Tuesday, March 1, 2011

The Pros & Cons of the RPI - Introduction

The RPI is loved by some, hated by others, and misunderstood by many.  Those who love it usually point to the simplicity of the formula and the fact that it is the one formula that really matters to the Selection Committee.  Those who hate it like to find the outliers; those teams that are extremely over/underrated.  They also point to the fact that a team can move up after a loss or down after a win in the RPI rankings.

The real key to understanding the RPI is to understand what it IS good for and what it IS NOT good for.  As with any computer formula, it has its flaws, and we must be careful not to take its rankings as indisputable facts.  However, it can be a very useful tool when used properly, so we don’t want to make the mistake of disregarding it entirely either.

This post is the first in a series I will be doing on the RPI.  My hope is that it will help clarify the mystery surrounding the formula.  If you have questions or comments, I would love to hear from you and attempt to address your concerns in a future post.  All posts in this series will be available under the “Archive of Cool Stuff” tab at the top of the page.

Continue to "The Pros & Cons of the RPI (Part 1)"
Return to "Archive of Cool Stuff" Main Page

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