Photo: Alex D'Addese / Ryerson Rams
As discussed in my previous article on the release of the 2016-17 OUA Women's basketball schedule, the way in which the RPI Rankings are calculated has changed for the upcoming season.
This year the rankings will be based on regular season results against all conference teams. Previously, it had been calculated based on the records against teams that were in a playoff position, or the top three teams in each division. This makes losses to non-playoff teams as detrimental as losses to playoff teams.
To see how this may affect the upcoming season, let's compare how the new format would have affected last season's women's basketball postseason.
This year the rankings will be based on regular season results against all conference teams. Previously, it had been calculated based on the records against teams that were in a playoff position, or the top three teams in each division. This makes losses to non-playoff teams as detrimental as losses to playoff teams.
To see how this may affect the upcoming season, let's compare how the new format would have affected last season's women's basketball postseason.
Table 1: 2015-16 RPI Rankings based on old format
In Table 1 above, the top three teams in every division are ranked with the old RPI format, which only took into consideration the win percentages and strength of schedules (OWP% and OOWP%) of the playoff-bound teams. This in turn excluded the games played against the remaining five teams in the league. What this allowed is for teams in a playoff position who lost to teams who were not in a playoff position, to essentially not have those loses count against their RPI, making those games nearly irrelevant.
Table 2: 2015-16 RPI Rankings based on new format
In Table 2 above, every team in the league is ranked, due to the new format. Let's now take a look at the changes between the tables.
As far as teams qualifying for the playoffs are concerned, there is only one change, highlighted by the asterisks. Lakehead would have made the playoffs under this format, leaving Laurentian on the outside looking in. The major reason for this change is the fact that no longer do only the top three teams from each division qualify for the playoffs, the top 12 teams qualify, regardless of their position in their division. In this scenario Lakehead who compete in the strong Central division, benefits a great deal.
The major difference between the two tables, is the seeding of the teams. In the new format, Windsor slides into the top four, granting them a first-round bye, while Carleton drops to the sixth seed. The new rankings would change the first round matches from:
While there is no telling what the changes in those three matches would have meant for the quarter-finals and beyond, it is still noteworthy how much of an impact the new RPI format will have.
The updated RPI format makes every match of the season important for every team. Any loss, whether to a playoff-bound team or not, will have an effect on a team's RPI. It will further reinforce the ideology that every game is important, regardless of who your opponent is.
It will be interesting to see how the changes affect next year's OUA playoffs.
As far as teams qualifying for the playoffs are concerned, there is only one change, highlighted by the asterisks. Lakehead would have made the playoffs under this format, leaving Laurentian on the outside looking in. The major reason for this change is the fact that no longer do only the top three teams from each division qualify for the playoffs, the top 12 teams qualify, regardless of their position in their division. In this scenario Lakehead who compete in the strong Central division, benefits a great deal.
The major difference between the two tables, is the seeding of the teams. In the new format, Windsor slides into the top four, granting them a first-round bye, while Carleton drops to the sixth seed. The new rankings would change the first round matches from:
- (5) Queen's — (12) Laurentian
- (6) Windsor — (11) Laurier
- (7) Western — (10) Toronto
- (8) Guelph — (9) Brock
- (5) Queen's — (12) Lakehead
- (6) Carleton — (11) Toronto
- (7) Western — (10) Laurier
- (8) Guelph — (9) Brock
While there is no telling what the changes in those three matches would have meant for the quarter-finals and beyond, it is still noteworthy how much of an impact the new RPI format will have.
The updated RPI format makes every match of the season important for every team. Any loss, whether to a playoff-bound team or not, will have an effect on a team's RPI. It will further reinforce the ideology that every game is important, regardless of who your opponent is.
It will be interesting to see how the changes affect next year's OUA playoffs.
Stay tuned to www.adamjenkins.ca and @adamkjenkins on Twitter for all the latest news and information on OUA women's basketball, including updated RPI rankings throughout the season.
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