The Schwach Indicator: Feb. 17

This is the sixth 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. 16.

1    Connecticut    7198.75
2    Pittsburgh    6801.25
3    Oklahoma    6694.25
4    North Carolina    6627.00
5    Memphis    5881.00
6    Michigan State    5709.25
7    Xavier    5495.50
8    Duke    5409.25
9    Clemson    4966.50
10    Villanova    4900.50
11    Illinois    4894.50
12    Arizona State    4893.25
13    Louisville    4807.50
14    Wake Forest    4734.25
15    Marquette    4706.00
16    Missouri    4662.50
17    Butler    4618.00
18    Kansas    4536.00
19    Dayton    4519.50
20    Florida State    4413.75
21    Washington    4404.50
22    Syracuse    4395.00
23    West Virginia    4370.50
24    Purdue    4360.50
25    Siena    4334.50
26    California    4271.00
27    UCLA    4211.75
28    Gonzaga    4171.25
29    Utah    4142.00
30    Creighton    4008.25
31    Boston College    3931.25
32    LSU    3924.50
33    Ohio State    3915.25
34    Brigham Young    3865.50
35    Minnesota    3855.00
36    Tennessee    3827.50
37    UNLV    3767.00
38    Niagara    3752.50
39    Utah State    3735.50
40    Texas    3714.50
41    Arizona    3645.75
42    Wisconsin    3556.00
43    Illinois State    3426.00
44    Davidson    3425.50
45    Virginia Tech    3352.50
46    Kentucky    3322.75
47    Saint Mary's    3314.75
48    Temple    3270.00
49    South Carolina    3230.50
50    Penn State    3215.00
51    Cincinnati    3158.50
52    UAB    3133.50
53    Florida    3057.75
54    USC    3006.75
55    Texas A&M    2986.25
56    Maryland    2930.75
57    Providence    2924.50
58    Georgetown    2917.00
59    Rhode Island    2849.00
60    Oklahoma State    2839.25
61    Michigan    2828.50
62    Kansas State    2762.00
63    San Diego State    2745.50
64    Northern Iowa    2714.25
65    Tulsa    2629.00
66    New Mexico    2617.50
67    Virginia Commonwealth    2509.75
68    Miami (FL)    2492.25
69    Wisconsin-Green Bay    2477.50
70    Northeastern    2431.00
71    Mississippi State    2425.25
72    Baylor    2394.25
73    Cleveland State    2354.00
74    Buffalo    2328.50
75    UTEP    2319.50
76    Saint Joseph's    2305.25
77    Stanford    2235.00
78    George Mason    2177.50
79    Nebraska    2135.50
80    Notre Dame    2111.25
81    Houston    2105.25
82    Vermont    2056.00
83    Hofstra    2016.50
84    Vanderbilt    2014.50
85    Washington State    1975.25
86    Wright State    1974.25
87    Seton Hall    1904.50
88    Miami (OH)    1887.25
89    Northwestern    1881.50
90    Arkansas-Little Rock    1783.00
91    Western Kentucky    1782.50
92    La Salle    1732.00
93    Auburn    1719.00
94    Duquesne    1703.50
95    North Carolina State    1689.00
96    Mississippi    1668.00
97    Iowa    1651.50
98    Drexel    1628.50
99    Boise State    1585.50
100    Fairfield    1557.25
101    UCF    1505.75
102    Evansville    1499.00
103    Old Dominion    1479.50
104    American University    1438.50
105    Binghamton    1407.50
106    James Madison    1404.25
107    Bradley    1265.25
108    TCU    1204.00
109    Arkansas    1197.00
110    Drake    1190.50
111    Robert Morris    1175.00
112    Nevada    1171.50
113    Cornell    1105.50
114    Portland    1086.50
115    Charleston    1076.25
116    Saint Louis    1046.50
117    Texas Tech    1037.50
118    Weber State    1027.00
119    Manhattan    1010.00
120    Southern Miss    996.25
121    St. John's    936.50
122    Milwaukee    910.00
