Last year I began tracking a 5-year weighted rolling average to rank all Division 1 college basketball teams to try to get a picture of our overall standing in the sport with a wider lens to look through than just the most recently completed season.
Essentially, the formula I use ranks teams based on their regular season performance in each of the past five seasons, and then applies bonus points based on NCAA/NIT appearances and results. The most recently completed season is weighted the highest, with descending weights applied for each season in the last five years. Total max score is 240 (virtually impossible to obtain). For this rankings period, the oldest season under consideration is the 2012-13 season.
At the end of last year, for the 5-year window spanning the 2011-12 season through the 2015-16 season, we ranked 71st nationally. For this most recent 5-year rankings period, our 2012 NIT team is no longer under consideration and we have stacked in its place a second season featuring an NCAA Tournament win. That allowed us to climb 20 spots to 51st nationally in this most recent 5-year rankings period.
Below are some excerpts of the rankings. I always like to measure us against other C-USA schools, other G-5 conference schools (i.e. non-Power conference schools that also play FBS football), and other schools in the state of Tennessee.
Here is the breakdown:
National Top 25 (2012-2016 Rank in Parentheses):
1) North Carolina (5)
2) Kentucky (1)
3) Gonzaga (14)
4) Wisconsin (2)
5) Villanova (6)
6) Duke (3)
7) Oregon (19)
8) Kansas (8)
9) Louisville (4)
10) Michigan State (7)
11) Arizona (10)
12) Florida (15)
13) Virginia (13)
14) Wichita State (12)
15) Syracuse (9)
16) Michigan (17)
17) Oklahoma (11)
18) Notre Dame (18)
19) Xavier (24)
20) Iowa State (21)
21) Baylor (23)
22) Connecticut (16)
23) West Virginia (32)
24) UCLA (30)
25) Butler (39)
MT ranks 51st nationally, just ahead of Georgetown and just behind Texas A&M.
C-USA rankings (national ranking in parentheses):
1) Middle Tennessee (51)
2) Louisiana Tech (106)
3) UAB (120)
4) Old Dominion (139)
5) UTEP (165)
6) Western Kentucky (167)
7) Charlotte (193)
8) Marshall (210)
9) FIU (252)
10) Southern Miss (259)
11) Rice (266)
12) FAU (298)
13) UTSA (299)
14) North Texas (302)
State of Tennessee Rankings (National ranking in parentheses):
1) Middle Tennessee (51)
2) Vanderbilt (54)
3) Tennessee (66)
4) Memphis (70)
5) Belmont (84)
6) East Tennessee State (137)
7) Chattanooga (151)
8) Tennessee State (241)
9) Tennessee Tech (251)
10) Austin Peay (253)
11) UT-Martin (257)
12) Lipscomb (269)
G-5 Top 20 Rankings (National ranking in parentheses):
1) Connecticut (22)
2) Cincinnati (28)
3) San Diego State (37)
4) SMU (40)
5) Middle Tennessee (51)
6) BYU (55)
7) New Mexico State (58)
8) Memphis (70)
9) Temple (75)
10) Boise State (79)
11) Tulsa (80)
12) Colorado State (87)
13) New Mexico (90)
14) Buffalo (93)
15) Georgia State (102)
16) Akron (105)
17) Louisiana Tech (106)
18) Houston (111)
19) Fresno State (113)
20) Nevada (114)
Essentially, the formula I use ranks teams based on their regular season performance in each of the past five seasons, and then applies bonus points based on NCAA/NIT appearances and results. The most recently completed season is weighted the highest, with descending weights applied for each season in the last five years. Total max score is 240 (virtually impossible to obtain). For this rankings period, the oldest season under consideration is the 2012-13 season.
At the end of last year, for the 5-year window spanning the 2011-12 season through the 2015-16 season, we ranked 71st nationally. For this most recent 5-year rankings period, our 2012 NIT team is no longer under consideration and we have stacked in its place a second season featuring an NCAA Tournament win. That allowed us to climb 20 spots to 51st nationally in this most recent 5-year rankings period.
Below are some excerpts of the rankings. I always like to measure us against other C-USA schools, other G-5 conference schools (i.e. non-Power conference schools that also play FBS football), and other schools in the state of Tennessee.
Here is the breakdown:
National Top 25 (2012-2016 Rank in Parentheses):
1) North Carolina (5)
2) Kentucky (1)
3) Gonzaga (14)
4) Wisconsin (2)
5) Villanova (6)
6) Duke (3)
7) Oregon (19)
8) Kansas (8)
9) Louisville (4)
10) Michigan State (7)
11) Arizona (10)
12) Florida (15)
13) Virginia (13)
14) Wichita State (12)
15) Syracuse (9)
16) Michigan (17)
17) Oklahoma (11)
18) Notre Dame (18)
19) Xavier (24)
20) Iowa State (21)
21) Baylor (23)
22) Connecticut (16)
23) West Virginia (32)
24) UCLA (30)
25) Butler (39)
MT ranks 51st nationally, just ahead of Georgetown and just behind Texas A&M.
C-USA rankings (national ranking in parentheses):
1) Middle Tennessee (51)
2) Louisiana Tech (106)
3) UAB (120)
4) Old Dominion (139)
5) UTEP (165)
6) Western Kentucky (167)
7) Charlotte (193)
8) Marshall (210)
9) FIU (252)
10) Southern Miss (259)
11) Rice (266)
12) FAU (298)
13) UTSA (299)
14) North Texas (302)
State of Tennessee Rankings (National ranking in parentheses):
1) Middle Tennessee (51)
2) Vanderbilt (54)
3) Tennessee (66)
4) Memphis (70)
5) Belmont (84)
6) East Tennessee State (137)
7) Chattanooga (151)
8) Tennessee State (241)
9) Tennessee Tech (251)
10) Austin Peay (253)
11) UT-Martin (257)
12) Lipscomb (269)
G-5 Top 20 Rankings (National ranking in parentheses):
1) Connecticut (22)
2) Cincinnati (28)
3) San Diego State (37)
4) SMU (40)
5) Middle Tennessee (51)
6) BYU (55)
7) New Mexico State (58)
8) Memphis (70)
9) Temple (75)
10) Boise State (79)
11) Tulsa (80)
12) Colorado State (87)
13) New Mexico (90)
14) Buffalo (93)
15) Georgia State (102)
16) Akron (105)
17) Louisiana Tech (106)
18) Houston (111)
19) Fresno State (113)
20) Nevada (114)
