Review of MAC Out of Conference Hoops--You can't hide from the results

So, each year, I take a look at how the MAC did against its non-conference opponents in hoops.  In general, I have been disappointed about the performance of MAC basketball for the past few years.  Understanding that the bracket buster is still ahead, I wanted to compare the MAC's D1 out of conference winning % this year pre-BB with the past two years.

The MAC has won 40% of its non-conference D1 games this year.  That is not as good as last year, when the MAC won 44% and better than the year before that, when the MAC won 37.5%.  Of course, there is always the disclaimer that the MAC often plays these games on the road, and the 40% needs to be considered with that in mind.

Based on the current RPI, the MAC is now 16th...last year #15 and the year before that #19.

Other notes:

• The MAC has two wins over the Big East, which are their only wins over a BCS conference.  We had only 1 the last two years.
• We were 8-39 against the top 10 conferences.  Last season, the MAC was 10-44 against the top 10 conferences, and the year before year they were13-39, so that has fallen off.
• The MAC is 4-4 against the #10 CAA, which is pretty good.  
• Not counting those conferences with just one game contested, the best conference the MAC has a winning record against is #17, the Metro Atlantic.
• The MAC is 13-3 against the bottom six conferences.  Last year, we only lost 1 game to a bottom six conference team.
• I have long called for a BG-Horizon challenge to help us get RPI points and good home games.  They are in the same regional footprint as the MAC, and I think we should be competitive in hoops.  It is a good thing they don't because it wouldn't be close.  That conference is the MAC's most common opponent, and they have beaten the MAC in 17 out of 28 meetings.  They won the season series last year, too.
• The second most common opponent is the A-10, but the MAC won only 2 of 14 games against them.
• We apparently don't even schedule the Missouri Valley very much anymore.

1. Big East (2-5, .286)
2. Big Ten (0-8, .000)
3. Big 12 (0-4, .000)
4. Atlantic Coast (0-2, .000)
6. Mountain West (0-3, .000)
7. Southeastern (0-3, .000)
8. Atlantic 10 (2-12, .143)
9. Conference USA (0-2, .000)
10. Colonial (4-4, .500)
11. Missouri Valley (2-4, .333)
12. Horizon League (11-17, .393)
13. West Coast (1-0, 1.000)
14. Ivy League (1-0, 1.000)
15. Western Athletic (0-4, .000)
17. Metro Atlantic (4-2, .667)
18. Atlantic Sun (2-1, .667)
19. Big West (1-0, 1.000)
20. Southern (1-2, .333)
21. Northeast (3-2, .600)
23. Southland (2-0, 1.000)
24. Sun Belt (4-3, .571)
25. Summit League (4-4, .500)
26. America East (0-1, .000)
27. Big Sky (1-1, .500)
28. Patriot League (3-0, 1.000)
29. MEAC (4-1, .800)
30. SWAC (1-0, 1.000)
31. Ohio Valley (3-1, .750)
32. Independents (1-0, 1.000)
33. Great West (1-1, .500)