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The postseason is here and the bracketology picture is becoming to come more into focus.
Off the Block crunched the numbers using the same criteria as the selection committee to show how the top teams in the nation fare against each other in the race for the two at-large bids and NCAA Tournament positioning.
Below are all of the criteria categories the selection committee uses to determine the NCAA Tournament field.
— RPI ranking
— Strength of schedule
— Won-lost results
— Head-to-head competition
— Results versus non-conference opponents
— Home and away results
— Results against common opponents
— Results against teams already qualified and other teams under consideration
— Eligibility and availability of student-athletes for NCAA championships.
Some selection committees in previous seasons have placed a greater emphasis on a certain categories. However, there is no requirement that the committee gives additional weight to a certain category.
The seven-team NCAA Tournament will comprised of conference automatic bids from the Big West, ConfCarolinas, EIVA, MIVA, and MPSF along with two at-large bids.
Here’s how the at-large bids and tournament seeding races look right now using the selection committee criteria.
[Editor’s note: Teams projected to qualify or be under consideration are Barton, Hawai’i, Lewis, Long Beach State, Pepperdine, Princeton, UC Santa Barbara, UCLA and USC. The teams under consideration are subject to change until Selection Sunday on April 21. Both Long Beach State and Hawai’i were omitted from the Race for the Final At-large Bid section because they are projected to overwhelmingly secure the top-two seeds. With both teams being in the Big West, one is projected to win the conference’s automatic bid and the other will receive the first at-large bid.]
Race for the No. 1 overall seed
Long Beach State vs. Hawai’i
RPI ranking: Long Beach State No. 2; Hawai’i No. 1 Edge: Hawai’i
Strength of schedule: Long Beach State No. 13; Hawai’i No. 17 Edge: Hawai’i
Won-lost results: Long Beach State 23-1; Hawai’i 25-0. Edge: Hawai’i
Head-to-head competition: Have yet to play each other this season. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: Long Beach State 15-1; Hawai’i 16-0. Edge: Hawai’i
Home record: Long Beach State 10-0; Hawai’i 14-0. Edge: Push
Road record: Long Beach State 8-1; Hawai’i 8-0. Edge: Hawai’i
Record vs. common opponents: Long Beach State 13-1; Hawai’i 15-0. Edge: Hawai’i
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: Long Beach State 6-1; Hawai’i 5-0. Edge: Hawai’i
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push
Race for the final at-large bid
UC Santa Barbara vs. Pepperdine
RPI ranking: UC Santa Barbara No. 4; Pepperdine No. 3 Edge: Pepperdine
Strength of schedule: UC Santa Barbara No. 3; Pepperdine No. 6 Edge: Pepperdine
Won-lost results: UC Santa Barbara 17-7; Pepperdine 20-6. Edge: Pepperdine
Head-to-head competition: Pepperdine won season series 2-0. Edge: Pepperdine
Non-conference record: UC Santa Barbara 13-3; Pepperdine 11-3. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Home record: UC Santa Barbara 11-2; Pepperdine 12-0. Edge: Pepperdine
Road record: UC Santa Barbara 4-5; Pepperdine 6-6. Edge: Pepperdine
Record vs. common opponents: UC Santa Barbara 12-3; Pepperdine 11-5. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: UC Santa Barbara 2-7; Pepperdine 6-3. Edge: Pepperdine
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push
UC Santa Barbara vs. UCLA
RPI ranking: UC Santa Barbara No. 4; UCLA No. 5. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Strength of schedule: UC Santa Barbara No. 3; UCLA No. 11. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Won-lost results: UC Santa Barbara 17-7; UCLA 18-8. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Head-to-head competition: Split season series at 1-1. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: UC Santa Barbara 13-3; UCLA 10-4. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Home record: UC Santa Barbara 11-2; UCLA 9-1. Edge: UCLA
