We are now 127 days away from the start of the basketball season. Below is a link to the daily countdown ranking the top 144 teams...

https://www.collegesportsmadness.com/men...4-previews

Currently, Sam Houston State is #141 and Grand Canyon is #130. We will see if other WAC schools will join the rankings as we get closer to basketball season.

Based on the projection that GCU will make the NCAA and win the WAC in the preview, I would assume that there will be no other WAC teams previewed.

Edited - Then it shows that the WAC has slipped since the WAC champ is usually in the top 100...

WAC Prior Projections in Top144

2011
1. Utah State #55
2. Louisiana Tech #77
3. New Mexico State #112

2012
1. Utah State State #91
2. New Mexico State #128

2013
1. New Mexico State #121

2014
1. New Mexico State #60

2015
1. New Mexico State #88

2016
1. New Mexico State #92

2017
1. Grand Canyon #104
2. New Mexico State #116
3. Utah Valley #131

2018
1. New Mexico State #82
2. Grand Canyon #139

2019
1. New Mexico State #78
2. Grand Canyon #141

2020
1. New Mexico State #93

2021
1. Grand Canyon #130
2. Sam Houston State # 141

(07-05-2021 04:05 PM)NMSUPistolPete Wrote:  Well, if another WAC school pops up on the countdown, there is an example of what the media thinks about this expansion; a two bid league. And, if not, it also shows that the WAC has slipped since the WAC champ is usually in the top 100.

I believe the transfer portal is impacting rankings whether it’s this or others more than we realize. These preseason polls and rankings are all fun until it’s time to tip it off. I’ve said before the goal needs to be for the WAC to move as many programs into the top 200 NET as possible. Do that and the league will be top 15. Step one.

What I am also hoping for is the last placed WAC team no lower than 200. That would be a way. We are a few seasons away from that, but it is possible.

(07-05-2021 04:40 PM)RobtheAggie Wrote:  What I am also hoping for is the last placed WAC team no lower than 200. That would be a way. We are a few seasons away from that, but it is possible.

Well, that won't happen until after this upcoming season... since Chicago State still has one more season in the WAC. I think the Top 250 is attainable after this season. But Top 200 is a stretch considering this projection only has two WAC teams in the top 144. That would mean the other 11 teams would need to be between 145-200; one WAC school out of every five schools ranked.

I happen to think this projection under estimates NMSU and SFA. Both returned the nucleus of their starting line ups and added new players who can fill voids/deficiencies on last season's roster.

(07-05-2021 05:00 PM)NMSUPistolPete Wrote:  

(07-05-2021 04:40 PM)RobtheAggie Wrote:  What I am also hoping for is the last placed WAC team no lower than 200. That would be a way. We are a few seasons away from that, but it is possible.

Well, that won't happen until after this upcoming season... since Chicago State still has one more season in the WAC. I think the Top 250 is attainable after this season. But Top 200 is a stretch considering this projection only has two WAC teams in the top 144. That would mean the other 11 teams would need to be between 145-200; one WAC school out of every five schools ranked.

I happen to think this projection under estimates NMSU and SFA. Both returned the nucleus of their starting line ups and added new players who can fill voids/deficiencies on last season's roster.

I wasn't aware that SamSt was a top144 team for the upcoming season. I though there was a shot at GCU SFA NMSU being in the 120-144 range.

(07-05-2021 04:40 PM)RobtheAggie Wrote:  What I am also hoping for is the last placed WAC team no lower than 200. That would be a way. We are a few seasons away from that, but it is possible.

200 or 300? Its going to be a while before we have everyone above 300.

Lots of conferences at the top still have teams below 200. The Big 12 did last year and they were the 3rd best conference. 5 of the top 10 conferences last season had teams 200+.

OK, so I was being a little optimistic, but the way to start getting multiple bids is overall improvement.
2020-2021 Final Net Rankings:
74 Abilene Christian
108 GCU
142 SFA
164 NMSU
169 SHSU
205 UVU
236 Seattle
238 CBU
253 Tarleton
282 UTRGV
302 Lamar
314 Dixie St
346 Chicago St.

Granted this is not a fair projection as the Southland had 8 schools over 300 last year and that would have lowered the other schools. Also, there were limited non-conference games as well, plus NMSU Covid issues all impacted these numbers. Chicago State only playing 9 games also hurt a lot.

So lets say this, I would love all below 300 this season, 250 in two years after that, etc. As the

Getting everyone better than 300 sans Chicago State is a great possibility and would be an excellent step forward in 21-22.

