Average RPI of Nonconference Home Opponents for Big Ten in 2013-14: Gophers finish #5

The Gophers finished #5 among 14 Big Ten schools (including future members Maryland and Rutgers) in terms of average RPI of 2013-14 nonconference opponents. Ohio State topped the list on the strength of playing two automatic qualifiers in the RPI top 65 (NDSU & Delaware) and four opponents in the top RPI 100 (also Maryland & Ohio), while Iowa brought up the rear.

All non-DI opponents and RPI “non-counters” (Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word) were given a RPI of #350.

#1 OHIO STATE
#35 North Dakota State
#65 Delaware
#78 Maryland
#87 Ohio
#118 American
#135 Wyoming
#177 Bryant
#190 North Florida
#225 Morgan State
#244 Louisiana-Monroe
#293 Central Connecticut

Average RPI = 149.727
Power 6 or RPI Top 75 Opponents = 3 (Delaware, Maryland, North Dakota State)
NCAA At-Large Opponents = 0
NCAA Auto Bid Opponents = 3 (American, Delaware, North Dakota State)

#2 WISCONSIN
#1 Florida
#92 Marquette
#97 Eastern Kentucky
#131 Milwaukee
#191 Oral Roberts
#194 Bowling Green
#197 North Dakota
#304 Prairie View A&M

Average RPI = 150.875
Power 6 or RPI Top 75 Opponents = 2 (Florida, Marquette)
NCAA At-Large Opponents = 0
NCAA Auto Bid Opponents = 3 (Eastern Kentucky, Florida, Milwaukee)

#3 MARYLAND
#73 Tulsa
#84 Boston U
#99 NCCU
#100 Oregon State
#225 Morgan State
#270 FAU
#350 Abilene Christian

Average RPI = 171.571
Power 6 or RPI Top 75 Opponents = 2 (Oregon State, Tulsa)
NCAA At-Large Opponents = 0
NCAA Auto Bid Opponents = 2 (NCCU, Tulsa)

#4 MICHIGAN STATE
#25 North Carolina
#130 Columbia
#178 Portland
#189 Mount Saint Mary’s
#190 North Florida
#260 New Orleans
#272 McNeese State

Average RPI = 177.714
Power 6 or RPI Top 75 Opponents = 1 (North Carolina)
NCAA At-Large Opponents = 1 (North Carolina)
NCAA Auto Bid Opponents = 1 (Mount Saint Mary’s)

#5 MINNESOTA
#54 Florida State
#138 South Dakota State
#153 Wofford
#183 Montana
#196 Coastal Carolina
#219 Omaha
#236 Lehigh
#248 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
#260 New Orleans

Average RPI = 187.444
Power 6 or RPI Top 75 Opponents = 1 (Florida State)
NCAA At-Large Opponents = 0
NCAA Auto Bid Opponents = 2 (Coastal Carolina, Wofford)

#6 RUTGERS
#96 Canisius
#119 William & Mary
#122 Princeton
#128 Seton Hall
#132 Drexel
#147 Yale
#235 Army
#269 FDU
#295 Florida A&M
#301 NC-Greensboro
#350 Stillman College

Average RPI = 199.454
Power 6 or RPI Top 75 Opponents = 1 (Seton Hall)
NCAA At-Large Opponents = 0
NCAA Auto Bid Opponents = 0

#7 PENN STATE
#98 La Salle
#122 Princeton
#167 Bucknell
#189 Mount Saint Mary’s
#218 Wagner
#276 Marshall
#292 Monmouth
#337 Longwood

Average RPI = 212.375
Power 6 or RPI Top 75 Opponents = 0
NCAA At-Large Opponents = 0
NCAA Auto Bid Opponents = 1 (Mount Saint Mary’s)

#8 NORTHWESTERN
#66 Western Michigan
#134 Illinois State
#154 DePaul
#229 Brown
#241 Gardner-Webb
#291 Eastern Illinois
#322 IUPUI
#342 Mississippi Valley State

Average RPI = 222.375
Power 6 or RPI Top 75 Opponents = 2 (DePaul, Western Michigan)
NCAA At-Large Opponents = 0
NCAA Auto Bid Opponents = 1 (Western Michigan)

