Looking Back: How are our non-conference opponents doing?

With a small interval here between games, I wanted to go back and check in on the teams we played through November and December.  Sometimes you play a team and you don't know what you had with the win or the loss until later.  Which is now.

Based on RPI, BG's non-conference schedule was #172, which is almost directly the median for D1.  Our kenpom rating is  #197, so you figure our schedule was right about in the middle of the pack.  Overall, our RPI is 282 and the kenpom.com is 211.  I am not fully versed in the difference between the ratings, but I think kenpom takes margin of victory into account...so the close games with MSU and USF are less than just a full loss.

Anyway, BG has two very nice wins--Detroit and Wright State are both having good seasons.  Alabama-Huntsville is the #3 DII team, FWIW.

Losses to IUPUI and North Dakota--one of those on a neutral floor--are difficult to look at.  At home, you'd think you could beat Youngstown State.

Anyway, here is the break out.

LAKE ERIE

Stayed within 10 of BG, they are now 5-8 and 2-7 in their conference.

CLEVELAND STATE

10-8.  RPI is 118, Kenpom is 218.  They have 3 non-D1 wins.  They lost to Wright State and beat Detroit--BG beat both teams.

IUPUI

6-14 on the year.   RPI is 273, Kenpom is 290.  Two non D1 wins as well.  They did beat Ball State in Muncie.  Also lost to Lamar and Nebraska-Omaha.

ROBERT MORRIS

10-7 on the year.   RPI is 134, Kenpom is 120.  Beat Cleveland State and OU.

ALABAMA-HUNTSVILLE

The Chargers are 12-2 with their only losses being to BG and Cleveland State in the pre-season NIT.  They are the #3 ranked team in Division II.

DETROIT
11-6 on the year.   RPI is 82, Kenpom is 89.  Beat Akron.  Smoked Youngstown State.  Also a big win over Canisius but lost @Cleveland State.

YOUNGSTOWN STATE

9-7 on the year.   RPI is 172, Kenpom is 172.  However, there are 3 non D1 wins buried in there.  (What is up with that?  Is this becoming more common?)  The best team they have beaten is Loyola Chicago, which was on the road.  Lost by 18 @South Florida.

WRIGHT STATE

13-4 on the year.   RPI is 143, Kenpom is 124.  Won 8 out of 9 since losing at the Stroh.  Beat Miami and Cleveland State, along with Loyola (IL) and Green Bay.  This appears to have been a pretty god team.

SAMFORD

5-12 on the year.   RPI is 283, Kenpom is 302.  Had a huge win @College of Charleston, where they were 14 point dogs.

MICHIGAN STATE

14-3 on the year.   RPI is 19, Kenpom is 17.  Off to 3-1 Big Ten start.  Lost to very good Minnesota team, picked up nice win @Iowa.  Also beat Texas.

SOUTH FLORIDA

9-6 on the year.   RPI is 93, Kenpom is 116.  Rolling until Big East play hit.  Have been thumped by Syracuse, Villanova and Louisville.

NORTH DAKOTA

5-10 on the year.   RPI is 309, Kenpom is 294.  Two of those are non D1 wins.  Their two wins since beating BG were against teams with RPI over 325.

TEMPLE

11-4 on the year.   RPI is 29, Kenpom is 62.  Played Kansas tough and lost and then pulled off a huge win over a very good St. Louis team.  Pre-BG win over Syracause well.