April 7, 2009

MRI 2008 - Tournament Final

North Carolina dominated the NCAA tournament, something that the MRI thought might happen...except for that conference tournament week.

You see, the Tar Heels stumbled during the ACC tournament, allowing Memphis to squeak by them during the final week of the season. That led the MRI to pick the Tigers as the tournament champions.

But things changed quickly. As soon as North Carolina starting stomping opponents, the Tar Heels were slipping back into the lead.

By the time the Sweet Sixteen rolled around, North Carolina was sniffing the No. 1 spot, and Missouri assisted the matter by taking out Memphis in dramatic fashion.

The Tar Heels rolled through the rest of the tournament, extending the lead and trouncing the rest of the field, something that the MRI had thought might happen... well, last year. But this year, they did it right.

Included in the rankings this time around are the winners of the other three tournaments: Penn State, Old Dominion and Oregon State.

Yes, Oregon State, who ended with a losing record against Division I teams took home a tournament title. If I thought that the Penn State NIT title was unlikely, I can't even begin to explain how the Beavers pulled this one off.

Oregon State finished as the No. 192 team in the country, and that is after the tournament win.

Talk about unlikely. But then again, it was the CBI, a tournament that it seemed had trouble filling its field because of the monetary requirement it attached to a home game (Apparently Oregon State didn't have a problem paying.)

But that is a matter for another day. Until then, check out the tournament final rankings of the MRI.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 11:26 AM | Comments (0)

March 16, 2009

MRI 2008 - Regular Season Final

Woah, look out America.

Memphis has returned to the top of the MRI rankings just in time for the NCAA tournament. Talk about timing!

If you wanted to look for consistency, you wouldn't have to look much further than the Tigers. Although they were not among the best teams in the country for most of the year, they made the charge and benefited from the tumbles of others.

25 wins in a row? Yeah, that's the ticket.

North Carolina's ACC tournament loss cost them the regular season title in the MRI. One more game in the win column, one more game, one more potential big victory all went away with the loss to Florida State.

Pittsburgh tripped up its own chances in the same way, with even greater consequences as there were many more games left in the Big East battle when they bowed out.

And Duke did everything they could but had too much ground to make up.

So congrats to Memphis on winning the regular season crown. Now, can they do it in the post-season where they stumbled over the past few years despite great MRI numbers?

That remains to be seen.

Coming tomorrow, a full tournament projection from the computer. The MRI was shocked at the number of teams ranked 26-45 that did not make the NCAA field. We are talking 10 teams!

That means there is a lot of questionable quality competing come Thursday and Friday. We will let you know who is ripe for an upset tomorrow.

Until then, check out the final regular season rankings of the MRI:

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 3:58 PM | Comments (0)

March 2, 2009

MRI 2008 - Rankings Week 13

With just two weeks to go before the tournament, it appears thing have gotten quite interesting in the MRI.

Pittsburgh stumbled against Providence to knock it back down from challenging North Carolina, who became the first team this season to break the 200-point mark. Pittsburgh is now back within striking distance of other challengers Memphis, Duke and Connecticut, making the run to the Final Four very dependent on how the final bracket pairings turn out.

After those five and potentially Kansas, the rest of the league drops off quickly. So at this point, do we have a six-team race for the title?

I think so. While we can see teams like Oklahoma, Michigan State and dark horse West Virginia going to the Elite Eight, I think the Final Four will only come from the top six teams in the MRI.

Of course, in two weeks, things could be a lot different, but right now, I can't see it any other way.

You might say that Oklahoma with Blake Griffin back is a real challenge. But without Griffin, Oklahoma has looked pedestrian and against the better teams, easily beatable. Shut down Griffin, win the game -- it seems a simple formula.

And past them, I can't see another team that can really challenge. Maybe Marquette before the loss of Dominic James. Maybe Louisville if they didn't have the tendency to implode. Maybe someone from the Pac-10 if I didn't doubt that the strength of the league beyond the first three.

Basically, there is no one.

And even the contenders have their issues so the race is anywhere but finished. But this is a big change from just a few weeks ago when any of the top ten could have made a run for the title.

If you go straight by the MRI, the cut-off for an at-large bid (at least a more likely chance at one) would have been at No. 50.

The computer predicted 69.00 percent of the games this week putting it at 70.56 percent of the games on the season. All-time the computer is 71.51 percent correct.

Check out all the rankings in week 13 of the MRI:

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 2:09 PM | Comments (0)

February 23, 2009

MRI 2008 - Rankings Week 12

North Carolina is getting a reprieve this week. The team may have lost a tough one against Maryland, but they also benefitted from the fact that all of their main competitors lost except one.

Pittsburgh narrowed the gap to less than a single MRI point this week. That means any more bobbles and the Panthers will return to the top spot.

Pitt has been under the radar as everyone has talked about Connecticut and the Tar Heels, but maybe the time for that is over. The Panthers have what it takes to make the long run this year and a lot of that credit has to go to Jamie Dixon who has continued with Ben Howland started (and has kept doing at UCLA) and made it even better.

I am previously on record for saying that the new, bigger Big East is too tough to actually generate a Final Four candidate that has enough gas to win it.

I might be eating my shoe this season. I can honestly see Pittsburgh making the deep run and winning the whole thing. As we saw this weekend, North Carolina has trouble with defense. Duke has trouble with defense. And Connecticut, despite one of the most confounding foul calls contributing, still couldn't stop Pitt.

This is the team we have been waiting for out of the Western half of Pennsylvania for quite a while.

They just didn't quite make it over the hump in the MRI this week.

One more note. In my radio show on Sunday I talked about how I could not believe that the Big Ten had eight teams in the bracket in Joe Lunardi's latest tournament projection. Things are getting back to normal. They are down to seven today, which is still more than I can fathom, but as I have been reminded, the bubble is quite soft this season.

Maybe the MRI is crazy, but it can't see more than five even with the soft bubble, but I think there is a lot of fluidity near the cut-off and this could come down to the Saturday before Selection Sunday before we see all the disputes settled.

A tough week for the MRI. The computer predicted 65.64 percent of the games correctly this week. For the season, the computer has predicted 70.70 percent of the games correctly.

Continue reading "MRI 2008 - Rankings Week 12"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 3:27 PM | Comments (0)

February 16, 2009

MRI 2008 - Rankings Week 11

With Duke reeling, how could they possibly still be in the top four spots in the MRI? That would mean a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament as seeded by the computer rankings.

The Blue Devils have lost three of four and needed a monumental comeback and overtime to defeat Miami.

But while it seems that Duke should be shooting the way of North Carolina Central, they have had some help to stay near the top.

First there is Connecticut who seems to have the uncanny ability not to lose. But the loss of Jerome Dyson has held back the Huskies. Instead of having crushing wins to add to their resume, they end up squeaking by a team like Seton Hall.

Eight points doesn't really scream danger, but Seton Hall isn't really the type of team that should be able to hang even that close with the Big East leader.

(On a side note, what is going on with the massive blowout victories in the Big East lately? How can one conference have so many close teams separated by more than 20 points when they actually play?)

And then there is Oklahoma. The Sooners may be making waves in the Big XII, but it is the Big XII.

After Kansas and Missouri, who do you really count as a great team?

Texas? Hardly. The Longhorns have found too many ways to lose games they should win (But they still moved back into the MRI top 25, which just shows how close all the bubble teams are.)

And then who do you even nominate?

But the Blue Devils' luck might be running out. Connecticut gets Pittsburgh (a very important game for both teams as if Pitt wins, they continue to challenge UNC for the top MRI spot), and South Florida this week. That is prime fodder for a huge bump in the numbers.

But until those games are played, Duke can still say they belong in the top spots, at least according to the computer.

And that computer had a good week, predicting 72.54 percent of the games this week. For the year, the computer has gotten 71.23 percent of the games correct and 71.63 percent of the games all time.

Check out all the ratings in week 11 of the MRI:

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 12:52 PM | Comments (0)

February 9, 2009

MRI 2008 - Rankings Week 10

Say good bye Duke. Your run at the top has ended.

Almost appropriately, the team that was able to knock them down was Clemson. There is no team that has taken its lumps more in the MRI rankings than the Tigers, so I guess there is some "payback" factor involved here.

The Blue Devils didn't drop far. They only slipped to No. 2 thanks to their performance before everything fell apart against Clemson. Heck, they almost lost twice this week, and I don't believe that people would have been as forgiving to the Devils had they lost to Miami (Great comeback there. Coach K apparently has some way to inspire his team).

Taking over the top spot is North Carolina which sets up a great game on Wednesday between the top two teams.

The question really remains as to whether anyone can catch the set of teams at the top. It may take until the conference tournaments before it happens, or a really bad fall. I just am not sure that anyone can take over from these three.

That evens includes Connecticut, who seems to be playing better than anyone (although a close game with Michigan of all teams doesn't inspire anyone to greatness).

The MRI was correct 66.46 percent of the time this week, making it 71.07 percent correct on the season. All-time the computer has correctly predicted 71.62 percent of the games.

