After an historic four-game winning streak against four ranked opponents and two critical wins during the month of February and early March at the end of the regular season, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (18-12; 12-8) find themselves as a 4-seed heading into the Big Ten Tournament. But, will this be enough for the Scarlet Knights to receive another at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament? Many bracketologists and analysts across college basketball believe it is enough for Rutgers to make the NCAA Tournament.
Currently, the Scarlet Knights are ranked #76 in the NET Rankings, #73 in the KenPom ratings, and #59 in the Sagarin Ratings. Despite Rutgers being #76 in the NET, analysts and fans across the country believe Rutgers has broken the system. The NET is a tool the NCAA Tournament Committee uses to evaluate teams worthy of a shot at an at-large bid into the tournament. Rutgers is currently 6-5 against Q1 opponents; 3-4 against Q2 opponents; 4-2 against Q3 opponents; and 5-1 against Q4 opponents. Rutgers has a solid record against Q1 opponents and they have more Q1 wins than many other teams projected to make the tournament, including Houston who is #5 in the NET with only one Q1 win.
Brad Wachtel, of Facts and Bracks, stated on Twitter: "As of today, Rutgers (76 NET) is still considered a Q3 "bad loss" for Wisconsin and Indiana. I think the NET needs some offseason tweaking." Analysts and fans across the country share the same frustration, and believe the NET needs to be fixed. Despite a bad Q4 loss to Lafayette, Rutgers has beaten some of the best teams in the country this season, and it's almost as if the Q4 loss is weighing them down. A loss to Rutgers for Wisconsin and Indiana should not show up a stain on their resumes because the Scarlet Knights are actually a very good team, finishing fourth in the Big Ten regular season standings.
Rutgers is a solid team, with a few bruises on its resume, but they have turned it around and are now on the cusp of receiving a possible at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Rutgers awaits the winner of 5-seed Iowa vs 12-seed Northwestern/13-seed Nebraska on Friday, March 11th (2 PM, BTN). If Rutgers were to face Iowa (Q1) on Friday, a loss would not hurt their standing; however, if Rutgers faces either Northwestern (Q2) or Nebraska (Q3) and lose, a loss could be potentially damaging to their NCAA Tournament chances.
According to Bracket Matrix as of 7 March, Rutgers is currently projected to make the Field of 68 in at least 103 brackets out of 132.
Popular bracketologists like Joe Lunardi of ESPN (rated 55 on Bracket Matrix) have Rutgers in the field as a 10-seed. Jerry Palm of CBS Sports (rated 100 on Bracket Matrix) has Rutgers in as a 12-seed and playing in Dayton as one of the "Last Four In". Mike Decourcy of Fox Sports (rated 20 on Bracket Matrix) has Rutgers in as an 11-seed. Brad Wachtel of Facts and Bracks (rated 15 on Bracket Matrix) has Rutgers in the field as a 12-seed playing in the "Last Four In". Many other bracketologists on Bracket Matrix have either projected Rutgers as a 12-seed or 11-seed (mean average of a 12-seed).
For more bracketology projections please visit BracketMatrix.com by clicking here.
No comments:
Post a Comment