The Schwach Indicator: March 11

Cleveland State took a great leap up the Schwach Indicator standings with its win at Butler Tuesday night in the Horizon final. 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, one starts 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). 

Check out Mosang Miles's latest slideshow article 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 Tuesday, March 10.

1    Connecticut    7947.00
2    Pittsburgh    7807.25
3    North Carolina    7738.00
4    Memphis    7415.75
5    Michigan State    7362.25
6    Duke    7205.50
7    Oklahoma    7111.75
8    Louisville    6874.50
9    Villanova    6280.00
10    Wake Forest    6213.75
11    Kansas    5987.50
12    Xavier    5853.50
13    Florida State    5715.25
14    Clemson    5632.00
15    UCLA    5619.25
16    Washington    5553.00
17    Illinois    5490.00
18    Siena    5458.25
19    Gonzaga    5397.00
20    Butler    5312.50
21    Missouri    5302.75
22    Marquette    5208.75
23    Brigham Young    5181.50
24    Creighton    5180.50
25    West Virginia    5160.25
26    Arizona State    5092.25
27    Syracuse    5074.50
28    LSU    5055.50
29    California    4972.00
30    Purdue    4860.00
31    Dayton    4850.00
32    Utah    4805.00
33    Tennessee    4639.00
34    Ohio State    4572.50
35    Texas A&M    4565.00
36    Niagara    4516.75
37    Texas    4420.50
38    Boston College    4313.00
39    Minnesota    4286.25
40    Oklahoma State    4245.75
41    Wisconsin    4210.50
42    Saint Mary's    4208.75
43    Utah State    4165.00
44    Illinois State    4121.50
45    Penn State    4101.25
46    Northern Iowa    4100.75
47    UNLV    3900.50
48    New Mexico    3878.00
49    Temple    3872.00
50    South Carolina    3773.50
51    UAB    3744.75
52    Rhode Island    3743.25
53    Michigan    3725.00
54    Virginia Commonwealth    3710.50
55    Florida    3652.00
56    Arizona    3639.75
57    Tulsa    3560.25
58    Cleveland State    3544.00
59    USC    3525.00
60    Virginia Tech    3500.75
61    Georgetown    3439.25
62    Western Kentucky    3414.25
63    Maryland    3401.25
64    San Diego State    3399.25
65    Auburn    3363.50
66    Kansas State    3350.00
67    Davidson    3346.25
68    Miami (FL)    3201.50
69    Providence    3193.00
70    Mississippi State    3152.75
71    George Mason    3130.50
72    Vanderbilt    3117.00
73    Northwestern    3070.50
74    Kentucky    3064.25
75    Notre Dame    3041.75
76    UTEP    2950.50
77    Cincinnati    2901.00
78    Washington State    2862.00
79    Nebraska    2750.50
80    Wisconsin-Green Bay    2735.00
81    Stanford    2616.50
82    Vermont    2495.50
83    Old Dominion    2459.50
84    Northeastern    2449.50
85    Duquesne    2444.50
86    La Salle    2431.75
87    Hofstra    2368.25
88    Seton Hall    2349.00
89    Houston    2346.00
90    Baylor    2338.50
91    Wright State    2223.25
92    Mississippi    2181.75
93    Nevada    2157.00
94    Bradley    2125.50
95    Saint Joseph's    2112.75
96    North Carolina State    2091.50
97    Arkansas-Little Rock    2035.00
98    Binghamton    2024.25
99    Charleston    2007.00
100    Buffalo    2006.50
101    Iowa    1989.00
102    Alabama    1908.75
103    American University    1888.50
104    Evansville    1841.50
105    St. John's    1826.50
106    Fairfield    1789.00
107    North Dakota State    1788.25
108    Miami (OH)    1661.50
109    Wyoming    1615.00
110    Rider    1532.75
111    Boise State    1397.50
112    Drake    1374.25
113    Saint Louis    1356.50
114    Stephen F. Austin    1321.50
115    Weber State    1267.50