Check out all the rankings in week 10 of the MRI:

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 1:20 PM | Comments (0)

February 2, 2009

MRI 2008 - Rankings Week 9

Apparently no one wants to be No. 1 this season. Duke climbs to the top of the polls, only to fall to Wake Forest, the team they replaced.

Pittsburgh has a chance to take back the top spot, but they trip up against Villanova.

This isn't necessarily something for these teams to worry about. They are still among the best 10 teams in the country. But they are coming back to the pack.

Just look at the latest MRI numbers.

Duke, North Carolina and Pittsburgh were the top three teams last week, with room to spare should any slip-ups occur.

But a 27-point gap has now almost half of what it once was. Connecticut, Memphis and the rest of the country are moving in on the three leaders.

But despite the closing field, there is still room for major upsets.

Until this week, the largest upset ever featured Clemson, at the time the No. 1 team in the MRI a few years ago. The Tigers lost a home game to Elon, effectively starting the destruction of Clemson's season that year.

The downward spiral that the Tigers experienced after that has been come to be known as the Clemson effect here at MRI Sports.

Yet that isn't the upset that occurred this year. This 1-in-100 shot victory came from teams far down the MRI's rankings.

Alcorn State, currently No. 342 -- next to last -- in the MRI, scored a major upset by beating No. 211 Alabama State 79-74 on the road. The chance of the victory according to the data compiled by MRI was only 1 percent given the futility of Alcorn State this season.

So now Clemson can share the biggest upset title with Alabama State, two teams that couldn't be more different in terms of make up and skill.

But they have one thing in common -- the ability to trip up in a game that should be absolutely no problem.

The MRI correctly predicted 73.40 percent of the games this week, despite the major upset. For the season, the MRI has predicted 71.65 percent of the games.

All-time, the computer has been 71.69 percent correct.

Check out all the rankings in week 9 of the MRI (through games of 2/1/09):

Continue reading "MRI 2008 - Rankings Week 9"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 1:54 PM | Comments (0)

January 27, 2009

MRI 2008 - Rankings Week 8

I have been a fan of Jim Boeheim and the Syracuse Orange(men) for a while. He wins the right way. He slaves away in Syracuse, N.Y., which has to affect how he can recruit.

Because honestly, if you were a high school basketball player, wouldn't you rather be playing in the ACC, where most of the time, the weather stays above freezing during your season?

Which is why it makes it that much more difficult to say what I am going to say.

Perhaps it is time that Boeheim retires.

I know, it seems a little premature. After all, Syracuse is 16-4 this season against Division I opponents. Many teams would love to have a record that great at this point in the year. They are 5-3 in the Big East and in the thick of a very close race. And they are likely headed to another NCAA tournament berth.

But the new larger Big East seems to be taking its toll on the Orange coach.

Since the league expanded, his teams have struggled to stay in the upper echelons of the standings. The league has gotten tougher, becoming the powerhouse that it was supposed to be with expansion.

But that has come with a cost: The decline of two of its most storied programs, Syracuse and Georgetown.

I still think Boeheim can do the job. He still recruits well. He still coaches with all the energy he always has.

But unlike some of his good friends (read: Coach K), he seems to have lost the magic to get that tag team of recruits to win consistently, which leads me to wonder if the Big East has passed Boeheim by.

It would be a shame to see him go. He is after all one of the greatest.

But I look at his team this season and I wonder. I never felt they were one of the top ten teams in the nation. Yet, there they were, ranked No. 8 prior to losing two straight games.

Now they are falling back to more of a norm for the team.

The MRI believes that Syracuse is good, but a borderline top 25 team at best. Jeff Sagarin's ratings agree.

So why do the eyes of the writers seem to be deceiving them?

Perhaps it is the man at the end of the bench, that none of us can seem to turn our backs on. Perhaps he is personally buoying the team to the top.

I hope for his sake that he can turn things around. He is too good of a coach to start looking like a choke artist every Big East season.

But for now, I can watch and wonder if maybe it would be better if he left before things turn ugly.

The MRI correctly predicted 66.46 percent of the games this week. For the season, the computer has predicted 71.40 percent of the games correctly, and all-time it has been correct 71.67 percent of the time.

Check out all the rankings in week eight of the MRI (games through 1/25/09):

Continue reading "MRI 2008 - Rankings Week 8"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 1:12 PM | Comments (0)

January 21, 2009

MRI 2008 - Rankings Week 7

Has North Carolina turned it around?

It certainly appears that way, and it is a main reason why the Tar Heels are back leading the MRI rankings this week.

It also helps that Pittsburgh was eliminated from the undefeated list by a loss to Louisville. That knocked the Panthers down to No. 3 in the rankings.

So while Pittsburgh went temporarily cold, North Carolina turned bright hot. They shook off two conference-opening losses and soundly beat up on Virginia and Miami.

Give a lot of credit to Tyler Hansbrough who contributed 28 and 24 in the two wins.

Despite the wins, North Carolina is two games back in the ACC. They are trailing the MRI's No. 2 team, Duke, who continues to defy the odds and win despite no legitimate big man.

We will see if facing off against Maryland will change that this coming weekend.

Rounding out the top five are Connecticut and Memphis, but they are closer to the the rest of the pack than they are to the computer's leaders.

The MRI had a tough week, falling victim to a number of upsets. It finished 68.01 percent correct. All-time, the computer has correctly predicted 71.75 percent of the games.

Check out all the rankings in week seven of the MRI (ratings through 1/18/09):

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 6:30 PM | Comments (0)

January 12, 2009

MRI 2008 - Rankings Week 6

Just when it looked like we might be turning a corner and having the North Carolina Tar Heels return to the top spot in the rankings, along comes Wake Forest.

The Demon Deacons took out the team that was leading the rankings this week, dropping Carolina back to the No. 2 spot.

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh continues to lead the pack after remaining unscathed in Big East play.

After that, the pack remains jumbled with most of the top 40 teams closely matched.

How else can you explain some of the losses taking place this week?

How does Arkansas knock off both Oklahoma and Texas and yet lose to Mississippi State? There is no reason. These things do happen once conference season begins.

And that is just what Pittsburgh might face over the next seven days. Skipping past a game against South Florida, the Panthers face MRI-ranked Louisville and Syracuse. Not exactly cream-puff city any longer.

All of which means we could be looking at a new leader come next week. Could it be Duke who has continued to survive at the top despite no true central presence?

Or can North Carolina rebound from an 0-2 start in the ACC?

Or is it once of the other teams who are lurking a bit in back of the three leaders?

The MRI correctly predicted 72.95 percent of the games this week. All-time the computer has correctly determined 71.81 percent of all games.

Check out all the ratings in week six of the MRI:

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 1:55 PM | Comments (0)

January 5, 2009

MRI 2008 - Rankings Week 5

Two weeks pass and you would think nothing ever changes around the MRI. Pittsburgh still leads the pack. The ACC still maintains its jumble at the top. And Indiana still continues to struggle.

Yes, the more time passes, the more we see the field of contenders really take shape. Just look at how UCLA has vaulted itself into the tops of the rankings with its 8-game winning streak.

Not that it has been that easy for all of them.

Take Georgetown, who beat Connecticut on the road, only to return home and lose to Pittsburgh, the continuing No. 1 team in the MRI.

It seems you just can't catch any breaks if you are the Hoyas.

Or how about Syracuse who is on a 5-game win streak since dropping its game against Cleveland State at the buzzer, but they still can't crack back into the top 25.

And if you look at the MRI scores, we have quite a bunching from No. 7 through No. 28. This could be a very interesting tournament if things continue to go the way they have been. Teams will be so similar in stature and quality, we may see quite a number of upsets in March, just because seeding all of these doppelgangers will be so difficult.

Now that the new year has started, it is time for the teams to prove themselves in conference. I will have my eyes on the ACC, which has come out of the gate hard (and already seen one upset with UNC losing to Boston College last night), and on the Big East where the teams will continue to just beat each other up.

Yes, it should be an interesting two months.

The MRI correctly predicted 73.64 percent of the games over the past two weeks, making it 73.21 percent correct on the season. All time the MRI has correctly predicted 71.79 percent of the games.

Check out all the ratings in week 5 of the MRI.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 11:50 AM | Comments (0)

December 22, 2008

MRI 2008 - Rankings Week 4

Pittsburgh survived another week at the top of the heap, and it came with a real test.

Florida State was a victim of the current top achievers in the MRI and it could stand as a good indication that Pittsburgh could be standing tall in the rankings through a good portion of the Big East season.

FSU brings the height and the strength of a true major conference foe, something that had been lacking in Pittsburgh's schedule up to this point. Winning this tough extra-conference game at this point in the season should flow nicely for Pitt as they enter conference season next week.

Conference season comes with a price though. Pitt may wear down as the season rolls on. There is a reason that no team from the Big East has made the final game in the NCAA tournament since the league became the monster 16-team division.

