The Schwach Indicator: Feb. 10

This is the fifth week of the Schwach Indicator standings.  For those of you who missed the explanation of this new evaluation tool, here's a quick recap.

As the NCAA Tournament approaches every March, you start hearing college basketball experts talk a lot about top 50 and top 100 wins when discussing a team's possible seed or whether or not a school deserves to be in the Big Dance at all.

I think these two criteria are important as well, but they're not perfect. Why? Because not all top 100 wins are created equal. 

So I set out to create a more precise evaluation system in which teams aren't grouped by 50 or 100, but individually according to their RPI.

I enlisted the help of two friends: Brad Wachtel, Director of Operations at Hoop Group, a New Jersey-based company that organizes basketball camps and runs an NCAA preseason tournament; and Mike Sverdlov, a computer programmer for New York Life.

We came up with the following formula.

For each victory, a team receives the number of points equal to their opponent's RPI rank subtracted from 344. So if you beat the RPI's 144th-ranked team, you receive 200 points.  Beat them at a neutral site, and you multiply that number by 1.25. Beat them on the road and multiply the number by 1.5.

For each loss, a team receives a deduction of the exact number of points equal to their opponent's RPI rank. So you better not lose to the RPI's 300th-ranked team, or you'll lose 300 points. Lose to the top team in the country? No sweat, you drop only one point. But lose at home, and that number is multiplied by 1.5.

This way teams are rewarded for beating better teams (especially on the road) and punished for losing to worse teams (especially at home). 

Mosang Miles put together an interesting slideshow article last week grouping teams by conferences and ranking the leagues based on the Schwach Indicator.

Without further ado, let's get to the rankings through action on Monday, Feb. 9.

