
In basketball, the term S-Rank refers to the Strength of Schedule (SOS) Rankings, which is a system used to evaluate teams based on the difficulty of their opponents and the locations of their games. The SOS Rankings are often used in conjunction with other ranking systems, such as the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, to provide a more comprehensive assessment of a team's performance. These ranking systems take into account various factors, including opponent strength, site of each game, pace of play, travel distance, and day's rest, to predict outcomes and establish a team's resume. The rankings are updated daily, reflecting the dynamic nature of the sport and the continuous pursuit of accuracy in evaluating team performance.
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What You'll Learn

NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings
The NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings are a system used to rank college basketball teams. The rankings were introduced in 2018 to replace the RPI system and provide a more accurate evaluation of a team's strength and worthiness to make the NCAA tournament cut. The NET rankings take into account more factors than the RPI, including wins, losses, strength of schedule, and efficiency.
The NET rankings are the primary sorting tool for Division I men's and women's basketball, playing an important role in establishing a team's resume. The rankings are updated daily and are available on the official NCAA website.
The NET rankings system was improved in 2018 after consultation with basketball experts and Google Cloud Professional Services. The updated system uses machine learning techniques to predict game outcomes and optimize accuracy. The model does not include game date or game order, so a team's first game counts the same as its 30th.
In May 2020, the NCAA announced changes to the NET rankings to increase accuracy and simplify the metric by reducing the number of components from five to two. The remaining factors include the Team Value Index (TVI), which rewards teams for beating quality opponents, especially away from home, and an adjusted net efficiency rating. The adjusted efficiency takes into account the strength of the opponent and the location of the game, with higher ratings given for efficiency against stronger opponents and on the road.
The strength of schedule (SOS) in the NET rankings is based on rating every game on a team's schedule for how difficult it would be for an NCAA tournament-caliber team to win. It considers the opponent's strength and the site of each game, assigning a difficulty score. These scores are aggregated to get an expected win percentage versus a team's schedule, which can be ranked to determine the strength of the schedule.
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Strength of Schedule (SOS) rankings
The SOS rankings provide valuable context to a team's performance, helping to assess their accomplishments based on the calibre of opponents they have faced. It is an important factor in college basketball, where it plays a role in the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, which is the primary tool for evaluating teams. The NET rankings also consider a team's performance relative to the quality of their opponents and the location of the games, rewarding teams for beating strong opponents, especially away from home.
In recent years, there has been a transition in college basketball, with an increase in diversity among players, including talented European prospects entering the scene. This has likely influenced the complexity of the SOS rankings, as the pool of opponents expands and the competition becomes more global.
The SOS rankings are not static and are updated throughout the season as teams progress and their performances are evaluated. Various sources provide SOS rankings for college basketball, including WarrenNolan.com and TeamRankings.com, which offer detailed breakdowns of a team's schedule strength.
While the SOS rankings are a useful tool, they should be considered alongside other metrics and factors that contribute to a team's overall performance and success. For example, the College Basketball Power Index (BPI) measures team strength and predicts future performance, while also accounting for factors such as opponent strength, pace of play, site, travel distance, and rest days. By combining the insights from SOS rankings with other analytical tools, a more comprehensive understanding of a team's capabilities and potential can be achieved.
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College Basketball Power Index (BPI)
The College Basketball Power Index, or BPI, is a measure of team strength meant to predict future performance. It represents how many points a team is above or below average. The BPI is calculated using Strength of Record (SOR), which measures a team's accomplishments based on how difficult their win-loss record is to achieve.
Game predictions are made by simulating the season 10,000 times and producing season projections. These predictions account for various factors, including opponent strength, pace of play, site, travel distance, day's rest, and altitude. The numbers are updated daily.
The BPI is designed to provide an accurate assessment of a team's strength and performance potential. It considers the team's record and the difficulty of their schedule, including the strength of their opponents and the location of each game. By simulating the season multiple times, the BPI aims to predict the likelihood of a team's future success.
In addition to the BPI, other ranking systems are also used in college basketball. One example is the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, which replaced the RPI rankings as the primary sorting tool for evaluating teams. The NET rankings consider the Team Value Index (TVI), rewarding teams for beating quality opponents, especially away from home. It also includes an adjusted net efficiency rating, taking into account the strength of opponents and location across all games played.