The league is too tough. Playing 18 league games in that kind of atmosphere is too hard on the players by the end of the season.

The Big East may have lost Miami, BC and Virginia Tech, but it added some of the toughest basketball programs in the nation. Marquette and Louisville were certainly no pushovers when they came into the fold. DePaul might not be the rare vintage that the school once was, but they still bring in some tough ball players that don't exist at the other three schools. And Cincinnati has a tradition of hard-nosed ball that had them at the top of Conference USA for years (built on the backs of JC transfers brought in by Bob Huggins).

The Big East is its own worst enemy, especially in its bloated format.

So despite a big win from Connecticut over Gonzaga, and the performances of Pitt and West Virginia to date, along with the other 8 or so Big East heavies, don't expect to see me pick a Big East team as a winner in the tournament.

They just won't have the chops left when crunch time comes.

The MRI correctly predicted 76.86 percent of the games this week. The computer has correctly predicted 71.74 percent of the games since its inception.

Check out all the rankings in week four of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI 2008 - Rankings Week 4"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 3:23 PM | Comments (0)

December 15, 2008

MRI 2008 - Rankings Week 3

Just when you thought no one could overtake North Carolina, well, here comes Pittsburgh.

The Panthers are off to another undefeated start, and while it won't last come Big East play, is has been very impressive.

Take their dominance on the boards. Pitt is out-rebounding their opponents by an average of 10.2 per game. If you can guarantee second shots like that, and keep your opponents from the same, you can see why no one has yet beat them.

Now, Pittsburgh could be on the edge of a big fall. None of their wins have been true road games. Their best two wins have been neutral site wins against Texas Tech and Washington State.

And the Big East is a huge challenge this season. Just count the teams in the top 25 of the MRI. Outside of Pitt, you have UConn, Louisville, West Virginia, Villanova, Georgetown, Marquette and Syracuse.

Eight teams. Almost one-third of the posted rankings. (The ACC is still at the top. It doesn't have the poor bottom that the Big East does, and it takes three of the top four spots.)

So, while UNC might not be the top team this week, it could change after the holidays are over and the real fun starts in January.

Until then, at least Pitt can claim one week where they were better than the Tar Heels.

The MRI correctly predicted 73.40 percent of the games this week. All-time, the MRI has predicted 71.68 percent of the games.

Check out all the rankings in week three of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI 2008 - Rankings Week 3"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 5:09 PM | Comments (0)

December 8, 2008

MRI 2008 - Rankings Week 2

Just in case you couldn't guess, North Carolina is again No. 1 this week.

It wasn't at all surprising with the way they took it to Michigan State in the ACC - Big Ten Challenge.

So, let's talk about the more shocking news.

Northwestern is No. 8 in the MRI.

Northwestern.

N-O-R-T-H-W-E-S-T-E-R-N

The team that has never, ever, made the NCAA tournament.

They are not only No. 8, but they are the topped ranked Big Ten team in the MRI going into the conference season.

Who would have called that as even a possibility prior to this season?

I didn't.

Bob McClellan at Rivals.com didn't think so either earlier this year, although he though they were getting closer.

I am not saying that Northwestern will win the Big Ten, but this is an encouraging sign going into the conference season. Granted the schedule has not been the toughest so far, but a win against Florida State is very encouraging.

Michigan State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois,...

If Northwestern can eek out a 5th place finish in the Big Ten, who is to say that won't be enough for the Wildcats to break the drought? Ohio State and Michigan might have something to say about that 5th place finish, but so far, I think Northwestern has shown they are going to be more than a doormat this season.

It is still a long way to go to Selection Sunday, but the first month is certainly very encouraging.

The MRI correctly predicted 68.46 percent of the games in its first week. All-time, the system is has predicted 71.66 percent of the games.

Check out all the rankings in week 2 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI 2008 - Rankings Week 2"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 3:12 PM | Comments (0)

December 1, 2008

MRI 2008 - Rankings Week 1

Welcome back college basketball.

You have been missed.

It is the annual release of the first college basketball rankings from the MRI. It is usually a mess, and about half of the teams in the top 25 now will be missing come February.

It is also great fuel for the fiery discussions that will inevitably occur: How Louisville could be so far down this early, if Dayton is really a top 10 team, when will Clemson blow it all this season, and will this finally be the year for Northwestern?

Yes, the MRI -- nothing better than a fresh set of rankings.

This year's opening set has a little issue: Last year's rankings were never complete.

I know, shame on your resident statistician.

But the keeper of the MRI was away reporting from the snowy streets of Humboldt Park in Chicago last winter and that did not make for happy times in MRI land.

So, while last season was a little truncated, don't expect this one to be.

Although we might just want to give up now.

North Carolina has shown in a few short weeks that they will not be going away easy this season.

Think about it. Tyler Hansbrough has only played in half of the games. That means Mr. All-everything has only been able to contribute to 50 percent of the beatings which have occurred so far, and the Tar Heels are already leading the pack.

At this point, teams rated lower than about 20 should just think about packing up and going home if this keeps up. We could be on our way to an undefeated season and a new MRI record.

And if not, I can't wait to see the upset that shakes the world of basketball at its very foundations.

Until then, enjoy week one of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI 2008 - Rankings Week 1"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 2:43 PM | Comments (0)

February 18, 2008

MRI 2007 - Week 12: Same names, different numbers

If you want changes, well, I am sorry to disappoint you. The top five teams are the same five teams as last week.

Only this week, they decided they didn't like where they were the week before and shake things up a bit.

North Carolina returns to the top spot thanks to a Kansas loss and a big win over Virginia Tech. The Tarheels cross the 200 point MRI threshold, which should have them gunning for a #1 seed in March.

Kansas falls to #2 thanks to its loss.

Staying in the #3 spot is Memphis. The Tigers briefly moved into the top spot earlier in the week amidst the shuffling, but a couple of close wins have them back in their old familiar location.

Moving back into the #4 hole is UCLA, thanks to a Duke loss, only its second of the season. The Dukies are #5 after quietly being the last team other than Memphis to lose its second game.

Check out all the rankings in Week 12 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI 2007 - Week 12: Same names, different numbers"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 3:29 PM | Comments (0)

February 11, 2008

MRI 2007 - Week 11: #1 continues to shuffle

For anyone that thinks being undefeated should get you to the #1 spot in any poll, I contend you are mistaken.

Kansas and North Carolina, with three losses between them, currently have a stranglehold on that top spot. This week, Kansas returns to the top after another loss by North Carolina, this one to rival Duke.

All this shuffling has allowed undefeated Memphis to close the gap between itself and the leaders, but not overtake them.

Behind them, still trails Duke and UCLA, but a fairly large gap remains between the top three and the rest of the pack.

Check out all the rankings in Week 11 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI 2007 - Week 11: #1 continues to shuffle"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 5:15 PM | Comments (0)

February 4, 2008

MRI 2007 - Week 10: A Kansas loss, a new #1

Perhaps I was wrong. Kansas State pulls a historic shocking upset of the Kansas Jayhawks to knock the high-flying birds from the top spot in the MRI.

In their place, it is North Carolina, who rolled with another two strong wins.

However, the story of the week might be UCLA which pounced back into the #4 spot in the MRI, just behind the lone undefeated in Division 1, Memphis.

Rounding out the top five, is not Xavier. It is Duke, who is quietly hanging in there without a big man and with only a single loss on the year. The biggest test becomes a game with the #1 North Carolina Tarheels in the coming week.

Check out all the rankings in week 10 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI 2007 - Week 10: A Kansas loss, a new #1"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 3:55 PM | Comments (0)

January 28, 2008

MRI 2007 - Week 9: The lead grows, can anyone stop the Jayhawks?

If you thought that Xavier was out of it, you might have been mistaken. The Musketeers have come through to pass UCLA for the #4 spot once again.

But don't think the same thing happened for the #1 spot. Kansas extended its lead on the top spot. With much of the season gone, it will become harder for anyone to catch them, especially when the disadvantage to Kansas for losing a game will not be as harsh as the season rolls on. And Kansas almost had the biggest gain for the second week in a row.

North Carolina stays in second place with Memphis still filling in the #3 hole. UCLA slips but stays in the #5 slot.

Check out all the rankings in week 9 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI 2007 - Week 9: The lead grows, can anyone stop the Jayhawks?"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 9:50 PM | Comments (0)

January 20, 2008

MRI 2007 - Week 8: Kansas jumps to the front

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Kansas takes the #1 spot in the MRI because of North Carolina's first loss of the season to Maryland. It shouldn't come as any surprise then that the Jayhawks also had the largest gain of the week to pull into that lead.

North Carolina only drops to #2, followed by consistent #3 Memphis.

However, look out for UCLA who has now moved into the #4 spot, although a clear fourth behind the leaders as they sit right now.

The loser in all this? Xavier.

That was to be expected after a shocking loss to Temple. And this wasn't a slim margin, but 19 points to the Owls, who are 118th in the latest MRI.