1    Connecticut    6481.25
2    Oklahoma    6105.50
3    Pittsburgh    6012.25
4    North Carolina    5573.50
5    Duke    5477.00
6    Xavier    5465.25
7    Memphis    5308.50
8    Michigan State    5286.00
9    Louisville    4773.50
10    Butler    4740.50
11    Clemson    4589.00
12    Villanova    4554.50
13    Marquette    4489.00
14    Wake Forest    4439.25
15    Missouri    4411.00
16    UCLA    4323.75
17    Arizona State    4287.25
18    Illinois    4157.50
19    Florida State    4156.25
20    West Virginia    4118.25
21    Kansas    4090.50
22    Dayton    4031.50
23    Ohio State    4013.75
24    Syracuse    4002.75
25    California    3980.50
26    Washington    3944.50
27    Siena    3838.00
28    Minnesota    3786.75
29    Utah    3746.25
30    Purdue    3734.75
31    Utah State    3649.00
32    Boston College    3637.75
33    Gonzaga    3556.75
34    Creighton    3539.75
35    Tennessee    3356.00
36    UNLV    3353.00
37    Florida    3326.25
38    Texas    3298.50
39    Brigham Young    3293.50
40    Saint Mary's    3205.75
41    LSU    3184.00
42    Virginia Tech    3159.50
43    Davidson    3120.00
44    Wisconsin    3112.50
45    Niagara    3090.75
46    USC    3066.50
47    Arizona    3063.50
48    UAB    2986.50
49    Cincinnati    2983.00
50    Georgetown    2931.25
51    South Carolina    2920.50
52    Penn State    2864.50
53    Tulsa    2823.75
54    Illinois State    2820.25
55    Kentucky    2779.25
56    Texas A&M    2777.50
57    Wisconsin-Green Bay    2775.00
58    Northern Iowa    2702.50
59    Northeastern    2663.50
60    Mississippi State    2651.00
61    Oklahoma State    2645.50
62    Maryland    2590.75
63    San Diego State    2585.75
64    Miami (FL)    2558.50
65    Kansas State    2538.00
66    Michigan    2463.75
67    Rhode Island    2445.50
68    Saint Joseph's    2433.50
69    Buffalo    2425.75
70    New Mexico    2423.50
71    Temple    2399.25
72    Providence    2367.50
73    Virginia Commonwealth    2359.00
74    Stanford    2277.00
75    Nebraska    2182.50
76    Baylor    2135.50
77    Miami (OH)    2095.00
78    Vanderbilt    2090.00
79    George Mason    2082.00
80    Northwestern    2052.00
81    UTEP    1973.75
82    Duquesne    1927.50
83    Houston    1915.00
84    Cleveland State    1914.50
85    Western Kentucky    1889.75
86    Washington State    1847.50
87    Evansville    1819.00
88    Fairfield    1779.00
89    Mississippi    1742.00
90    Iowa    1719.75
91    Drake    1641.50
92    Notre Dame    1601.25
93    Vermont    1596.00
94    Seton Hall    1591.50
95    Hofstra    1532.25
96    Wright State    1506.25
97    Arkansas-Little Rock    1477.50
98    James Madison    1430.25
99    Arkansas    1428.00
100    Boise State    1383.50
101    Old Dominion    1359.00
102    UCF    1321.00
103    TCU    1311.50
104    Virginia Military    1281.50
105    American University    1260.50
106    Auburn    1250.00
107    La Salle    1244.50
108    Milwaukee    1177.75
109    Texas Tech    1172.00
110    Bradley    1163.25
111    North Carolina State    1124.00
112    Drexel    1076.00
113    Rider    1063.00
114    Southern Miss    1020.50
115    Charleston    1005.25
116    San Diego    1003.00
117    North Dakota State    992.50
118    Akron    988.50
119    St. John's    986.25
120    Portland    981.75
121    Cornell    922.50
122    Binghamton    910.00
123    Saint Louis    886.75
124    Wyoming    857.75
125    Stephen F. Austin    849.75
126    Robert Morris    800.00
127    Manhattan    754.50
128    Iowa State    735.50
129    Nevada    730.00
130    Alabama    718.50
131    Weber State    712.50
132    Southern Illinois    672.50
133    Tennessee-Martin    656.50
134    Bowling Green    595.75
135    Ohio    573.00
136    South Florida    563.50
137    Portland State    535.25
138    Middle Tennessee State    527.75
139    Georgia Tech    472.00
140    Navy    466.00
141    Virginia    433.50
142    Liberty    429.00
143    Oakland    421.50
144    St. Bonaventure    403.00
145    East Tennessee State    397.00
146    Boston University    365.50
147    Troy    340.25
148    Albany    281.00
149    New Mexico State    266.00
150    Belmont    261.50
151    Long Beach State    257.00
152    Wichita State    245.50
153    Oregon State    239.50
154    Kent State    230.75
155    East Carolina    223.00
156    Mount St. Mary's    218.00
157    Charlotte    216.00
158    Texas A&M-CC    213.25
159    Rutgers    170.50
160    Massachusetts    150.00
161    Missouri State    113.50
162    Morehead State    99.50
163    Loyola (MD)    88.00
164    Oral Roberts    78.75
165    Richmond    69.50
166    Marshall    54.00
167    Santa Clara    40.00
168    North Texas    24.50
169    Radford    -9.50
170    Sam Houston State    -38.00
171    Pacific    -66.50
172    Arkansas State    -85.50
173    Iona    -89.50
174    South Alabama    -125.75
175    Morgan State    -143.50
176    Oregon    -183.00
177    Texas-San Antonio    -194.00
178    DePaul    -201.75
179    Montana    -203.00
180    Loyola (IL)    -233.25
181    Montana State    -270.00
182    Colorado State    -292.25
183    Chattanooga    -298.00
184    Eastern Kentucky    -317.50
185    Citadel    -323.00
186    Illinois-Chicago    -354.00
