One of the most important elements in determining which teams will make the NCAA tournament cut is the NCAA Net Evaluation Tool (NET). Introduced in 2018 to replace the RPI system, the NET rankings are designed to provide a sharper, more accurate picture of a college basketball team’s strength (and therefore, worthiness to make the field of 68).
The NET rankings are a departure from the RPI in that there are more factors taken into consideration. Wins, losses, strength of schedule and efficiency are all factored into the equation.
Are the NET rankings better? How exactly do they work? Why do they matter for the NCAA tournament?
These are the questions we’ll be answering.
What Are NET Rankings?
Introduced before the start of the 2018 season, the NET rankings became the primary evaluation tool for college basketball teams. In 2020, the NCAA announced that the NET rankings would be adjusted to increase accuracy and reduce the five-component metric down to two.
The Team Value Index (TVI) is a part of the NET rankings, which is solely results based in nature. It rewards teams for quality victories, playing (and winning) on the road and factors in a net efficiency rating.
Previously, the RPI only factored in a team’s winning percentage, the average opponent’s winning percentage and the average opponent’s opponent’s winning percentage.
Something the NET ranking doesn’t take into account is the scheduling. Game one has the same value as game 30, regardless of injuries, suspensions, etc.
How Are NET Rankings Calculated?
The formula/algorithm isn’t made public, so there’s no way of knowing exactly how the NET rankings are calculated.
However, we know that a team’s NET rating does play a role on Selection Sunday. How big of a deal is it to the selection committee? We’ll never know for sure, but we do know that the quadrant system is a valuable metric.
What Are Quadrants in NET Rankings?
The quadrants are used to determine the quality of a win or loss based on the location of the game and the NET ranking of the opposing team.
How to Track & Interpret NET Rankings Throughout the Season
The NET rankings are available to track on the official NCAA website. They update daily.
Criticisms of NET Rankings
Perhaps the largest criticism of the NET rankings is that the quadrant system is very broad. For example, as of March 15, a road victory at Duke (1) and a road victory at George Mason (73) are worth the same.
Something about that doesn’t really pass the eye test.
The NET rankings are undoubtedly better than the RPI, especially considering the RPI factored in elements that a team couldn’t control. However, it does seem like some revisions need to be made to the quadrant system.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NET Rankings Explained: What Is the NET, What Are Quadrants & More.