Check out all the rankings in Week 8 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI 2007 - Week 8: Kansas jumps to the front"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 3:19 PM | Comments (0)

January 14, 2008

MRI 2007 - Week 7: Welcome Memphis to the contenders

If North Carolina is separating from the pack, then we might just want to focus on the battle for #2. Memphis closed in on #2 Kansas this week, now making the spread very tight between the two.

Xavier managed to hold strong at #4 while UCLA lurks just behind at #5.

Taking a tumble out of the top 25 this week was Syracuse who fell from #17 to #42, which in this season of parity could be very damaging for the Orange. Every close game, close loss, can hurt your chances at this point, because climbing back up into the mix is going to just get tougher. The Orange are hanging just in the field now, but as we have seen in the past, that is no guarantee.

Check out all the rankings in Week 7 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI 2007 - Week 7: Welcome Memphis to the contenders"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 10:41 PM | Comments (0)

January 7, 2008

MRI 2007 - Week 6: North Carolina Separates

North Carolina continues its reign at the top of the MRI after two weeks of games and extends its lead over Kansas at #2.

Memphis, Xavier and UCLA move into the top 5 after strong weeks, especially in the case of the Musketeers of Xavier. They had the biggest gain over the two week span, blowing out every team that they faced.

Check out all the ratings in Week 6 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI 2007 - Week 6: North Carolina Separates"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 7:36 PM | Comments (0)

December 26, 2007

MRI 2007 - Week 5: North Carolina #1 in a 3rd Poll

With the holidays here, game slates are smaller, but in some cases more important. This week saw Duke, Clemson, and Georgetown all lose their first games of the year, and all of those losses came in games against other undefeated teams.

Nroth Carolina took advantage of some of these slips to jump to the #1 spot this week, unseating Kansas. The two teams have separated themselves from the pack a little and now have a nice lead on #3 Wisconsin.

Rounding out the top 5 are Texas A&M and West Virginia.

With the short week, the next MRI will be published on January 7th. That also corresponds with the start of my return to school books at Northwestern. As a result, I am not sure how often the MRI website will be updated with Games to Watch, or other articles. However, I will do my best to keep you updated with your favorite numerical rankings.

But, until then, you can check out all the rankings in week 5 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI 2007 - Week 5: North Carolina #1 in a 3rd Poll"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 5:25 PM | Comments (0)

December 17, 2007

MRI 2007 - Week 4: Rock Chalk Flies To #1

All it took was a less than stellar week for Xavier and the "X' no longer guard the top spot in the MRI. After a close win against Cincinnati - always expected in the rivalry series - Xavier went down to Arizona State in crushing fashion. The Sun Devils, who looked anything but good in Maui to start the season, showed that Xavier might be a decent team, but they are no #1. The Musketeers fell to #12 in the latest rankings.

So, who is the new #1? Remember that Ohio team which pulled the MRI's predicted upset over Maryland earlier in the week? No, they aren't #1, but they did get blown out of the gym by the new front runner. Kansas took Ohio to task on Friday, winning 88-51. The Kansas squad, which was a little inconsistent in the early season, had no problems with what should be one of the best teams in the MAC, and one of the best mid-majors in the country. The halftime score was 46-20, and things didn't get any prettier from there.

One reason for the Kansas surge is the return to health of much of their rotation. Brandon Rush made his first start of the season, and Sherron Collins made only his second appearance of the year in the rout. This was a highly thought of team going into the season, and if this is how they will play at full strength, it might be a while until we see another team at #1 in the MRI.

Pulling into the #2 spot is North Carolina, who quietly sneaked up the rankings and jumps from a #5 showing last week. North Carolina is my pick to win it all this season assuming they stay healthy. That is always an issue with the Tar Heels, especially in the grueling ACC season. Tyler Hansbrough is probably glad the ACC season is still a few weeks away, if he can even remember that. Hansbrough suffered a concussion in a win against Rutgers on Sunday. That can't be a good sign with the banging that he takes under the hoop.

Still at #3 is that pesky Wisconsin team which keeps hanging around despite two losses already this season. They polished off two system schools this week. They are off until facing Valpo on Saturday. After that, another week will pass until we see what they can do against rising star Texas.

Speaking of rising stars, West Virginia, under Bob Huggins is making a name for themselves in the MRI this season. The Mountaineers are a basket away from a perfect season, and while the rankings are not yet giving them notice, the rest of the country sure is. They have a chance to continue their winning ways against Radford and Canisius this week.

Rounding out the top 5 is Duke who had the week off. It is a testament to their season so far that a week off the court led to an erosion of the MRI score of only 0.15 points and three places. While normal teams might have dropped 5-10 places, the Blue Devils appear to have staying power at the top. They warm up against Albany tonight before the anticipated game against Pittsburgh on Thursday night.

Check out all the rankings in Week 4 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI 2007 - Week 4: Rock Chalk Flies To #1"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 4:00 PM | Comments (0)

December 10, 2007

MRI 2007 - Week 3: "X" is Twice as Nice

It may come as a shock, but Xavier has managed to stay on top of the MRI for the second straight week. This could be the newest version of the St. Joe's Hawks, who went undefeated through the regular season, and lost in the first round of their conference tournament back in 2003-4. Yes, Xavier already has a blemish on their record, a two point loss to Miami (Ohio). However, the X-Men are playing solid team basketball. That has translated into wins, including the big win over Creighton on Wednesday night this past week.

Xavier has a schedule that would rival some of those impossible Gonzaga schedules which the Zags always put together, and that should translate well for them come tournament time. They also have some good competition in the Atlantic 10 this season, unlike recent history where maybe 2 teams were decent.

So for the second straight week, Xavier holds onto the top spot, and more importantly perhaps, breaks the 100 point barrier in the MRI, a good signal that they are headed for the tournament.

In second place this week is Duke, moving up from #3 last week. The Blue Devils had an easy victory over Michigan on Saturday, during which CBS tried everything to keep you interested. It didn't work. Watching games where one team is ahead by 25 and the other team has absolutely no shot to come back isn't fun.

Duke may be one of the surprises of the season. While improvement over last season was expected, it was hard to imagine a start like this with so many victories of the blowout variety. Even without a true big man, the Blue Devils are succeeding. And that success doesn't come the same way every game. Some nights it is the tough defense and fast break. Some games, it is the three-point line that gets Duke rolling. Duke has this entire week off to prepare for what should be a gimmee against Albany and then a huge game at Pittsburgh, another game where we can see if the lack of size could hurt them.

Still hanging in the top 3 despite two losses is Wisconsin, who lost another tough game on Saturday against Marquette. Part of what is keeping the Badgers where they are is that Duke has not lost yet. That means the huge blowout that Wisconsin suffered is not really being reflected yet in their MRI score. I am not sure that Wisconsin is the class of the Big Ten, but then again, I am not sure there is a top team in that conference this season. The Badgers take on their system schools this week, facing both Green Bay and Milwaukee.

Rounding out the top five this week are UCLA and North Carolina, two teams expected to be near the top.

Check out all the rankings in Week 3 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI 2007 - Week 3: "X" is Twice as Nice"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 12:05 PM | Comments (0)

December 3, 2007

MRI 2007 - Week 2: "X" Marks the #1 Spot

No, that isn't a misprint. A strong week #2 has vaulted the Atlantic 10's Xavier into the top spot in the MRI. How are they doing it?

Xavier is using a short bench and primarily organizing their game around the top six players. All of those players are averaging double digit points while only one of those six has more than two turnovers a game. Only one of those players has less assists than his turnover numbers too. Good strong fundamental basketball.

There may be a question of whether they can continue on this pace, and whether an appearance with such a short rotation in the NCAA tournament could turn out well. As we saw with Duke last season, it might be tough on the latter point. On the former, it is probably possible to hang at the top in the MRI if they continue to win. The Atlantic 10 looks like they are going to have at least 5 or 6 teams which can compete in the conference. That will help Xavier once conference season begins, unlike in recent years, when the overall profile of the Atlantic 10 has brought down teams as the long conference slate wore on.

Two quick games from the weekend which you may not have seen (unlike Texas beating down UCLA, which I am sure you heard much more about).

First, Texas Tech coach Bob Knight left a game against Centenary prior to halftime and didn't return to the court after the break. Claiming sickness, perhaps at the sight of how his team was playing, Knight was taken back to the hotel where he rested. Texas Tech went on to lose to Centenary, giving the Gentlemen their 4th Division 1 win of the season. Of course, this is the same Centenary team that lost to Baylor by 23 a week earlier, and that has an enrollment of 910 students, the smallest in Division 1. Not a great day for the Red Raiders, who slipped to 81st in the MRI.

And last, Tommy Amaker got a little revenge on all those Michigan fans who wanted him gone, despite doing well given all of the handcuffs on him as he was repeatedly slapped with probation caused by his predecessors. I always felt that Michigan was just a little bit away from really making it work. Well, Tommy went to Harvard. And Harvard defeated Michigan, 62-51, on Saturday. It was the first time Harvard has beaten Michigan, although the two schools with long histories have only met 3 times. Harvard is up to 178th in the MRI this week, while Michigan is at 175 in the latest rankings.

