Forum: Comment
In our previous post, we looked at Maverick Media’s 03.12.18 Poll and pointed out a lack of correlation between the Best Wins of each ranked and the their Ranking. In this point, we look at each teams Worst Losses and Best Wins as they correlate to each team’s Ranking.
What this graph shows is Maverick Media’s 03.12.18 Poll with each teams Rank being highlighted in green. What this graph also shows is each teams 2nd Worst Loss (2 L), Worst loss (1 L), Best Win (1 W), and 2nd Best Win (2 W). All rankings for all teams within this graph are the rankings as created by Maverick Media.
Albany is undefeated. i.e. They have no losses (2 L, 1 L). Their best win (1 W) was against the #2 ranked team and their 2nd best win (2 W) was against the #16 ranked team. With a pattern of 0, 0, X, 2, 16, it’s perfectly reasonable to rank Albany as #1. 0, 0, 1, 2, 16. Maryland is very similar. 0, 1, X, 4, 24. By the numbers, Maryland would need to be ranked #2 or #3. Maryland is ranked #2. 0, 1, 2, 4, 24. Duke is similar with a slight variation. Duke has 0, 24, X, 5, 8. There’s an obvious blemish. But if you remove this 24, Duke looks like 0, X, 5, 8. Duke is ranked #3 and this makes sense. So there’s no confusion, one 24 is a blemish. Several 24s is a pattern. If Duke’s numbers were 22, 24, X, 4, 29, the 4 would, so to speak, be the blemish. We’re looking for patterns.
Most every team below needs to be adjusted in order to make each team’s Rank fit within their Win-Loss pattern. But, overall, the Rankings are relatively accurate. With this said, I want to speak to some of the more egregious inconsistencies. Yale‘s pattern is 0, 6, 7, 27, 30. Even with their loss to the #6 team being in OT, it seems odd that Yale needs to be ranked somewhere between 7 and 27 and Maverick chose #7. Similarly, it seems odd, that Villanova‘s numbers are 0, 26, 6, 7, 24 when the #7 is Yale. The only numbers for these two teams that are impressive are the 6 and the 7 and both those numbers were given to them in this ranking. Villanova and Yale justify their existence within this poll by vouching for each other. But they are not connected to any other ranked teams. They are only connected to teams that Received Votes and non-Ranked teams. Yet they are ranked #6 and #7. This is odd.
Vermont‘s pattern is 0, 0, 12, 30*, 30*. Vermont is undefeated yet they’ve only beaten non-Ranked teams. And Vermont is ranked #12. This is odd.
Ohio State‘s pattern is 20, 30*, 19, 23, 30*. Judging by this pattern, it seems that Ohio State shouldn’t be in the Top 20. And, similar to the Villanova-Yale scenario, Towson, with a pattern of 10, 11, 20, 19, 30 where the 19 is a questionable Ohio State, it appears that Towson also should not be in the Top 20… according to Maverick Media’s Ranking. In a different ranking, for example, the FanLax Ranking, Towson being in the Top 20 makes complete sense.
| Team | 2 L | 1 L | Rank | 1 W | 2 W |
| Albany (5 – 0) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 16 |
| Maryland (5 – 1) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 24 |
| Duke (6 – 1) | 0 | 24 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| Notre Dame (3 – 1) | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 30* |
| Denver (4 – 2) | 3 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 30* |
| Villanova (6 – 1) | 0 | 26 | 6 | 7 | 24 |
| Yale (4 – 1) | 0 | 6 | 7 | 27 | 30* |
| Loyola (4 – 2) | 3 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 20 |
| Virginia (6 – 1) | 0 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 22 |
| Johns Hopkins (3 – 2) | 8 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 20 |
| Georgetown (6 – 0) | 0 | 0 | 11 | 17 | 20 |
| Vermont (7 – 0) | 0 | 0 | 12 | 30* | 30* |
| Syracuse (3 – 2) | 1 | 10 | 13 | 9 | 15 |
| North Carolina (6 – 2) | 5 | 23 | 14 | 10 | 16 |
| Army (4 – 2) | 13 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 30* |
| Lehigh (5 – 1) | 0 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 30* |
| Robert Morris (4 – 2) | 11 | 18 | 17 | 25 | 30* |
| Rutgers (4 – 2) | 15 | 22 | 18 | 17 | 26 |
| Ohio State (5 – 2) | 20 | 30* | 19 | 23 | 30* |
| Towson (3 – 3) | 10 | 11 | 20 | 19 | 30* |
Forum: Comment