187    Murray State    -364.00
188    Austin Peay    -371.00
189    Jacksonville    -380.00
190    Holy Cross    -384.00
191    Wofford    -404.75
192    Georgia    -435.50
193    Indiana    -470.00
194    Idaho    -474.50
195    Cal State Fullerton    -478.00
196    Cal State Northridge    -521.50
197    Colorado    -539.00
198    Western Carolina    -610.75
199    George Washington    -639.00
200    Lehigh    -660.50
201    Hawaii    -704.00
202    UC Riverside    -716.50
203    San Jose State    -741.00
204    Alabama State    -793.50
205    Ball State    -803.00
206    Nicholls State    -867.50
207    Mercer    -871.00
208    UMBC    -911.25
209    Gardner-Webb    -916.50
210    North Carolina-Asheville    -916.50
211    Stony Brook    -938.50
212    Fresno State    -942.50
213    Longwood    -946.50
214    Delaware    -959.50
215    Lamar    -960.00
216    Texas-Arlington    -968.50
217    IUPUI    -977.00
218    San Francisco    -988.25
219    Tulane    -1001.00
220    Princeton    -1016.50
221    Louisiana Tech    -1098.00
222    Air Force    -1103.25
223    Presbyterian    -1109.50
224    UC Santa Barbara    -1146.00
225    Central Connecticut State    -1159.00
226    Appalachian State    -1161.50
227    UC Davis    -1202.25
228    Rice    -1246.25
229    Utah Valley    -1258.50
230    Florida International    -1284.50
231    Stetson    -1297.00
232    Eastern Washington    -1339.00
233    Towson    -1349.00
234    Western Michigan    -1442.00
235    Denver    -1443.25
236    Idaho State    -1470.50
237    Southern Methodist    -1470.50
238    Georgia Southern    -1483.50
239    IPFW    -1498.50
240    Jacksonville State    -1511.50
241    Sacred Heart    -1518.00
242    Jackson State    -1520.25
243    New Hampshire    -1587.50
244    Samford    -1587.50
245    Chicago State    -1602.25
246    Canisius    -1610.50
247    Long Island    -1612.00
248    Yale    -1619.50
249    Detroit    -1627.00
250    Eastern Illinois    -1637.00
251    Valparaiso    -1641.00
252    Harvard    -1658.00
253    Youngstown State    -1658.00
254    Savannah State    -1675.00
255    Pennsylvania    -1707.75
256    Louisiana-Lafayette    -1761.00
257    Centenary    -1774.75
258    Arkansas-Pine Bluff    -1779.50
259    Elon    -1818.50
260    Marist    -1822.75
261    Columbia    -1847.50
262    New Orleans    -1847.50
263    Indiana State    -1854.50
264    St. Peter's    -1874.00
265    UC Irvine    -1893.00
266    South Dakota State    -1903.00
267    Cal Poly    -1906.00
268    McNeese State    -1960.00
269    Northern Colorado    -1985.00
270    Central Arkansas    -1994.25
271    North Carolina-Wilmington    -1994.25
272    Hampton    -2000.50
273    Alabama A&M    -2002.00
274    William & Mary    -2007.25
275    Coppin State    -2008.25
276    Northwestern State    -2096.50
277    North Carolina A&T    -2096.75
278    Norfolk State    -2132.00
279    Southern Utah    -2141.00
280    Southeastern Louisiana    -2190.50
281    Texas State    -2221.50
282    Fordham    -2265.00
283    Georgia State    -2277.50
284    Tennessee Tech    -2279.50
285    Louisiana-Monroe    -2288.00
286    Coastal Carolina    -2313.75
287    Brown    -2319.00
288    Winthrop    -2331.00
289    Lipscomb    -2341.00
290    Bethune-Cookman    -2421.50
291    Maine    -2422.25
292    St. Francis (NY)    -2424.00
293    USC Upstate    -2437.00
294    Campbell    -2503.50
295    Quinnipiac    -2599.50
296    Pepperdine    -2620.50
297    South Carolina State    -2627.50
298    Prairie View A&M    -2631.50
299    Central Michigan    -2650.00
300    Howard    -2662.50
301    Hartford    -2683.25
302    Toledo    -2703.00
303    Northern Illinois    -2771.25
304    Wagner    -2787.00
305    Northern Arizona    -2796.00
306    Bucknell    -2799.00
307    Tennessee State    -2807.00
308    Florida A&M    -2842.00
309    Colgate    -2895.50
310    Cal State Bakersfield    -2938.50
311    Bryant University    -2938.75
312    Lafayette    -2948.50
313    Florida Atlantic    -2981.00
314    Texas-Pan American    -2998.25
315    Charleston Southern    -3011.50
316    Delaware State    -3109.00
317    UMKC    -3124.50
318    Western Illinois    -3147.75
319    Grambling State    -3271.50
320    Army    -3292.00
321    Florida Gulf Coast    -3325.00
322    Dartmouth    -3467.50
323    UNC Greensboro    -3478.50
324    Furman    -3640.50
325    Fairleigh Dickinson    -3665.00
326    St. Francis (PA)    -3690.00
327    Winston-Salem    -3783.00
328    Eastern Michigan    -3826.00
329    Southern University    -3841.50
330    Houston Baptist    -3873.50
331    High Point    -3933.00
332    Kennesaw State    -3955.50
333    Loyola Marymount    -3968.00
334    Mississippi Valley State    -3981.50
335    Maryland-Eastern Shore    -4068.50
336    Monmouth    -4131.25
337    North Florida    -4199.00
338    Alcorn State    -4269.00
339    Texas Southern    -4610.00
340    Southeast Missouri State    -4673.75
341    North Carolina Central    -5020.00
342    Sacramento State    -5499.50
343    N.J.I.T.    -5829.00

Jordan Schwartz is Bleacher Report's New York Yankees Community Leader. His book "Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man" is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at [e-mail]