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Greenberg says RPI criteria don't add up

By PETE YOUNG, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 19, 2002

TAMPA -- Men's basketball coach Seth Greenberg is an outspoken critic of the Ratings Percentage Index, the formula used to assist in selecting the NCAA Tournament field.

Greenberg

Greenberg wrote an Internet article ripping it a few weeks ago on collegeinsider.com. Why? Because it doesn't factor things such as margin of victory, home or away games, or time of year (late-season vs. early-season games).

RPI measures just one thing: winning percentages. It is 25 percent your winning percentage, 50 percent your opponents' (collective) winning percentage, 25 percent your opponents' opponents winning percentage. Most basketball observers consider it to be a poorer gauge than most computer formulas.

"To me, if we're going to come up with some kind of formula -- and I think there needs to be one -- then let's get some basketball people to sit down in a room and get a computer guy or a math guy in there too," Greenberg said. "Then come up with the criteria, weight the criteria and go from there.

"Let's create a criteria that is the best criteria."

Because the RPI is the only computer ranking used by the NCAA selection committee, the sport seems to revolve around it late in the season.

"The obsession with the RPI -- my wife looks at the thing now," Greenberg said.

Greenberg is playing by the RPI's rules this season. Recognizing its enormous emphasis on opponents' winning percentage, he upgraded USF's non-Conference USA schedule to include games with California, Florida and Syracuse.

Those three schools are doing well, and Pittsburgh has been a bonus. USF (17-8, 7-5) defeated the Panthers at a tournament in November. It wasn't considered huge at the time, but Pitt has emerged as the top team in the Big East (21-4 record, No. 9 RPI).

With four regular-season games remaining, the Bulls, according to collegerpi.com, have an RPI of 45. Right on the bubble.

THE NEXT LEVEL: Senior guard/forward Altron Jackson is projected to be the No. 33 selection in the NBA draft, the fourth pick in the second round. He's rated ahead of notables such as Cincinnati's Steve Logan and Maryland's Juan Dixon, according to nbadraft.net.

TO THE WIRE: Logan and Jackson are competing to be C-USA's all-time leading scorer. Jackson leads with 1,874 points, Logan is No. 2 with 1,803. If Cincinnati, ranked No. 4 in the nation, advances further in the postseason, the extra games could help Logan catch Jackson.

TURNAROUND: The baseball team (2-3) earned its first two victories last weekend at Jacksonville, outscoring the Dolphins 18-5. John Gorham allowed one run in a complete-game 6-1 win Saturday and was named the C-USA player of the week. Former Jesuit star pitcher and Stanford transfer Ryan Gloger, who has had a sore forearm, is slated to start in his first appearance for USF at 3 p.m. today at Red McEwen Field against Jacksonville.

BACK HOME: The Bulls (5-9-1), who were 2-3 at the prestigious Arizona Classic last weekend, host their second tournament of the year this weekend. USF opens at 2 p.m. Friday against Coastal Carolina.

WRONG WAY: Numerous injuries have led to a poor second half for the women's basketball team. The Bulls are 13-12 overall and 3-9 in C-USA after starting the season 11-3.

USF likely will play in the conference tournament March 1-4 in Chicago (12 of the league's 14 teams qualify) if it wins one of the final two games, at home Friday against Saint Louis (7 p.m.) and Sunday against Memphis (2 p.m.).

-- Pete Young covers USF sports. He can be reached at (813) 226-3346 or via e-mail at young@sptimes.com.

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