Based on last year, that means you are only looking at Lamar and Dixie State. With the league better overall to begin with, that shouldn’t be much of a stretch and part of the overall goal of getting as many under 200 as possible

There are currently 353 (Soon to be 358) division 1 programs in college basketball. For the WAC to stay out of the 300's, that would mean there needs to be 53 teams worse than our conference's worst team. Its feasible but the basement teams need to start winning more OOC games. The WAC, MWC, C-USA, MAC, WCC, Atlantic 10, Southland, OVC, America East, Big South, MEAC, Summit League, NEC, Horizon League, Big Sky, Big West, SWAC, and ASUN all had teams below 300 in the NET rankings last season.

I am sure they are working on it, but I would love to see two or three "Challenge" games each season. Have one with the MAC, ASun (already a relationship there) and the Horizon. That would help with OOC scheduling. What will happen as more WAC teams are 175 or better, it will be harder to get quality OOC games.

In a few years from now once the new WAC settles in, I would love to see the WAC vs MWC Challenge.

The WAC have (had) a "challenge' with the Summit League. NMSU had games with North Dakota State (2018-19)and Denver (2019-20) in prior seasons. It was disrupted last season due to COVID. I'm not sure if the two conference will resume scheduling their challenge once again now that vaccinations will hopefully make our sports life more normal.

I would love to see a WAC/MWC Challenge in the future but maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think the MWC would be interested. Wouldn’t hurt to try and put it together though. Or possibly a CUSA tied tournament or something.

(07-06-2021 12:24 PM)YesCubanB Wrote:  I would love to see a WAC/MWC Challenge in the future but maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think the MWC would be interested. Wouldn’t hurt to try and put it together though. Or possibly a CUSA tied tournament or something.

I don't see the MWC nor the CUSA want to play the WAC. First of all, unless the WAC has a better NET as a conference, neither the MWC nor CUSA gain nothing with wins and losses. Second, neither conference would want to further legitimize the WAC as an equal.

The WAC would do better to try to starting a challenge with the Horizon League, Sun Belt, or Missouri Valley.

Southern Utah comes in at #123 as the #2 Big Sky Team - and higher than any current WAC team

https://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/19592

Big Sky so far:

#2 SUU #123
#3 Montana #134

(07-13-2021 12:13 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  Southern Utah comes in at #123 as the #2 Big Sky Team - and higher than any current WAC team

https://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/19592

Big Sky so far:

#2 SUU #123
#3 Montana #134

Simon is a good coach and they are a quality team but I think last year we would have seen GCU ACU SFA NMSU finish similarly to them in the Sky am I right? This Top144 is down/low on the WAC b/c new members and unsure rosters.

(07-13-2021 12:30 PM)Lopes87 Wrote:  

(07-13-2021 12:13 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  Southern Utah comes in at #123 as the #2 Big Sky Team - and higher than any current WAC team

https://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/19592

Big Sky so far:

#2 SUU #123
#3 Montana #134

Simon is a good coach and they are a quality team but I think last year we would have seen GCU ACU SFA NMSU finish similarly to them in the Sky am I right? This Top144 is down/low on the WAC b/c new members and unsure rosters.

SUU looked really good last year, but without a lot of OOC games it's hard to compare. Like many schools, SUU filled out the OOC with non D1 schools - only D1 or soon to be games were wins over UVU and Dixie.

ACU and GCU were probably better teams last year than SUU

Net last year ranks it this way:

ACU - 74
GCU - 108
SUU - 122
SFA - 142
NMSU - 164

Which seems about right to me as far as relative rankings

(07-13-2021 01:06 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  

(07-13-2021 12:30 PM)Lopes87 Wrote:  

(07-13-2021 12:13 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  Southern Utah comes in at #123 as the #2 Big Sky Team - and higher than any current WAC team

https://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/19592

Big Sky so far:

#2 SUU #123
#3 Montana #134

Simon is a good coach and they are a quality team but I think last year we would have seen GCU ACU SFA NMSU finish similarly to them in the Sky am I right? This Top144 is down/low on the WAC b/c new members and unsure rosters.

SUU looked really good last year, but without a lot of OOC games it's hard to compare. Like many schools, SUU filled out the OOC with non D1 schools - only D1 or soon to be games were wins over UVU and Dixie.

ACU and GCU were probably better teams last year than SUU

Net last year ranks it this way:

ACU - 74
GCU - 108
SUU - 122
SFA - 142
NMSU - 164

Which seems about right to me as far as relative rankings

NMSU at 164 seems about right to you? Look at the third post in the thread from Pistol. 164 is a huge outlier when looking at the past 10 years for NMSU.