With one game left on its nonconference schedule, N.C. State sits No. 111 in the RPI. Normally, the strength of the ACC schedule would boost that number but half of the ACC teams rank 111 or lower in the latest RPI.
The Wolfpack went 0-4 against the major conference teams on its nonconference schedule and Wednesday's game with Elon (No. 227) is unlikely to help the Pack's computer cause.
N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe noticed the sagging RPI numbers for the ACC but said his team can't worry about that.
"We have to just concentrate on what we're doing and win as many games as we can," Lowe said. "I know earlier [this season], our RPI was pretty good, and now it's gone down. If we do what we're capable of doing, then that will take care of itself."
State's first ACC game is Saturday against Wake Forest, which ranks No. 270 in the RPI. The good news for the Pack is it has nine games against the six teams ranked in the top 100.
Lowe said despite only one ACC being ranked in the top 25 polls and with four ACC teams in the top 30 of the RPI, the league is still formidable.
"[ACC] games are still important," Lowe said. "Our conference is still tough."
ACC in the RPI:
7. Duke
25. BC
26. Miami
29. UNC
59. VT
86. FSU
111. N.C. State
117. Maryland
123. Virginia
136. Clemson
176. GT
270. Wake Forest
Rankings from collegerpi.com
Comments
Just divide by 7
Mon, 01/03/2011 - 22:13 — dan2Duke should clearly be #1, not #7, so just divide every ranking by 7 to get the must more accurate "adjusted RPI" ranking.
What If?
Mon, 01/03/2011 - 16:25 — Shoreman67Obviously, in my humble opinion, State would have won a couple more games had they had Tracy Smith all season. It will be interesting to see how they play---against quality competition--- now that he is back. It will be difficult to raise that RPI however, as it will mean beating Duke, Carolina, Va. Tech, FSU, etc. at least once each; a tall order for sure.
hard to say
Tue, 01/04/2011 - 02:00 — JPDOhioNo doubt they missed missed Tracy, but there was going to be an adjustment period no matter what. I seem to remember the first game when he was just about invisible. Was that lack of familiarity with the freshmen, Leslie hogging the ball, or was his knee bothering him more than we knew? Who knows?
I do think he did the right thing by staying out until he was fully healthy. Maybe the Pack beats Arizona with him and he could have made a difference against either Georgetown or Syracuse. Or maybe incorporating the freshmen was going to take time no matter what and State ends up in the same place as they are right now.
Looking ahead, they need to forget about RPI and eveything else except the next game. They can't afford to take anyone lightly or look beyond the opponent right in front of them. Anything less than a top 4 finish in the ACC or winning the ACC tourney gets them in the NIT, tops. To get there, they will have to get the wins you refer to. I believe they are capable of doing that, if they focus game by game.