Road record: UC Santa Barbara 4-5; UCLA 7-7. Edge: UCLA
Record vs. common opponents: UC Santa Barbara 13-4; UCLA 13-5. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: UC Santa Barbara 2-7; UCLA 5-4. Edge: UCLA
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Outside attacker Austin Matautia out with a lower-leg injury. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Barbara vs. USC
RPI ranking: UC Santa Barbara No. 4; USC No. 6. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Strength of schedule: UC Santa Barbara No. 3; USC No. 7. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Won-lost results: UC Santa Barbara 17-7; USC 16-9. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Head-to-head competition: Will not play each other this season. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: UC Santa Barbara 13-3; USC 8-4. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Home record: UC Santa Barbara 11-2; USC 11-0. Edge: USC
Road record: UC Santa Barbara 4-5; USC 1-8. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Record vs. common opponents: UC Santa Barbara 8-7; USC 12-7. Edge: USC
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: UC Santa Barbara 2-7; USC 4-4. Edge: USC
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push
UCLA vs. USC
RPI ranking: UCLA No. 5; USC No. 6. Edge: UCLA
Strength of schedule: UCLA No. 11; USC No. 7. Edge: USC
Won-lost results: UCLA 18-8; USC 16-9. Edge: UCLA
Head-to-head competition: Season series tied at 1-1. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: UCLA 10-4; USC 8-4. Edge: UCLA
Home record: UCLA 9-1; USC 11-0. Edge: USC
Road record: UCLA 7-7; USC 1-8. Edge: UCLA
Record vs. common opponents: UCLA 12-6; USC 13-6. Edge: USC
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: UCLA 5-4; USC 4-4. Edge: UCLA
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Outside attacker Austin Matautia out with a lower-leg injury. Edge: USC
Race for tournament positioning
Lewis vs. Princeton
RPI ranking: Lewis No. 7; Princeton No. 22. Edge: Lewis
Strength of schedule: Lewis No. 19; Princeton No. 26. Edge: Lewis
Won-lost results: Lewis 22-5; Princeton 13-12. Edge: Lewis
Head-to-head competition: Lewis won season series 1-0. Edge: Lewis
Non-conference record: Lewis 8-4; Princeton 2-11. Edge: Lewis
Home record: Lewis 10-3; Princeton 6 -1. Edge: Princeton
Road record: Lewis 11-2; Princeton 6-8. Edge: Lewis
Record vs. common opponents: Lewis 11-4; Princeton 4-7. Edge: Lewis
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: Lewis 1-3; Princeton 0-5. Edge: Lewis
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push
Lewis vs. Barton
RPI ranking: Lewis No. 7; Barton No. 13. Edge: Lewis
Strength of schedule: Lewis No. 19; Barton No. 32. Edge: Lewis
Won-lost results: Lewis 22-5; Barton 22-4. Edge: Barton
Head-to-head competition: Will not play each other this season. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: Lewis 8-4; Barton 8-2. Edge: Barton
Home record: Lewis 10-3; Barton 11-2. Edge: Barton
Road record: Lewis 11-2; Barton 8-2. Edge: Lewis
Record vs. common opponents: Lewis 5-0; Barton 5-2. Edge: Lewis
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: Lewis 1-3; Barton 1-1. Edge: Barton
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push
Princeton vs. Barton
RPI ranking: Princeton No. 22; Barton No. 13. Edge: Barton
Strength of schedule: Princeton No. 26; Barton No. 32. Edge: Princeton
Won-lost results: Princeton 13-12; Barton 22-4. Edge: Barton
Head-to-head competition: Will not play each other this season. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: Princeton 2-11; Barton 8-2. Edge: Barton
Home record: Princeton 6-1; Barton 11-2. Edge: Princeton
Road record: Princeton 6-8; Barton 8-2. Edge: Barton
Record vs. common opponents: Princeton 4-1; Barton 4-0. Edge: Barton
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: Princeton 0-5; Barton 1-1. Edge: Barton
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push