123    Akron    856.00
124    Virginia Military    822.00
125    Wyoming    774.75
126    Iowa State    774.00
127    Troy    757.50
128    Rider    742.50
129    Tennessee-Martin    733.75
130    Virginia    729.00
131    Alabama    673.25
132    New Mexico State    658.00
133    North Dakota State    654.00
134    Stephen F. Austin    625.50
135    Wichita State    552.75
136    St. Bonaventure    535.00
137    Oregon State    531.00
138    Liberty    516.00
139    North Texas    498.50
140    Oakland    496.00
141    Southern Illinois    445.00
142    South Florida    415.75
143    San Diego    410.00
144    Mount St. Mary's    357.50
145    Georgia Tech    353.50
146    Ohio    333.75
147    Kent State    319.25
148    Iona    271.00
149    Portland State    256.75
150    Oral Roberts    234.50
151    Navy    227.00
152    Richmond    226.50
153    Charlotte    220.00
154    Pacific    207.00
155    Boston University    186.50
156    Belmont    170.50
157    Massachusetts    153.00
158    Radford    137.50
159    Rutgers    126.00
160    Morehead State    115.50
161    East Carolina    115.00
162    Middle Tennessee State    108.50
163    Long Beach State    101.00
164    Citadel    91.25
165    Bowling Green    58.25
166    Texas A&M-CC    57.50
167    South Alabama    51.25
168    Sam Houston State    6.50
169    Albany    -68.00
170    Morgan State    -76.00
171    East Tennessee State    -82.00
172    Loyola (IL)    -95.25
173    Marshall    -119.50
174    Illinois-Chicago    -128.50
175    Georgia    -167.75
176    Murray State    -175.00
177    Chattanooga    -180.00
178    Montana    -191.00
179    Eastern Kentucky    -230.00
180    Santa Clara    -276.50
181    Loyola (MD)    -284.50
182    DePaul    -296.75
183    Cal State Northridge    -300.50
184    Oregon    -319.00
185    Idaho    -323.50
186    Texas-San Antonio    -348.00
187    Wofford    -381.25
188    Colorado State    -400.00
189    Montana State    -429.50
190    Missouri State    -442.00
191    Arkansas State    -448.00
192    Cal State Fullerton    -468.00
193    Nicholls State    -543.50
194    Indiana    -569.50
195    Western Carolina    -587.75
196    Mercer    -626.50
197    UC Riverside    -637.50
198    UMBC    -646.00
199    Stony Brook    -699.00
200    Hawaii    -741.50
201    Jacksonville    -741.50
202    Texas-Arlington    -746.50
203    Ball State    -760.00
204    Lehigh    -778.50
205    Holy Cross    -779.50
206    Colorado    -833.00
207    Delaware    -849.75
208    Alabama State    -853.75
209    George Washington    -887.50
210    Austin Peay    -917.00
211    Tulane    -956.50
212    UC Santa Barbara    -975.50
213    IUPUI    -989.50
214    North Carolina-Asheville    -1063.00
215    Presbyterian    -1098.50
216    Utah Valley    -1108.50
217    Louisiana Tech    -1119.00
218    Idaho State    -1160.50
219    San Jose State    -1166.50
220    Air Force    -1218.00
221    Youngstown State    -1263.50
222    San Francisco    -1273.75
223    Fresno State    -1322.50
224    Towson    -1335.50
225    Western Michigan    -1338.50
226    St. Peter's    -1352.00
227    UC Davis    -1360.25
228    Canisius    -1364.50
229    Long Island    -1371.00
230    Indiana State    -1386.75
231    Central Connecticut State    -1395.00
232    Rice    -1419.00
233    Florida International    -1427.50
234    Lamar    -1427.50
235    Samford    -1445.50
236    Jackson State    -1452.25
237    New Hampshire    -1516.00
238    Chicago State    -1531.75