And now, it is time to check out all the rankings in Week 2 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI 2007 - Week 2: "X" Marks the #1 Spot"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 6:10 PM | Comments (0)

November 26, 2007

MRI 2007 - Week 1: Badgers Bring Us Back On Top

Can you believe another season is already seven games old for some teams? And that means it is time to reveal the MRI standings for the first time this year.

Before we get to the rankings, remember that this is early. A team like Duquesne, was 250th in the league last year. For them to hold onto an #11 ranking would be a huge turnaround. In fact, there are 4 teams which were listed at 125 or higher last season in this year's first rankings. No doubt that will change at some point, but right now, they are riding high, so who can complain? Maybe that gives us a little insight into those bubble teams we will be talking about in 2 months. Maybe even sooner than that, considering that I am already hearing teams labeled as "bubble watch" even though the conference season has yet to start.

And as with all early rankings, teams that are on a roll now are in no guarantee to make the tournament. Let's all remember what we should call "The Clemson Factor". Sometimes, you can really pad the MRI numbers before you come down to earth. Even when you come down, don't think that you will fall. You might just stay even.

Last season was a great example of that. Clemson never really lost points after a certain point. They just stayed even in their MRI score. The bigger issue was that teams wouldn't pass them. It was part of what made last year's tournament so chalky. There were about 16 really good teams which were almost destined for the Sweet 16, and then there was everyone else. No surprises, No George Mason. Just a mass of teams which should have had the NCAA contracting to a 32 team exhibition.

Expect a lot of familiar faces back this season. Duke (#3) looks like they are back to being Duke, a team that has held the #1 ranking for at least a week in almost every MRI season. It won't be such a stretch for that to happen again if they can beat starting #1, Wisconsin on Tuesday. This may be the best early match in the MRI ever. (Just for kicks, the MRI is predicting a Wisconsin win, but not by much. See if Brian Butch being back from that freaky elbow injury makes any difference to you.)

Other names at the top also look familiar. UCLA is starting the year at #2. Returning almost every major player on the team from last season has them poised to go to a third straight Final Four. I don't doubt their ability at all. At #4 is a team that looks a lot like UCLA, Pittsburgh. UCLA's Eastern image is quietly having a nice 4-0 start.

Rounding out the initial top 5 is Virginia who is off to a 5-1 beginning to their season. Sean Singletary is back to his shooting self, while he gets help from Adrian Joseph inside. It will certainly be something to see if they can keep it up during the ACC season. Of course, they could fall victim to the "Clemson Factor", although their early season hasn't exactly been cupcakes, winning against Arizona and Drexel.

Speaking of the "Clemson Factor", look for it to possibly come into play again on its namesake. Clemson might be 5-0, but the combined record of their opponents is 9-21, the worst in the ACC, except for Wake Forest's schedule which has opponents at 4-12.

And with that, let's go to all the rankings in Week 1 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI 2007 - Week 1: Badgers Bring Us Back On Top"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 8:52 PM | Comments (0)

March 13, 2007

MRI2006: Regular Season Final

The final rankings prior to the NCAA tournament are out, and it looks like North Carolina will be the favorites to cut down the nets in Atlanta.

Check out all the rankings going into the NIT and NCAA tournaments.

Continue reading "MRI2006: Regular Season Final"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 11:30 PM | Comments (0)

March 5, 2007

MRI2006: Week 15 - Final Week

This is it. One week left, mostly mired in conference tournaments which means, while you may not fall much, the only way you can make a big difference in your fate is to win, and win, and win. And then if you were really on the bubble, win a 4th time so that you can guarantee your bid to the tournament.

I have said it before and I will say it again. This is a soft field. How soft? Davidson is #16 in the MRI. Davidson. Again, Davidson. No offense to Davidson. You have a lovely University. Beautiful grounds outside of North Carolina, and a great running path through your nature preserve. But only in a year like this when it seems like there was so much parity in the major conferences could you be considered the #16 team in the MRI.

This is not the George Mason team from last year, which stood in the rankings all season and finished at #18 before their tournament run. I am not believing that Davidson is Final Four caliber (and I didn't believe that George Mason was either, but GMU was Sweet 16 material at least and proved that and more). Let's wait and see what Davidson's ranking does this week as they are passed by some of the major conference teams in the tournaments. I think they will end somewhere around 20, which should mean that they make it into Saturday and Sunday and win a game for a smaller league.

A couple of thoughts this week. Michigan State is currently riding high, but look at the MRI scores after them. They are way too close to believe that a few big runs by teams like Texas, Villanova, and Marquette (shudder), could end that reign near the top for the Spartans. No, they aren't playing well on the road, but Michigan State has proved they can hang with the big names, and they will be a tough out no matter what.

If you are looking at the bottom of the bubble, take a long hard look at Vandy and Virginia. The Duke-UNC game showed a statistic that despite leading the league, the Cavs played one of the easiest schedules. Vandy meanwhile finished at 10-6. Count two wins against bottom dweller South Carolina. Count one against surprisingly bad LSU. That leaves 7 wins which seem decent (although more questions about the strength of a Georgia or Bama should be warranted), but look at some bad losses. Against Arkansas, against Georgia, against Auburn. They have one of the strangest conference records because they actually have beaten someone like a Florida or a Kentucky, but can't beat really bad teams on the opposite side of the ledger. Count me out on supporting either the Commodores or the Cavs come tourney time.

And with that, you can check out all the rankings in week 15 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI2006: Week 15 - Final Week"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 5:00 PM | Comments (0)

February 26, 2007

MRI2006: Week 14 - Status Quo

Not much has changed here. That is what you really need to know.

But this is also the point where we can start to look at the smaller conference teams and see who might be giant killers in the tournament.

With the standings how they are, you will definitely need to watch out for whoever makes the field from the Colonial conference. Old Dominion and Virginia Commonwealth are positioned so that they could knock out a team which could get a higher seed but is MRI'ed below them.

Other teams that have the chance to cause some trouble: Missouri State (should they get in), Akron, Butler, and a surprising team named Davidson. Davidson comes from the Southern conference and should they be able to wrap up the conference title this coming week, they will be a hard out for someone in the first round. Unfortunately for them, they will likely get a 14 seed or lower and will be stuck playing a team which should handle them easily. Just keep the Wildcats on your radar. I will be sure to alert you if you need to be picking that upset in the first round.

Check out all the rankings in Week 14 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI2006: Week 14 - Status Quo"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 11:42 AM | Comments (0)

February 19, 2007

MRI2006: Week 13 - Major Upsets

As I mentioned in last week's rankings, I see this as a nine or ten team race to the championship. The main question will be who can survive that long.

This week saw the three biggest upsets in the MRI to date. Two of these were losses by teams in the very elite squad at the top of the MRI standings. North Carolina and Texas A&M both lost this week, and while the games that were considered upsets may not have caused waves throughout the basketball world, they definitely were noticed by the computer.

Yes, North Carolina is quite a bit ahead in the standings at this point in the season, but they also have been coming back to the crowd as of late with losses and also poor play. While the MRI would have them as the clear favorite to run the table in the tournament, we have seen that they can be beat.

Here is something else to watch. The Colonial conference now has two teams in the Top 25 of the MRI. Does that mean they are locks for multiple tournament bids at this point? There is definitely some talk of that happening, but it is far from secure at this point. Point of note: Only one Top 25 MRI team has failed to make the tournament. If both the Rams and the Monarchs survive through in the elite top, it would sure be a shock if they didn't get in.

Check out all the rankings in week 13 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI2006: Week 13 - Major Upsets"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 10:49 PM | Comments (0)

February 12, 2007

MRI2006: Week 12 - Nine or 10 team race?

It is tough to judge this season. The bubble may be the largest in the history of the MRI. Teams that look definitely out a week before manage to win big over the top teams in the list and jump up into almost lock territory (MRI > 100). But in general, the truth will be that the teams on the bubble, the ones that were out in the MRI and still make it, and the ones that manage to squeak in and make the MRI look genius aren't going to get the title.

That is a fact. The lowest rated team to win the title was Syracuse who was around #16 in 2003 when they won the title. And that was a wide open season where the title could have gone to anyone.

This season isn't that case.

I would venture that this season, the title will end up with one of the top 9 or 10 teams. I still haven't made up my mind on Duke at this point of the season, though they are undersized and underage for taking a title. Of course, you could make the arguement that the MRI #1 team, North Carolina, is as baby-faced as they get, but they have a lot more talent and balance than the Duke team that is currently taking the floor.

So, if this is a nine team race, this March could actually be more interesting than the past. It will be a struggle for those nine to make it to the regional finals, just based on the upsets we have seen this season. And once they are there, the tournament will be wide open. This could rival 2004 as one of the greatest Elite Eights we have ever seen.