116    James Madison    1201.00
117    Richmond    1192.50
118    Drexel    1172.50
119    Virginia    1141.50
120    UCF    1141.00
121    Arkansas    1121.50
122    Texas Tech    1019.00
123    North Texas    988.75
124    Milwaukee    985.50
125    Iowa State    981.00
126    TCU    975.75
127    Portland    963.25
128    Virginia Military    963.00
129    Robert Morris    956.50
130    Oakland    943.25
131    Wichita State    931.75
132    Akron    918.50
133    Troy    877.50
134    Oregon State    872.00
135    Portland State    867.75
136    Cornell    826.25
137    South Alabama    783.00
138    Kent State    722.00
139    Manhattan    698.50
140    Idaho    665.00
141    New Mexico State    652.00
142    Georgia Tech    649.50
143    Massachusetts    617.50
144    Bowling Green    599.50
145    San Diego    591.25
146    Illinois-Chicago    588.00
147    Southern Illinois    565.50
148    Liberty    488.75
149    St. Bonaventure    462.00
150    Southern Miss    443.50
151    Radford    434.50
152    East Tennessee State    408.25
153    Mount St. Mary's    310.50
154    Texas A&M-CC    298.25
155    Marshall    267.00
156    South Florida    216.25
157    Boston University    207.50
158    Pacific    196.00
159    Georgia    160.25
160    Tennessee-Martin    130.75
161    Citadel    110.75
162    Morgan State    69.25
163    Oregon    67.25
164    Oral Roberts    64.75
165    Middle Tennessee State    64.50
166    Charlotte    58.50
167    Long Beach State    -9.00
168    Albany    -19.50
169    Sam Houston State    -21.50
170    Morehead State    -147.50
171    Nicholls State    -169.00
172    Santa Clara    -169.00
173    Rutgers    -193.00
174    Ohio    -234.75
175    Chattanooga    -253.50
176    Belmont    -255.50
177    UC Santa Barbara    -326.00
178    DePaul    -336.25
179    Tulane    -344.00
180    Murray State    -346.00
181    George Washington    -389.50
182    Navy    -430.50
183    Holy Cross    -446.50
184    Cal State Northridge    -460.00
185    UMBC    -506.75
186    Wofford    -509.50
187    East Carolina    -513.00
188    Louisiana Tech    -521.50
189    UC Riverside    -554.50
190    Jacksonville    -557.00
191    Missouri State    -562.00
192    Colorado State    -595.50
193    Indiana State    -628.75
194    Loyola (IL)    -654.75
195    Loyola (MD)    -682.25
196    Texas-San Antonio    -729.50
197    Iona    -734.25
198    Montana    -734.50
199    Eastern Kentucky    -755.00
200    Stony Brook    -788.00
201    Western Carolina    -834.25
202    Indiana    -879.50
203    Texas-Arlington    -907.00
204    Canisius    -940.50
205    New Hampshire    -955.50
206    Austin Peay    -961.00
207    Alabama State    -977.50
208    Hawaii    -996.00
209    San Jose State    -1059.50
210    Delaware    -1106.00
211    Mercer    -1107.75
212    Montana State    -1113.50
213    Idaho State    -1133.00
214    Sacred Heart    -1137.00
215    North Carolina-Asheville    -1211.00
216    Colorado    -1254.00
217    Towson    -1294.75
218    Cal State Fullerton    -1323.00
219    Lamar    -1362.75
220    St. Peter's    -1366.50
221    Florida International    -1392.50
222    Jackson State    -1404.00
223    IUPUI    -1438.00
224    Denver    -1447.50
225    Presbyterian    -1474.50
226    San Francisco    -1530.00
227    Lipscomb    -1564.50
228    Utah Valley    -1569.50
229    Samford    -1632.75
230    Rice    -1672.75
231    Fresno State    -1673.25
232    Arkansas State    -1674.00
233    Eastern Washington    -1698.00
234    Georgia State    -1704.50
235    Youngstown State    -1726.00
