A prime example of a BCS pretender.

[Bravesfan]

I was just surfing through realtimerpi.com to find the possible NCAA contenders in the conferences just in front of the Valley. I see Utah and BYU as definate contenders in the #6 Mountain West Conference. But while searching Utah's schedule to see who they played, I came upon 12-1 LSU, a future Utah opponent from the #7 SEC Conference.

We all make fun of ISU red's poor nonconference schedule. But I almost fell off my chair when I saw who LSU played! Now I know why their RPI is only 118! Take a look at their one loss and you will see why they don't even deserve the CBI let alone the NCAA's:


Men's Basketball - LSU Tigers (2008-2009)

RPI Rank: 118 SOS Rank: 335 Record: 12-1 (0-0)
Conference: Southeastern

Check out LSU Tigers Weekly RPI & SOS Changes new


Only games against Division I opponents are counted.
bold - teams made the tournament $ - quality win ? - bad loss
Last updated: Sun Jan 4 11:27:26 EST 2009 (update every 5 mins) Switch to Power Ratings

Date Opponent Opp. RPI Rk Results
11-15 Jackson St. 1-12 (0-1) 271 79-65 W
11-20 Alcorn St. 0-11 (0-1) 340 77-45 W
11-23 Northwestern St. 5-7 (0-0) 249 91-60 W
11-28 Centenary 2-13 (0-3) 310 64-58 W
11-30 Troy 6-9 (2-2) 273 92-57 W
12-02 CSU Fullerton 5-8 (0-2) 223 84-63 W
12-13 Grambling St. 1-10 (0-1) 324 87-41 W
12-17 Nicholls St. 4-6 (0-0) 215 68-56 W
12-20 at Texas A&M 13-1 (0-0) 53 61-72 L
12-22 McNeese St. 4-7 (0-0) 227 62-59 W
12-27 Washington St. 8-5 (0-1) 121 64-52 W
12-31 LA Lafayette 4-8 (2-1) 295 81-79 W
01-03 SE Louisiana 2-7 (0-0) 242 90-61 W


Yup! The only decent opponent they had, which turns out to be their only top 100 opponent so far, AND their only true nonconference road team!

Yes, the next time one of our teams from the Valley is gyped out of an NCAA spot in favor of a scrub team like this, you'll know why college basketball is not a fair playground for the mid-majors!

[Da Coach]

Even when LSU was undefeated (their only loss was 12/20 at Texas A&M), their RPI was the only one worse than ISU among the undefeated teams.

Also, they played their first 8 games at home, and 12 of their first 13 games have been true home games on their campus arena (the Maravich Center). Nice if you can get away with it!

LSU schedule-

http://www.lsusports.net/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=5200&SPID=2166&SPSID=27828

[Braves4Life]

Wow! And many of those games against cupcakes were really close That is quite possibly the worst/easiest schedule I've ever seen a BCS program start the season with!

[TheAsianSensation]

Teams that usually schedule this way know they're not contenders for the NCAA tournament anyways. To be fair.

Usually being the key word, by the way.

[Bravesfan]

Teams that usually schedule this way know they're not contenders for the NCAA tournament anyways. To be fair.

Usually being the key word, by the way.

Well, I hope you're right. I'd hate to see one of our Valley teams gyped out of the NCAA's because of a team like LSU!

[Fyrebyrd]

i saw the game they played against Washington State. Both teams looked rather miserable at points.

[pfunk880]

Well, the LSU Paper Tigers just moved into the top 25.

[MacabreMob]

Well, the LSU Paper Tigers just moved into the top 25.

(trying to do my best Jay Bilas impersonation from when Bradley lost at Mich St in the 06-07 season whenever Bradley was mentioned as a bubble team)

"BUT THEY LOST AT UTAH BY 30 POINTS!!!!!"

[TheAsianSensation]

They're 21-4 in a ridiculous conference. The stars aligned for them having the entire SEC West crap the bed this year.

Unbelievable.

I still have them out, but it's close.

[pfunk880]

They will end up getting like a 5 seed and being bounced early, while Butler will get screwed with around an 8 seed.

[MacabreMob]

They're 21-4 in a ridiculous conference. The stars aligned for them having the entire SEC West crap the bed this year.

Unbelievable.

I still have them out, but it's close.

They will end up getting like a 5 seed and being bounced early, while Butler will get screwed with around an 8 seed.

I'm gonna watch how this all plays out. The SEC based on statistical data doesn't deserve 6 bids or whatever IMO this year (right now).

Gonna be funny how we heard conferences don't get bids, teams do (when the MVC was strong as a conference rating). This year, we will see more BCS bias given to a mediocre BCS team that woulda been left out if they had been a Mid-Major in a Mid-Major conference boasting the same Conf RPI and same RPI and same SOS and overall resume.

And pfunk, you're more right than you are wrong. (Butler may not get an 8, but I catch your drift). It's gonna be funny to see the screw-job the NCAA Committee serves up this year.

[TheAsianSensation]

Mac, LSU probably has the 4th or 5th best SEC profile right now. It's that bleak over there.

[MacabreMob]

Mac, LSU probably has the 4th or 5th best SEC profile right now. It's that bleak over there.

Agreed. But what's funny to me is how the 4th/5th (and maybe even 6th and 7th) SEC team will get stroked in this final month on tv by the crackpipes from the drive-by media. Just wait and see.

[TheAsianSensation]

Agreed. But what's funny to me is how the 4th/5th (and maybe even 6th and 7th) SEC team will get stroked in this final month on tv by the crackpipes from the drive-by media. Just wait and see.

We'll see. In the mock selection committee thing, LSU was a heated point of debate, and they tossed them out of the field.

Besides, the east coast conferences people care about here are the Big East and ACC, not the SEC