Stay tuned fans. Despite the parity after the top 10, we have quite a race shaping up at the top, no matter how far ahead North Carolina might get ahead of the pack.

Check out all the rankings in Week 12 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI2006: Week 12 - Nine or 10 team race?"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 10:00 PM | Comments (0)

February 5, 2007

MRI2006: Week 11 - Is Memphis For Real?

As the first week of February came to a close and interesting phenomenon of the last two years took place again. I am speaking of the emergence of Memphis into the top four in the MRI. Last season, the Tigers were one of the leaders throughout the season and entered the tournament as the #1 team in the MRI.

This was partially due to the exodus of their conference foes over the last ten years to the Big East. The departure of Cincinnati, Louisville, Marquette, and to a lesser extent, DePaul, to the Big East (yes, and South Florida too) left a large void at the top of the conference. Memphis was the lone giant in a conference of schools which have been good at times, but haven't had recent sustained success.

And so the Tigers can beat up on the conference year after year, and this season, look as if they can make it through unscathed, something that wasn't possible just two seasons back. And as they rise in the standings, you have to wonder if they are for real.

Last year sure seemed like they were. They lost a very defensive game against UCLA in the tournament last year, and were seconds away from a berth in the Final Four. As we know now, UCLA went on to lose to the Florida onslaught in the championship game. So, Memphis definitely proved it could compete this year.

However, at #3, and with the biggest gain this week, albeit against Central Florida and SMU, it just doesn't look like this team has the drive of last year. There is only one test ahead on their schedule with Gonzaga, and the conference should prove no issue for them. Unlike last season when they had at least a little push from the rest of the league, Memphis is going to roll into the tournament with a less than battle hewn squad.

Keep an eye on the Tigers. They may just be a paper squad, and not a true warrior.

Check out all the rankings in Week 11 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI2006: Week 11 - Is Memphis For Real?"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 2:00 PM | Comments (0)

January 29, 2007

MRI2006: Week 10 - North Carolina Runaway

38.64.

That is the difference between being #1 and being #2 as of the end of January. And #2 is nowhere close to #3. After the top two teams, it just falls into a struggle to think you are among the elite.

Yes, at this point, North Carolina has pulled away from the field in the spirit of a Tiger Woods. With a grand lead over the #2 Florida Gators, and an even more amazing lead over #3 Texas A&M, the Tar Heels have established a new standard for dominance at this point of the season. At this current rate, having also had a number of the biggest one week gains this season, there is little doubt that North Carolina could make a serious run for the best computer number ever, and with a lead over the #2 team like we have never seen.

I know there are losses coming on the schedule for North Carolina, but a lead like this in the computer numbers makes you wonder what it would take to just slow down the Tar Heels come tournament time.

Check out all the rankings in week 10 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI2006: Week 10 - North Carolina Runaway"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 6:00 PM | Comments (0)

January 22, 2007

MRI2006: Week 9 - 20-25 Shuffle

Looking at this in retrospect, it is becoming very clear to me how wide open the field for the tournament might be. After about the top 15 teams, which still have their flaws, there is a mass of teams who can't decide if they wan't to compete or just drop away. Usually this mass of teams happens closer to the bubble numbers on the MRI, but this year it is seemingly taking over the final 5 spots of the top 25.

As I get closer to the current date, this will be something for me to continue to watch.

Check out all the rankings in week 9 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI2006: Week 9 - 20-25 Shuffle"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 9:30 AM | Comments (0)

January 15, 2007

MRI2006: Week 8 - Back and Better than Ever

Ok, not so much better than ever, but still back. I apologize for the lapse in posting. Sometimes, the job that pays the bills overcomes the job that I enjoy doing late at night over beers and with a television shouting Dick Vitale at me.

Slowly catching up, but as you know, basketball brings out the Tournament Projects starting with Week #9, which means that I am slightly behind schedule there. Look for updates as I have them. I guarantee that by the midway point of February, I will be caught up and bringing you the knowledge to help you win your office pool.

And with that, check out all the rankings from Week 8 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI2006: Week 8 - Back and Better than Ever"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 9:50 PM | Comments (0)

January 8, 2007

MRI2006: Week 7 - Upset Special Edition

In case you were too busy preparing for the final bowl game of the season, you might have missed some of the biggest upsets of the season so far. Of course, these are the biggest upsets in terms of the human perspective. The biggest upsets of the year have been happening all season long according to the computer.

This week's results though shook everything up.

Raise your hand if you thought the last undefeated team in the country would have been Clemson, or that the Tigers would have somehow managed to finally win one of their opening ACC games, even if they needed a last second lay-in to do it. Chances are that there are very few hands raised out there.

This week provided plenty of surprises across the country. Oregon lost their first game, and then went on to defeat UCLA, the #1 team in both major polls. Arizona went down to a surprising Washington State team. USC might have had the best week in the country, picking off both Oregon and Oregon State in convincing fashion. Arkansas detroyed Alabama in the SEC. Duke went down in overtime to Virginia Tech, and someone needs to talk to Greg Paulus and tell him that "using your head" means something totally different when it comes to basketball.

North Carolina continues their domination with two huge wins over Penn and Florida State this week. This is the second week in a row that they have had the largest gain in the MRI, opening up a 33 point lead in the rankings. This basically means that North Carolina would be favored no matter where the game was held against any team they played. This is a rare lead indeed.

Moving up to #2 is Florida who began their SEC season this week with a victory over Georgia. The Gators are now undefeated since they lost to Florida State over a month ago. That is the case despite dealing with injuries, sickness, and less than 100% focus on their play. Something tells me that the rest of the conference is not exactly looking forward to the next couple of months.

Clemson and UCLA each drop one spot to #3 and #4 respectively. UCLA does not lose much ground despite the loss to Oregon, in part due to their victory over Oregon State earlier in the week.

Rounding out the top 5 is Texas A&M who has since rebounded from back to back losses to LSU and UCLA, in early December. The Aggies began their quest for a Big XII title with a slim victory over Bob Huggins and Kansas State on Saturday.

For the rest of the top 25 teams, we have four new members this week. I won't spoil the surprise for you on those.

Check out all the rankings in Week 7 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI2006: Week 7 - Upset Special Edition"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 4:20 PM | Comments (0)

January 1, 2007

MRI2006: Week 6 - Pulling Away

This is never a good sign for the rest of the nation. The #1 team in the MRI, North Carolina, had the largest gain in the MRI this week after dominating wins over Rutgers and Dayton this week. As a result, they have now opened up a huge lead on the #2 team Clemson, who are getting a lot of pressure themselves.

The Tigers remained undefeated on the year, and are starting to see some love in the polls and the press for surviving without a loss. However, they are also getting some scrutiny for their scheduling. The MRI likes them despite a schedule which has them playing teams with a worse winning percentage than all but North Carolina State in the ACC. The Tigers continue to prove they can win, and until they lose, you can't really say that they aren't among the elite. The gap opening up between them and North Carolina though, means that the Tigers are slipping slightly back to the pack.

Running up their back is UCLA, who showed they have overcome one of their biggest weaknesses from last season. A 22 point win over Washington shows that UCLA now can play against a team with a much larger front court. This will become big in the tournament, when last year, a much larger Florida team gave them fits, especially because the big men kept rotating in and they could also run. The Bruins look to be playing the best basketball in the country right now, and continuing to win the way they are, especially in conference, should have them looking eye to eye with North Carolina in the MRI soon.

Florida remains in the top 5 at #4 this week, and despite their first loss of the season, to West Virginia, Connecticut manages to hang onto their #5 spot.

Be sure to check out all the rankings in Week 6 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI2006: Week 6 - Pulling Away"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 6:45 PM | Comments (0)

December 27, 2006

MRI2006: Week 5 - This is More Like It

Suddenly, everything is right with the world. Well, maybe not for Duke fans, but for our sanity, it might be. Clemson no longer leads the MRI rankings. They didn't lose. They just got passed by a far superior team.

If you look at the AP poll or the Coaches poll, there is one thing for certain. There are three teams playing stellar basketball right now, and there is everyone else. North Carolina, the MRI's new #1 team, Florida, and UCLA are at the top of their game. If the tournament were held today, those three teams could likely book their trip to the Final Four without even a thought.

The tournament isn't starting today though. We still have a few more months of conference action on the way, but it is getting to be about the time where the very good teams separate themselves from everyone else.

As I mentioned, North Carolina is the new leader of the pack with a very young team led by a sophomore of all things. This is not good news for the rest of the basketball world, assuming none of these players get ahead of themselves and bolt for the NBA after this year. Falling to #2 is Clemson who remain undefeated at 12-0.

Moving into the #3 spot is Florida, who made a big statement this week by defeating Ohio State with Greg Oden. That win also came with limited minutes from Al Horford, and a team which is still fighting to be totally healthy. There was no doubt coming into the season that Florida would be good, considering that they are returning all but one player from last year's championship team. It did take them a while to start clicking and they still are not 100% which could be very scary when they get there.