The Strength of Schedule (SOS) is another ranking factor that assesses the difficulty of a team's schedule. It considers the opponent's strength, game location, day's rest, travel distance, and altitude. The SOS provides a measure of how challenging it is for a team to achieve success against their opponents.
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Team Value Index (TVI)
The NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) ranking system is used to evaluate and rank college basketball teams. NET replaced the Rating Percentage Index (RPI) system in 2018, introducing a more sophisticated metric. The NET rankings serve as the primary tool for evaluating Division I men's basketball teams and play a crucial role in establishing a team's resume.
The NET rankings system underwent changes in May 2020, reducing the original five components to just two: the Team Value Index (TVI) and adjusted net efficiency. The TVI is a results-oriented element of the NET, rewarding teams for defeating quality opponents, especially when playing away from home. It is designed to recognize and value teams that outperform other strong teams.
The TVI algorithm considers various factors, including the opponent's strength, the location of the game (home, away, or neutral), and the winner to generate a TVI score. While the exact formula for calculating NET rankings is not publicly disclosed by the NCAA, it is known that the TVI specifically focuses on results against Division I opponents.
The Team Value Index is an essential component of the NET rankings, helping to differentiate teams based on their performance against quality opponents. It provides a quantitative measure of a team's success and the difficulty of their schedule. By rewarding teams for beating strong opponents, the TVI incentivizes challenging matchups and encourages teams to strive for victories that will boost their ranking.
In summary, the Team Value Index (TVI) is a critical aspect of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings in college basketball. It emphasizes results, rewarding teams for defeating strong opponents, particularly in away games. While the exact calculation remains proprietary, the TVI plays a pivotal role in assessing the quality and success of a basketball team.
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Player rankings
One notable ranking system is the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, which is the primary sorting tool for evaluating teams in NCAA Division I Men's Basketball. The NET rankings consider various factors, including the Team Value Index (TVI) and adjusted net efficiency. The TVI rewards teams for defeating strong opponents, especially away from home, while adjusted net efficiency accounts for the strength of opponents and location, with higher efficiency values against stronger teams being rated more highly.
In addition to team rankings, individual player rankings, such as those published by SBNation.com, recognise the top players in tournaments like March Madness. These rankings consider a range of factors, including players' statistics, performance in key moments, and overall impact on their team's success. Player rankings also take into account unique strengths and diverse backgrounds, recognising that modern college basketball stars come from a wide range of backgrounds and playing styles.
Other ranking systems, like the College Basketball Power Index (BPI), focus on predicting future team performance. The BPI measures a team's strength relative to the average, taking into account factors such as opponent strength, pace of play, site, travel distance, day's rest, and altitude. This data is used to simulate the season multiple times and produce projections. Strength of Schedule (SOS) rankings also provide an additional layer of analysis, assessing the difficulty of a team's schedule and the calibre of their opponents.
Overall, player and team rankings in basketball are a dynamic and complex aspect of the sport, providing valuable insights for fans, coaches, and analysts alike. These rankings are continually evolving, reflecting the ever-changing nature of the game and the diverse array of talent that emerges each season.
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Frequently asked questions
The NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) is a ranking system used in college basketball to evaluate and sort teams. It replaced the RPI before the 2018-19 season.
The NET rankings are based on two main factors: the Team Value Index (TVI) and adjusted net efficiency. The TVI rewards teams for defeating strong opponents, especially away from home. Adjusted net efficiency takes into account the strength of the opponent and the location of the game, with higher efficiency values achieved against stronger opponents and on the road.
The NET rankings system was improved in 2018 through collaboration with basketball experts and Google Cloud Professional Services. In May 2020, the NCAA announced further changes to increase accuracy and simplicity, reducing the number of components from five to two.
The women's basketball NET rankings were updated after the Division I Women's Basketball Committee worked with Google Cloud to analyse a decade of statistical data. The overall and non-conference strength of schedule was modernised to reflect the true difficulty of defeating opponents, taking into account opponent strength and game location.
Yes, another ranking system is the College Basketball Power Index (BPI), which predicts future team performance. It measures a team's strength relative to the average, taking into account factors such as opponent strength, pace of play, site, travel distance, rest days, and altitude.











