#9 MICHIGAN
#2 Arizona
#127 Holy Cross
#261 Coppin State
#283 UMass-Lowell
#331 South Carolina State
#341 Houston Baptist

Average RPI = 224.166
Power 6 or RPI Top 75 Opponents = 1 (Arizona)
NCAA At-Large Opponents = 1 (Arizona)
NCAA Auto Bid Opponents = 0

#10 NEBRASKA
#110 Miami-Florida
#146 Florida Gulf Coast
#180 Arkansas State
#217 Northern Illinois
#290 Western Illinois
#331 South Carolina State
#345 Citadel

Average RPI = 231.285
Power 6 or RPI Top 75 Opponents = 1 (Miami-Florida)
NCAA At-Large Opponents = 0
NCAA Auto Bid Opponents = 0

#11 ILLINOIS
#115 Fort Wayne
#184 Valparaiso
#254 Alabama State
#259 Chicago State
#265 Bradley
#266 Dartmouth
#317 Jacksonville State

Average RPI = 237.142
Power 6 or RPI Top 75 Opponents = 0
NCAA At-Large Opponents = 0
NCAA Auto Bid Opponents = 0

#12 PURDUE
#86 Eastern Michigan
#193 Siena
#198 Rider
#207 Boston College
#291 Eastern Illinois
#293 Central Connecticut
#310 Northern Kentucky
#347 UMES

Average RPI = 240.625
Power 6 or RPI Top 75 Opponents = 1 (Boston College)
NCAA At-Large Opponents = 0
NCAA Auto Bid Opponents = 0

#13 INDIANA
#165 Stony Brook
#181 Oakland
#190 North Florida
#214 Evansville
#259 Chicago State
#262 Nicholls State
#298 LIU
#313 Samford
#324 Kennesaw State

Average RPI = 245.111
Power 6 or RPI Top 75 Opponents = 0
NCAA At-Large Opponents = 0
NCAA Auto Bid Opponents = 0

#14 IOWA
#136 Notre Dame
#219 Omaha
#264 UAPB
#269 FDU
#281 NC-Wilmington
#284 Penn
#347 UMES
#350 Abilene Christian

Average RPI = 268.75
Power 6 or RPI Top 75 Opponents = 1 (Notre Dame)
NCAA At-Large Opponents = 0
NCAA Auto Bid Opponents = 0

This thing isn't letting me edit. First sentence should say. ... "average RPI of 2013-14 nonconference HOME opponents."

So basically looking at this... There are no good home opponents for any big ten teams. I guess I just don't see a lot of difference in any big ten teams. So maybe we can stop complaining about our schedule now I hope.

OSU's home nonconference schedule rates #1 by this method, but I can't help but think it wasn't very helpful in the end. They have a nice combined RPI but where are the quality wins? None of the teams they played in nonconference games were at-large NCAA tourney selections. My personal opinion is you have to get wins over teams that get at-large bids (or at least are clear at-large quality, which I think is basically an 11-seed or better) to help your seeding. So while they rate #1 on this list, I'd rather have Wisconsin's resume since they have a much better win on it. Also, it is surprising to see how poor the marquee home wins were for B1G teams that season. I counted what, 1 win over an NCAA tourney team seeded higher than a 12 seed? And it's not like there were a lot of missed opportunities, they went 1 for 3 as a conference against such teams. The whole conference had a total of 3 nonconference home games against NCAA tourney teams seeded above a #12 by my count.

Fair points by one and all. I posted this only as a point of comparison, not to prove or disprove my point about the Gophers' home scheduling.

SelectionSunday said:

Fair points by one and all. I posted this only as a point of comparison, not to prove or disprove my point about the Gophers' home scheduling.

Click to expand...

Not to mention the desire for a quality home opponent wasn't rooted in complaining about how hard/easy the schedule is. I just want to have a game to see during the doldrums of the NONCON schedule.

Winasota Gopher said:

Not to mention the desire for a quality home opponent wasn't rooted in complaining about how hard/easy the schedule is. I just want to have a game to see during the doldrums of the NONCON schedule.

Click to expand...

Yep, no complaints here about the Gophers' overall nonconference schedule over the last couple seasons.