This is the first Final Four Blog post of 2008, so let’s start out with a bang. Rather than talking about injuries to Pittsburgh players or the latest Bob Knight tirade, we’re going to give you the Final Four Blog’s first ever edition of a new (hopefully) regular segment tentatively titled “Top Ticket Tourney Teams.” There were other titles that were tossed around, and this blog reserves the right to change names at any time for any reason. The purpose of this blog is simple: to rank college basketball teams that otherwise would not be ranked. Why? Well, if you haven’t been watching closely, you might not have noticed that the AP, Coaches, CBS, ESPN, and other popular polls have all had the same five teams at the top since the first polls came out for this season. North Carolina, Memphis, Kansas, UCLA, and Georgetown all remain in the top ten of pretty much every poll out there. BOR-ing!
This weeks rankings will be determined mainly by the “Luck Factor” as described by Ken Pomeroy at BasketballProspectus.com. Luck is essentially the deviation from a team’s predicted winning percentage and their actual winning percentage. Basically, these are the “luckiest” teams in the NCAA, subtracting teams based on a secret recipe that only the Final Four Blog knows. Enjoy!
Top Ticket Tourney Teams: Lucky Bounce Version (January 2, 2008)
1. Auburn
2. UC Santa Barbara
3. Tennessee
4. San Jose St.
5. Valparaiso
6. Ohio
7. Army
8. Cal St. Northridge
9. Wright St.
10. Pittsburgh
11. Pacific
12. St. Mary’s
13. North Carolina St.
14. Ole Miss
15. Dayton
16. Dartmouth
17. Drexel
Even the amount of teams ranked is going to be a little off. 17 is a “prime number” for such a ranking system.
To get NCAA basketball tickets, go to StubHub.com.
