lion1983
1st String
Posts: 1,883
Joined: May 2015
Reputation: 80
I Root For: North Alabama
Location: Florence Alabama
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RE: Kenpom Rankings
(01-22-2020 09:17 PM)GE and MTS Wrote: (01-22-2020 09:17 AM)lion1983 Wrote: (01-21-2020 08:32 PM)GE and MTS Wrote: (01-19-2020 11:26 PM)army56mike Wrote: NET- 18 January
24. Liberty (-2)
200. North Florida (+17)
227. Jacksonville (-20)
288. North Alabama (-23)
294. Lipscomb (-19)
296. NJIT (+12)
317. Stetson (+3)
325. FGCU (-)
350. Kennesaw St. (-)
KENPOM- 19 January
54. Liberty (-9)
180. North Florida (+9)
240. Jacksonville (-25)
274. Lipscomb (-12)
280. North Alabama (-17)
267. NJIT (+13)
314. FGCU (+5)
311. Stetson (+16)
346. Kennesaw St. (even)
Only one team on either list above the median in Division I. North Alabama gets a pass for a while as they transition to Division I but the rest are generally disappointing. How likely is it this is a single year event? Are any of the teams young or injured that would be a cause to have a big boost next year?
FGCU has the name brand that says they should improve, with Lipscomb to a lesser extent. I already think NJIT is punching above their usual so I don't expect much growth there. KSU is focused on football so we can probably cross them off too, though they can't get much worse. I don't know how much better Stetson can be. Maybe Jacksonville will improve with the unfortunate elimination of the football team. I just don't see much hope for improvement in the near future and Liberty could slip which would further drag down the conference.
That's fair...
Okay, and this is me inquiring, more than optimistic opinions.
If, since UNA gets a pass, let's say they continue to trend upward, and by the end of their transition they are very competitive in contending for the championship alongside Liberty, UNF, and hopefully FGCU. That's 4 programs moving up. Add Bellarmine, with whom most of us believe will be a great addition for the conference, especially after their transition. That would be 5 of 10 good, strong programs. NJIT and Lipscomb and possibly (as you mentioned) JU could, depending on the year be in the fight as well.
Aren't most conferences that way to a large degree? Yeah, I know they are ranked higher. But as long as those teams perform, gets good OOC wins, what would keep them from moving up the NET rankings?
They way I look at it is, as long as Liberty (and yeah, I know yall feel like it's the opposite) is in the conference, the other schools will be trying to compete to be as good. That makes the conference better. I dont see anyone saying, "We cant compete with Liberty, so we will just stay put." I would say it's the opposite, schools in the ASUN are looking at Liberty and saying, "Good, we have a program that can help get eyes on the conference, we need to step up and do our part."
That's how I think the conference gets better.
I guess you and I differ in our opinions is that you think the conference will bond over shared competition. You think that an alpha program (currently Liberty though it can be anyone) will inspire other schools to pick up their own slack. So if I don't understand, my response likely won't make sense.
I don't necessarily think an alpha program would cause another school to think all is lost so why bother so that's not exactly my argument. My argument is why would/does it take a competitive conference to inspire you to invest and do well? If most of the ASUN members are hypothetically looking for the exit, why isn't that inspiring everyone to be their best so they are the ones who get invited to a better conference? Or why isn't it inspiring to grab the brass ring if the rest of the conference is down and take all the glory and accolades that come with making the NCAA tournament?
I respect your opinion and I respect looking at things positively and I don't ask you to change because it's admirable. I just don't agree that schools aren't trying their best all the time no matter the conference make up, dynamics, or strength.
I'm saying that stability helps, not necessarily that the Alfa program helps, but it can.
If the conference is stable, that means the programs that essentially like were th hey are, or realistically have nowhere else to go for whatever reason, can breath easily because the know they have a conference that will be there, and dont have to worry about things like an AQ, or if the conference will fold all together. When the stability comes, it helps the programs focus on program success and not things like, will we even have a conference in a few years? Especially schools like JU and Stetson and a lesser degree FGCU. No FBS conference will go after them without FBS football, and no non football conference with take them because of geography. They are kinda stuck. Their only other option would have been to go to D2. Now that its stable, they can focus on better things is all I'm trying to say.
And, a program like Liberty, can provide kinda, competitive shock, and force programs to reevaluate their competitiveness and do better. I look at it like if im a boss, and want my employees to do better, I can bring in an "alfa" and figure out who is going to step up and who is going to hide. Competition kills laziness. So, in order to compete, the schools in the conference will have to figure it out, or drop..
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