overall and a 14-8 mark against Southeastern Conference opponents.

Florida is the No. 7 seed in the South Region this year according to the official NCAA Tournament bracket and will face the winner of the Boise State Broncos-Colorado Buffaloes play-in game.

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Florida moves up in NET rankings after beating TAMU in semifinals

The Gators are just outside the NET rankings top 25 entering Sunday afternoon’s SEC Tournament Finals.

Florida basketball beat the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday afternoon, 95-90, in the Southeastern Conference Tournament Semifinals, giving the Gators both a shot at the SEC crown as well as building their resume for a high NCAA Tournament seed.

Following the win, the Orange and Blue rose two spots overall in the NET rankings from before Saturday’s game to No. 26. Todd Golden’s gang now sits between the No. 25 Colorado Buffaloes and No. 27 Dayton Flyers.

Here’s how the quadrant system breaks things up:

  • Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
  • Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
  • Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
  • Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353

The Gators are now 6-7 against Quadrant 1 opponents, 4-2 against Quadrant 2 opponents, 9-1 against Quadrant 3 opponents and 5-0 against Quadrant 4 opponents. They now hold a 24-10 record overall and a 14-7 mark against Southeastern Conference opponents.

Florida will take on the Auburn Tigers in the SEC Tournament Finals on Sunday, March 17, in Nashville with a tipoff time set for 1 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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SEC Tournament win over Alabama gives Florida a boost in NET rankings

The Gators are back in the NET rankings top 30 thanks to their second blowout of Alabama this season.

The Florida Gators earned a win in the Southeastern Conference Quarterfinals on Friday night, routing the Alabama Crimson Tide with triple digits in a 102-88 victory.

Following the win, the Orange and Blue rose seven spots overall in the NET rankings from the pregame rankings to No. 28. Todd Golden’s gang now sits between the No. 27 Texas Tech Red Raiders and No. 29 Texas Longhorns.

Here’s how the quadrant system breaks things up:

  • Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
  • Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
  • Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
  • Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353

The Gators are 5-7 against Quadrant 1 opponents, 4-2 against Quadrant 2 opponents, 8-1 against Quadrant 3 opponents and 6-0 against Quadrant 4 opponents. They now hold a 23-10 record overall and a 13-7 mark against Southeastern Conference opponents.

Florida moves on to the semifinal round on Saturday, March 16, in Nashville where they will face the Texas A&M Aggies, who beat them in College Station by just one point the last time the two teams met. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game can be watched on ESPN.

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Florida takes tumble in NET rankings after Vanderbilt road loss

The Gators fell out of the top 30 teams in the NET rankings following Sunday evening’s loss.

It was not the finish to the regular season that the Gator Nation expected on Saturday when the Vanderbilt Commodores stood their ground at home and outlasted Florida, 79-78. A double-digit favorite coming in, Todd Golden’s team once again struggled on the road and showed a great deal of weakness in the second half.

Following the loss, the Orange and Blue fell seven spots from No. 28 on game day to No. 35 overall in the NET rankings; the previous update after the Alabama Crimson Tide win had it at No. 26. Todd Golden’s team now sits between the No. 34 Florida Atlantic Owls and the No. 36 Colorado State Rams.

Here’s how the quadrant system breaks things up:

  • Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
  • Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
  • Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
  • Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353

The Gators are 4-7 against Quadrant 1 opponents, 3-2 against Quadrant 2 opponents, 8-1 against Quadrant 3 opponents and 6-0 against Quadrant 4 opponents. They hold a 21-10 record overall and an 11-7 final mark in Southeastern Conference play.

That lone Quadrant 3 loss might come back to bite the Gators when the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee makes their final decision on the seedings.

Florida is a No. 6 seed in the SEC Tournament, giving it a first-round bye and matching the Gators up with the winner of Game 2 on Thursday, March 14, inside Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Tipoff is slated for a late 9:30 p.m. ET start on the SEC Network.

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