The #4 spot is still the Oregon Ducks, who finally seem to be playing like the team that everyone expected the last few seasons. The PAC-10 season could be the real test, considering the very difficult travel and play schedule that their season brings, but the way they have started the season is unlike any of the past few, and they will be a team that is rolling.

Rounding out the top 5 are the Connecticut Huskies. The Huskies are 10-0 and hold a slim lead over the also undefeated UCLA in the MRI rankings.

As a side note, the Wichita State Shockers lost two games this week, right after my article on their inflated human poll ranking. These losses dropped them to #57 in the MRI, #36 in the Sagarin Ratings, #53 in Ken Pomeroy's numbers, #49 in Massey, and #44 in the Colley system. Maybe the MRI and Ken Pomeroy were just a little ahead of the game last week. In contrast to the computers, the humans only saw fit to drop the Shockers to #16 in both polls. It almost makes you wonder what they are waiting for, another loss?

Check out all the rankings in the Week 5 of the MRI.

Continue reading "MRI2006: Week 5 - This is More Like It"

Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 11:00 AM | Comments (0)

December 19, 2006

MRI2006: Week 4 - Memo Missed?

I must have missed a memo somewhere. Where was it written that Clemson was this good? This marks the third week that the Tigers have held the top spot in the MRI. They aren't the only team surprising.

How about Connecticut? Remember the team that the Huskies had last season? That was the team that was supposed to trounce everyone in the tournament. Unfortunately for UConn, many of the players tried to use the tournament games as a showcase for their own talents and not for the team. Chalk them up as one of the losses for George Mason.

With all those stars gone, who would have expected that the Huskies to still be rolling with a zero in the loss column. They have climbed their way into the #3 spot in the MRI, thanks in good part to that perfect record.

Moving into #2 is Arizona, who dropped an early game to Virginia, but haven't lost since. The Wildcats have the talent to be this high in the rankings, but sometimes, you have to wonder about a team with so many options and whether egos will cause them trouble. They are joined in the top 5 by fellow PAC-10 team, Oregon. The Ducks have also made it through without a blemish this season.

Rounding out the fab five at the top is Illinois, even with two losses. They face a tough Missouri team on Tuesday which should determine if they can stay there. For now though, the Illini are riding high.

Check out all the rankings in the Week 4 of the MRI.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 10:30 AM | Comments (0)

MRI2006: Week 3 - Clemson? Really?

Editor's Note: These ratings cover the games through December 10th.

I would have never counted on this. The Clemson Tigers are undefeated. Ok, maybe I could have counted on them being undefeated but not being the best team in the MRI through December 10th. And I definitely didn't count on them holding that spot for two weeks in a row.

Yet, Clemson is sitting on top of the world right now. Behind them are names you would probably expect to be at the top. Duke, Florida, Pittsburgh, Connecticut. But not Clemson.

The ACC season is tipping off soon, so we will quickly learn if this is a fluke, or for real. Clemson seems to do this every year (although not #1), and yet they drift away as the season moves on to where they are struggling to make the NIT. 10-0 is nothing to laugh at though. They are half way to that magical 20 win season.

Check out all the rankings in Week 3 of the MRI.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 9:30 AM | Comments (0)

December 5, 2006

MRI2006: Week 2 - Early Losses Shake It Up

When the Clemson Tigers beat Minnesota in the ACC - Big Ten Challenge, it was expected. However, Clemson has won every other game they have played so far this season.

And that is enough to get them the #1 spot in the MRI this week.

They had some help. Big names, like last week's #1 Ohio State, #2 Marquette, #4 Florida, and #5 Illinois, all lost during the week, dropping them down the rankings. Meanwhile, Clemson just kept on winning.

They are joined in the top 5 by Missouri at #2 who is also without a loss early this season. However, like the football team, you have to wonder if they will be able to keep up this run once the Big XII season starts. Right now, the firing of Quin Snyder looks like a great move in Columbia.

Pittsburgh moves up three spots to #3 this week after again rolling through their week. Jumping huge into the top 25 is Providence. The Friars look like they could be a surprise leader within the Big East this season as some of the normal names we follow from that conference are struggling early.

Rounding out the top 5 is Duke, who won two sloppy games, but keeps doing what it is necessary to stay at the top of the MRI.

Check out all the ratings in Week 2 of the MRI.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

November 27, 2006

MRI2006: Week 1 - Time, Time, Time...

It's the Monday after Thanksgiving, and that means the first release of the MRI Basketball rankings. Now, remember, it is early. So if your team has only played two games, chances are they are not going to be looking very well right now.

Or if you are a team like Tennessee, and you lost two games in the Final Four of the NIT, you will also not be looking good. However, it is early, and there are plenty of games left, and some of these early losses will start to look better as the season moves on.

The biggest surprises right now? How about Old Dominion at #8? They have already beaten Georgetown and their only loss has come against an undefeated Clemson squad. Do I think the Monarchs can hang tough, just like George Mason did in the MRI last season? I am not ready to say yes yet. They still have the Colonial schedule coming up, and the conference as a whole is not looking as good as everyone expected it might be.

However, we still have some strong mid-major teams making an appearance in the Top 25.

Check out all the ratings in Week 1 of the MRI.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 5:00 PM | Comments (0)

April 4, 2006

MRI2005: Tournament Final

Florida's victory was complete over the UCLA Bruins, but it still didn't move them into the top spot in the MRI. The Gators finish 3rd in the rankings behind Memphis and Texas who led the rest of the pack by too much for anyone to catch them. Florida had the largest gain of the last month, beating out UCLA and NIT champion, South Carolina.

Check out Florida's big move and all of the rankings after the tournament in the Tournament Final of the MRI.

Keep an eye out for some statistics on the MRI's performance in the tournament.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 8:30 PM | Comments (0)

March 12, 2006

MRI2005: Regular Season Ends

It wasn't a pretty regular season for the MRI. Things didn't go exactly as planned when the tournament was pronounced. But if it is any consolation, a great like Lunardi missed two this year, breaking his streak of one miss seasons.

And the champion when all is said and done, is Memphis. A non-power conference team in the year of the non-power conferences. With the Missouri Valley getting four bids, the Colonial, Conference USA, the Mountain West, and WAC, all getting two, is there anything else that you wouldn't expect.

Check out when everyone finished in the final regular season rankings of 2005-6. The next ratings will be published after the tournament completes.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 9:40 PM | Comments (0)

March 6, 2006

MRI2005: Week 14 - Final Week, Big Movements

With conference tournaments starting and teams desperate to remain in the picture for an NCAA bid, things are getting mighty dicey in the MRI.

Texas manages to hold onto their number one ranking this week, all this despite their last second loss to Texas A&M on Wednesday night. They got some help holding that spot.

Memphis was taken down by UAB on Thursday, but rebounded with a win on Saturday to seal the top spot in Conference USA and move up to #2 in the MRI. Duke's week wasn't so kind to them, as they dropped two games to Florida State and North Carolina, and fell to #3 in the rankings.

Connecticut survived both of their games this week but had a tough time against a Louisville team that refuses to go away on anyone. They hold at #4 this week.

Rounding out the Top 5 is Illinois. The Illini won two tough road games this week at Minnesota and Michigan State. Despite all that, Illinois is the #3 seed in the Big Ten tournament that tips off this Thursday, facing the winner of Michigan State and Purdue.

Check out all the rankings in Week 14 of the MRI.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 12:30 PM | Comments (6)

February 27, 2006

MRI2005: Week 13 - Two Weeks Remain

Two weeks remain before the field of 65 is annouced and another 40 teams have their life in the NIT. As things continue to be a little muddy near the bubble zone, the top is definitely clear. Texas regains its #1 spot in the MRI this week, thanks to their asserting their dominance against Kansas.

Duke falls, but only to a close #2. This is despite efforts from J.J. Redick to break the all-time scoring record in the ACC. Redick's achievement this week was overshadowed by the dominant play of Shelden Williams in both of the Blue Devil games. While Redick scored 33 points in the two contests, Williams rolled off two consecutive double-doubles to keep Duke undefeated in conference and complete the two season long sweep of the Temple Owls. Wililams was named ACC player of the week for his efforts.

Memphis continues to play strong at #3 and is in position to challenge for the top spot. Connecticut avenged their loss to Villanova and moved closer to the Top 3 with a convincing win on Sunday afternoon. Rounding out the Top 5 is Illinois who are just one game out of first place in the Big Ten standings after a big win over Iowa.

Check out all the Rankings in Week 13 of the MRI.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 7:00 PM | Comments (0)

February 20, 2006

MRI2005: Week 12 - Three Coaches and a Record

Thanks to 30 points from J.J. Redick, Duke won easily against Miami at home. Those 30 points were also just what J.J Redick needed to become the all-time leading scorer at Duke. His efforts have pushed the Blue Devils back into the #1 spot in the MRI this week. Texas gives them some help after being blown out by Oklahoma State. The semi-departure of Eddie Sutton has allowed his son to take over, perhaps only on a temporary basis. Sean Sutton used some tricky offenses and defenses to keep the Longhorn attack in check and remove Texas from their perch at the top. Memphis, Connecticut, and Illinois continue to round out the Top 5.

