Providence’s Kim English blasts ‘bulls—‘ March Madness analytics.
For the third straight season, the Providence Friars won at least 20 games, matching their win total from the previous year (21). This time, however, the Friars will not dance.
Providence was dropped out of the 68-team field on Sunday, despite having a 21-13 record this season. The Friars ended 58th in the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, despite having six wins over Quad 1 teams and three wins against Quad 2 teams.
“I think the analytics are bulls—. I think you can schedule bad teams in your non-league and beat the snot out of them – beat them by 50 and 60. And I think coaching for so long, it’s been a gentleman’s agreement,” Friars head coach Kim English told reporters. “And you have a large lead at the end of a game, for health reasons you take guys out, to give other guys opportunities to play, you take guys out.
“But right now, there might be a change in college basketball. Scheduling to beat teams by 40 or 50 might be a thing to do. But when you get into this league, the analytics aren’t gonna look very good in league (play). Playing against some really, really good coaches.
The NCAA uses NET to determine a team’s tournament resume.
“The remaining factors include the Team Value Index (TVI), which is a result-based feature that rewards teams for beating quality opponents, particularly away from home, as well as an adjusted net efficiency rating,” the NCAA states on its website.
“The adjusted efficiency is a team’s net efficiency adjusted for opponent strength and location (home/away/neutral) over all games played.
For example, a given efficiency value (net points per 100 possessions) against better opponents is higher than the same efficiency versus weaker opponents, and a specific efficiency on the road is higher than the same efficiency at home.”
Quad 1 wins have a big effect on determining whether a team gets into the tournament. Quad wins are based on the team’s NET ranking at the time. The better the team that is defeated, the more meaningful the win is in the system.
“We played at Connecticut and I think they shoot 40% from the field,” English continued. “We’re a good defense. They won the game. You should be credited for winning the game.
“I do think there are some flaws in the system.”
Much like St. John’s, Providence fell victim to some of the upsets across the college basketball landscape that helped land automatic berths for Cinderella teams. N.C. State surprisingly won the ACC with New Mexico taking home the Mountain West and Temple winning the American Athletic Conference. Florida Atlantic got a berth into the tournament and many were not going to be happy.
“It was a disappointing night, but again, it’s what you earn,” English added, via The Providence Journal. “If you don’t take care of the games you’re supposed to take care of — Kansas State, at St. John’s, at Butler — if you don’t take care of those games, you put yourself in position to put your fate in someone else’s hands. It’s not where you want to be. It’s not where we are going to be as a program.”
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