COLUMN: Men’s basketball must win MAC Tournament to go dancing
One could argue the Central Michigan men’s basketball team has many strengths.
Senior guard Chris Fowler has the ability to distribute the basketball effectively. Junior guard Braylon Rayson can score from any spot on the court. Sophomore guard Josh Kozinski and senior forward John Simons are strong from the 3-point line.
Head Coach Keno Davis has resurrected the program, making CMU a Mid-American Conference contender.
The Chippewas (13-12, 6-6 MAC) have many assets, but may be haunted come MAC Tournament time because of their strength of schedule. With CMU’s breakout season in 2014-15 and all five starters returning, fans held out hope CMU could even compete for an at-large bid in March’s NCAA Tournament.
But even if the Chippewas had dominated like fans dreamed, their strength of schedule would have still left them relying on winning a MAC Championship to advance.
RPI, which stands for Ratings Percentage Index, is a tool used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee to evaluate teams. Better teams tend to have higher RPIs. Sixth-ranked Kansas has the highest RPI at .6687 as of Sunday. The results are updated daily.
According to ESPN, CMU is ranked 94th out of 351 NCAA Division I teams in strength of schedule and is 170th in RPI with a .5015.
CMU has been hampered by its inability to put away good opponents.
Out of CMU’s 10 wins against Division I competition, CBS Sports said only three teams have been ranked in the Top 100 overall. CMU lost to three Top 100 teams and seven teams in the No. 100-190 ranking.
The Chippewas’ worst loss of the season was Nov. 24 when they fell by 28 points to Western Kentucky, ranked No. 190.
ESPN said CMU’s best wins were a 92-81 win against Akron Jan. 12 and a 72-49 downing of Ohio Jan. 23.
Basketball Power Index (BPI) rates teams according to the final score, pace of play, site, strength of opponent and absence of key players in all Division I games.
BPI tracks how teams have performed and predict how they will be going forward.
ESPN says the Chippewas have a BPI of 53.1 and are ranked 164th in the nation. CMU is ranked ninth in the MAC in BPI.
It is also ranked ninth in the MAC for its strength of schedule.
The Chippewas are 1-3 against teams ranked No. 51-100 and 1-7 against foes in the No. 101-150 range, according to ESPN.
That again: CMU is 2-10 against Top 150 opponents, not counting No. 1-49. Not exactly the model NCAA Tournament team.
CMU’s nonconference schedule included Alma College and Aquinas College of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association and Lourdes, a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
The schedule is peppered with teams such as William & Mary and Grand Canyon, all mid-major schools the Chippewas fell to on the road.
CMU did not play a Power Seven school all season. The Power Seven includes the Atlantic Coastal Conference, the Atlantic 10 Conference, the Big 12 Conference, the Big East Conference, the Big 10 Conference, the Pacific 12 Conference and the Southeastern Conference.
In 2014-15 the Chippewas played one team from the Power Seven, beating the Big Ten’s Northwestern 80-67 on Dec. 17, 2014. CMU played 11 nonconference games in 2014 compared to 13 this season.
If CMU wins the MAC Tournament, it automatically qualifies for the NCAA Tournament. The MAC is not a conference that usually sends multiple teams to the Big Dance.
And with CMU’s resume, the only way CMU will move on is if the team is holding the championship trophy in Cleveland.