239    Sacred Heart    -1534.50
240    Pennsylvania    -1545.25
241    Stetson    -1590.50
242    Marist    -1594.50
243    Denver    -1610.00
244    Longwood    -1610.25
245    Gardner-Webb    -1611.50
246    Princeton    -1629.00
247    Eastern Washington    -1645.50
248    Columbia    -1677.50
249    Appalachian State    -1678.00
250    IPFW    -1724.50
251    Louisiana-Lafayette    -1748.00
252    Detroit    -1780.50
253    Valparaiso    -1799.00
254    South Dakota State    -1801.00
255    Yale    -1862.50
256    Lipscomb    -1873.50
257    Coppin State    -1907.50
258    Jacksonville State    -1949.00
259    Southern Methodist    -1960.50
260    McNeese State    -1972.00
261    Northern Colorado    -1980.00
262    North Carolina A&T    -1982.75
263    Georgia Southern    -2016.75
264    William & Mary    -2043.50
265    Southern Utah    -2097.50
266    Eastern Illinois    -2104.00
267    Harvard    -2158.00
268    New Orleans    -2170.50
269    Elon    -2218.00
270    Hampton    -2250.50
271    Arkansas-Pine Bluff    -2255.00
272    Maine    -2268.25
273    Texas State    -2279.00
274    Alabama A&M    -2280.00
275    UC Irvine    -2287.00
276    Northwestern State    -2293.75
277    Cal Poly    -2312.50
278    Pepperdine    -2316.50
279    Louisiana-Monroe    -2369.50
280    Southeastern Louisiana    -2369.50
281    Georgia State    -2378.50
282    North Carolina-Wilmington    -2403.75
283    St. Francis (NY)    -2412.50
284    Coastal Carolina    -2450.00
285    Savannah State    -2452.50
286    Centenary    -2515.50
287    South Carolina State    -2521.50
288    Tennessee State    -2535.00
289    Brown    -2550.50
290    Winthrop    -2551.00
291    Campbell    -2566.00
292    Quinnipiac    -2572.50
293    Fordham    -2597.00
294    Tennessee Tech    -2628.00
295    Central Michigan    -2639.50
296    Bucknell    -2673.50
297    Central Arkansas    -2690.75
298    Northern Illinois    -2758.50
299    Wagner    -2849.50
300    Bethune-Cookman    -2856.50
301    Prairie View A&M    -2878.00
302    Norfolk State    -2879.50
303    USC Upstate    -2932.00
304    Colgate    -2936.00
305    Northern Arizona    -2964.00
306    Florida Atlantic    -3009.00
307    Cal State Bakersfield    -3033.50
308    Hartford    -3090.25
309    Toledo    -3110.00
310    Texas-Pan American    -3175.75
311    Western Illinois    -3205.25
312    Howard    -3236.00
313    Florida A&M    -3336.50
314    Lafayette    -3355.50
315    UMKC    -3472.25
316    Army    -3476.00
317    Delaware State    -3507.00
318    Charleston Southern    -3551.00
319    High Point    -3564.50
320    Florida Gulf Coast    -3593.00
321    Bryant University    -3619.50
322    Eastern Michigan    -3623.00
323    Fairleigh Dickinson    -3641.50
324    Furman    -3659.50
325    Dartmouth    -3868.00
326    Houston Baptist    -3888.00
327    Mississippi Valley State    -3910.00
328    UNC Greensboro    -3954.00
329    Southern University    -4049.50
330    Loyola Marymount    -4102.50
331    Winston-Salem    -4103.00
332    St. Francis (PA)    -4249.50
333    Grambling State    -4284.50
334    North Florida    -4333.00
335    Kennesaw State    -4498.00
336    Monmouth    -4511.75
337    Maryland-Eastern Shore    -4566.00
338    Alcorn State    -4844.50
339    Texas Southern    -4860.50
340    North Carolina Central    -5005.00
341    Southeast Missouri State    -5171.25
342    Sacramento State    -6066.00
343    N.J.I.T.    -6505.50

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]