236    UC Irvine    -1732.00
237    Long Island    -1753.50
238    Marist    -1779.00
239    Valparaiso    -1857.50
240    William & Mary    -1894.50
241    Southern Methodist    -1901.00
242    Air Force    -1910.50
243    Chicago State    -1954.00
244    Yale    -1965.50
245    IPFW    -1989.50
246    Lehigh    -2000.50
247    UC Davis    -2015.50
248    Coppin State    -2025.50
249    Texas State    -2032.50
250    Harvard    -2045.50
251    Appalachian State    -2079.50
252    Gardner-Webb    -2136.50
253    Ball State    -2181.50
254    Northern Colorado    -2255.00
255    Campbell    -2292.00
256    Stetson    -2319.00
257    Longwood    -2361.25
258    Savannah State    -2388.00
259    Wagner    -2395.00
260    New Orleans    -2428.50
261    Winthrop    -2448.00
262    Louisiana-Lafayette    -2449.50
263    Central Connecticut State    -2453.50
264    South Carolina State    -2492.00
265    North Carolina A&T    -2540.00
266    Southern Utah    -2542.50
267    Quinnipiac    -2546.50
268    Elon    -2555.00
269    South Dakota State    -2599.00
270    Princeton    -2612.50
271    Southeastern Louisiana    -2676.50
272    North Carolina-Wilmington    -2695.50
273    Columbia    -2698.00
274    Tennessee State    -2709.00
275    Pepperdine    -2755.50
276    Hampton    -2760.75
277    Arkansas-Pine Bluff    -2793.00
278    Detroit    -2795.00
279    Bethune-Cookman    -2838.75
280    Georgia Southern    -2877.50
281    Jacksonville State    -2885.00
282    Prairie View A&M    -2885.00
283    McNeese State    -3033.50
284    Louisiana-Monroe    -3042.50
285    Eastern Illinois    -3049.00
286    Pennsylvania    -3118.50
287    Maine    -3134.25
288    USC Upstate    -3138.00
289    Cal State Bakersfield    -3149.00
290    Western Michigan    -3173.00
291    Northern Arizona    -3188.50
292    Centenary    -3283.50
293    Coastal Carolina    -3324.50
294    Brown    -3334.50
295    Central Michigan    -3362.25
296    Tennessee Tech    -3365.50
297    Fordham    -3375.00
298    Central Arkansas    -3387.75
299    St. Francis (NY)    -3404.50
300    Texas-Pan American    -3519.00
301    Norfolk State    -3544.00
302    Florida A&M    -3621.50
303    Northwestern State    -3626.75
304    Army    -3632.00
305    Hartford    -3668.25
306    Cal Poly    -3763.00
307    Bucknell    -3771.50
308    Florida Atlantic    -3813.25
309    Charleston Southern    -3819.50
310    Northern Illinois    -3820.50
311    Toledo    -3858.50
312    Lafayette    -3859.50
313    Colgate    -3862.00
314    Florida Gulf Coast    -3866.00
315    UMKC    -3971.25
316    Alabama A&M    -4020.50
317    Bryant University    -4061.75
318    Western Illinois    -4138.00
319    Loyola Marymount    -4189.00
320    Dartmouth    -4239.00
321    High Point    -4438.00
322    Delaware State    -4477.00
323    Eastern Michigan    -4490.50
324    Houston Baptist    -4512.50
325    North Florida    -4535.00
326    Furman    -4547.00
327    Howard    -4631.00
328    Monmouth    -4698.75
329    Fairleigh Dickinson    -4726.50
330    UNC Greensboro    -4745.00
331    St. Francis (PA)    -4763.50
332    Southern University    -4831.50
333    Mississippi Valley State    -4892.50
334    Texas Southern    -5293.50
335    Winston-Salem    -5409.00
336    Kennesaw State    -5540.00
337    Grambling State    -5793.25
338    Maryland-Eastern Shore    -5937.50
339    North Carolina Central    -5954.00
340    Alcorn State    -6083.50
341    Sacramento State    -6478.00
342    Southeast Missouri State    -6612.50
343    N.J.I.T.    -8826.50

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]