Check out all the rankings in Week 12 of the MRI.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

February 13, 2006

MRI2005: Week 11 - Bubble A Bouncy Place

Life on the bubble is a little dangerous at this point in the season. Teams struggling to keep their spot in the tournament are facing teams just looking to improve their seed in their conference tournaments. And the teams with nothing to lose are winning and causing havoc on those teams just struggling to stay afloat.

A couple of big hits this week have knocked some teams to the verge of extinction while a new crop of teams building their resumes are on the verge of taking over.

Names like Kentucky, Indiana, Oklahoma State - all are looking at potentially being left out of the dance, and hearing some dreaded letters. N-I-T.

Check out all the craziness in the rankings this week, Week 11 of the MRI.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 7:50 PM | Comments (0)

February 6, 2006

MRI2005: Week 10 - Mounting Losses Tank Big Names

Duke had a few scares this week, but managed to hold on to the top spot in the MRI. The Longhorns of Texas are closing quickly on the Blue Devils and games during this rivalry week will certainly tell the tale. Texas takes on Texas Tech on Monday night while Duke gets Tobacco Road rival North Carolina on Tuesday. It doesn't get any better than the big games deciding the #1 team in the land.

Other teams were not so lucky. The struggles for Arizona and Maryland continue, further plunging them from previously high perches in the rankings. Both teams are now riding three game losing streaks. Neither team has been without internal struggles this season; both are battling big injuries and Arizona plagued with even more problems than that. Check out all of the craziness in Week 10 of the MRI.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 10:12 PM | Comments (0)

January 30, 2006

MRI2005: Week 9 - Getting the Ship Righted is Not Easy

Conference season is at its mid-point and a number of teams have their work cut out for them in the second half. While some teams have rebounded from poor starts like Kansas and Kentucky, others continue to struggle and have put their tournament hopes at risk. The storm is currently rocking tournament hopefuls such as Syracuse, Louisville, Indiana, Arizona, and Miami. Can they right the ship in time like the teams in blue? Only the second half of games will tell.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 6:00 PM | Comments (0)

January 23, 2006

MRI2005: Week 8 - Whoa, Did I See That Right?

I should have known the weekend was going to have some craziness. After watching all the games last week and watching the MRI struggle to predict games day after day, you had to have known something was going to happen. And it did happen in a big way with upsets ringing all over basketball.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 8:35 PM | Comments (0)

January 16, 2006

MRI2005: Week 7 - Injuries and Returns

Another week of shuffling in the Top 25 brought on my big games from middle of the pack teams in conference games. Miami, Alabama, and Missouri all cause their share of discomfort this week for teams that were near or at the top of their conferences. But through it all, Duke continues to reign over the MRI despite a closer than expected game handed them by Clemson. Memphis remains in second with easy wins over East Carolina and SMU. Texas moves up into the number three spot again thanks to a big win against a very difficult Villanova team. This time, losing Brad Buckman was not their undoing. Illinois had a short week with only one game and then struggled to put away a fiesty Michigan team. They drop one spot to the fourth position. Rounding out the Top 5 is another one of the final three undefeated teams, Florida. They dispatched Mississippi State and Auburn to stay perfect but a key game against Tennessee looms Saturday. Check out all the rankings in Week 7 of the MRI.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 2:55 PM | Comments (0)

January 11, 2006

MRI2005: Week 6 - Conference Season Begins in Earnest

Sorry for the delay in the rankings this week. My body decided to have a Rose Bowl of its own against itself and I have not really been up to updating the numbers for a few days. Enjoy.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 1:00 PM | Comments (0)

January 2, 2006

MRI2005: Week 5 - Yes, There Was Basketball This Week

While most of the country was watching football this week, the warriors of the hardcourt were still slinging it out. While most teams played only one or two games, there were again a few holiday tournaments which enabled the MRI to form a clearer picture. One thing remains the same though. Savannah State is terrible. At the rating they have right now, almost every team would be 100% favorite to beat them on their home floor. Most teams would even be favored to beat them at Savannah State. The athletic department at this school has done these kids a disservice by bumping them to Division 1 like they have.

Since winning their opening game against a D-II opponent, which doesn't count in the MRI, the Tigers have lost 14 in a row, including a loss to another D-II squad. The closest they have been to any Division 1 opponent was a 19 point loss to North Florida, a team having their first season in Division 1 and that will probably be lucky to finish out of the bottom half of their conference. Things don't get much easier for the Tigers going forward and this may be another season of humiliation for the team from Savannah State.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 4:10 PM | Comments (0)

December 26, 2005

MRI2005: Week 4 - Holiday Tournaments Separate Pack

With a number of holiday tournaments occurring this week, there was a chance to see if some of the teams we have been watching were for real, or just posing in the rankings. This led to a number of teams making some big leaps this week and some leaping far enough to join the Top 25.

Unfortunately, we lost some of those surprise teams. Iona lost a heartbreaker to Kentucky to end their unbeaten run and drop them from the rankings. The Gaels will have quite a bit to do to regain their ranking given the dropping strength of their conference. Also dropping out were the Tarheels of North Carolina. UNC lost again this week, this time to USC, a team on the rise. It remains to be seen if this will be the downfall of North Carolina as they enter conference play. The Tarheels were a surprise early this season with their strong performance despite losing their top seven scorers from last season.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 5:00 PM | Comments (0)

December 19, 2005

MRI2005: Week 3 - Oh What You Thought You Knew

Just when I thought I knew what to write about, everything changes. Just when I thought that the Atlantic 10 was going to come back and be the tough conference it used to be - at least at the top - all the best teams in the conference lose. Just when I thought that the Texas loss to Duke was a blip on the radar, they lose again to Tennessee, this time at home. Just when I was about to write about the resurgance of the Michigan Wolverines on the hardcourt, they lose against a UCLA team which looked very shaky for extended stretches during the game.

Oh well, what can I do? Some things still remain the same.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

December 12, 2005

MRI2005: Week 2 - Two Step Stumble

Texas's reign atop the MRI sure didn't last long. Despite a widespread belief that they would triumph in the big game of the week, they were trounced by Duke. By virtue of their win, the Blue Devils vault to #2 in the MRI rankings this week. They trail Big East leader Pittsburgh by only a slim margin though.

Illinois should be giving Bruce Weber a raise. After their amazing run to the finals last season, they lost a large part of the core of the team. With two returning seniors this year and a young support cast, they have still been able to rattle off ten straight wins to begin the season. They move to #3 in the MRI this week.

Coming in at #4 is our mid-major surprise, Missouri State, who dropped the Southwest from their name this year. At 6-0 and entering conference play in the tough Missouri Valley, they will have a tough task to stay ranked this highly.

Rounding out the top five is Florida. The Gators have surprised a lot of people on their way to a 9-0 record this season. In the tough SEC, nothing is safe, but a start like that can build confidence for the squad. Check out all the rankings in Week 2 of the MRI.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

December 5, 2005

MRI2005: Week 1 - Welcome Back Again

Just as college football hits its post-season, so does college basketball start rolling strong. A few weeks of games under their belts now, many teams are beginning their conference season, or tuning up for the tough road ahead. I have been impressed so far with the very difficult match-ups that coaches in the major conferences and some of the smaller conferences have scheduled this early in the season. All that is leading to some familiar names in the Top 25, and some names that aren't there thanks to early struggles. Don't worry fans. There is still a great deal of basketball to play, and chances are that about half of the first list won't still be there when the season ends. And so a warning to those listed this first week: Play hard, because nothing is secure.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 10:00 PM | Comments (0)

April 5, 2005

MRI2004: Tournament Final

North Carolina successfully brought the championship back home where they are pretty convinced that it belonged all along. You have to give credit to this assemblage of talent who managed to play like a team in the one game where it truly mattered. In just 4 years, this team went from a very poor 8-20 effort to the National Title. As a result, they regain the top spot in the Tournament Final MRI Rankings.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 11:35 AM | Comments (0)

March 13, 2005

MRI2004: Week14 - Regular Season Ends

It took long enough. Week after week, Illinois was looking up at North Carolina, and all it took was one final win in the Big Ten tournament to clinch the #1 spot for the regular season. Florida's big run through the SEC tournament lands them at #4 in the final poll. Louisville's survival against Memphis on Darius Washington's missed free throws gives them #3. And Duke rode the ACC crown to #4. As for the rest, well at least this year, all of the Top 25 MRI teams made the NCAA tournament. We have a great tournament ahead of us. Look for a final MRI posted at the beginning of April. Until then check out Sitting Courtside. Don't be afraid to write in and let me know how you feel.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 4:17 PM | Comments (0)

March 7, 2005

MRI2004: Week 13 - Last Week Looms

Just the Rankings...Don't be afraid to write in and let me know how you feel.

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Posted by Benjamin Miraski at 9:40 AM | Comments (0)