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The college basketball power rankings play a part in the NCAA selection committee’s decisions for the 68-team field in the March Madness tournament. But, not everyone understands the power rankings and how they work.
Following this weekend, we’ll know which teams have made March Madness. The Selection Sunday show will tell us which teams are seeded in each region, and which teams will play each other. How strong those teams are can be gauged by a power index, or the power rankings from several sources.
In this article we answer the question: What are the college basketball power rankings?
Every sportsbook creates its own method for figuring the point spread. Many of them call that a “power ranking.”
Sportsbooks may use many different ways to figure a power ranking, but the primary purpose is to rank the teams in the league in order. Once you have that ranking, you use the relation between the ranking and the league to determine a point spread. For example:
Take the maximum point spread between the top-rated and lowest-rated teams. Let’s say it’s 22 points.
You multiply Team A (.24) by 22 (5.2). Then you do the same for Team B (.90 x 22 = 19.8). Now, you subtract the larger number from the smaller (19.8 minus 5.2), which comes to 14.6. Your point spread is 14.6 (or more likely 14.5 points),? with Team B as the favorite.
This is one example of how a sportsbook could figure power rankings for the purpose of setting point spread odds on a sporting event.
Rank | School |
---|---|
1 | Alabama (No. 1 seed -- South Region) |
2 | Houston (No. 1 seed -- Midwest Region) |
3 | Purdue (No. 1 seed -- East Region) |
4 | Kansas (No. 1 seed -- West Region) |
5 | Texas |
6 | Arizona |
7 | Baylor |
8 | UCLA |
9 | Tennessee |
10 | Virginia |
Data Source: NCAA Through Games MAR. 5, 2023
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) does not maintain power rankings for its member colleges for basketball. The power rankings most often mentioned in regards to college hoops is a term used by the media.
For example, The Athletic maintains power rankings for the top men’s college basketball teams, as well as the women’s teams. The rankings are separated into tiers, with the top 20 teams in the upper echelon. Each week, the power rankings are updated based on games played the prior week.
At ESPN, they publish the Men's College Basketball Power Index, which lists every Division-1 school. The rankings are split into three sections: BPI (Basketball Power Index); Résumé; and Tournament.
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Point differential, or point margin, is often used to measure the relative quality of a basketball team. If you take all of the margins of victory from lowest to highest, the middle number is the median.
Instead, find the median score another way by listing the totals from highest to lowest: 3, 27, 28, 31, 35. This gives us a median, or more accurately, a middle score of 28 which makes a lot more sense.
To calculate a power ranking based on margin of victory, you add it to the league average margin per game, and also take the average net points allowed by the opponent’s defense. The result is the power ranking.
Given the power ranking, a sports bettor can make better decisions on their wagers. This can help you determine how much to bet on certain sporting events.
Developed by ESPN, the BPI is, according to their website, a “measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of performance going forward.” It’s based on expected point margin for 70 possessions, measuring both the offense and defense.
The BPI is part of ESPN’s power rankings, available via its website. Every Div-1 college team is ranked by BPI.
You may hear the term “Power 5 Conference” used in college hoops. This refers to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference, Pac-12 Conference, and Southeastern Conference (SEC).
The power 5 conferences or a power conference, should not be confused with Power Rankings, they have nothing to do with each other.
These are the standings for NCAA hoops titles by conference, including the non-power conferences. This list encompasses titles since 1985, when the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams.
Often when a college basketball expert talks about power rankings, they might be referring to the power index as it relates to strength of schedule.
With strength of schedule rankings, teams are rated by the quality of the opponents they played during the season. The better teams on your schedule, the better your strength of schedule. If you beat some of those teams, it helps elevate your standing in the power rankings.
For teams not in a power conference, it’s important to schedule non-conference games against the power 5 schools. That way their power index will rise.
RANK | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | PREVIOUS |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Houston (58) | 29-2 | 1522 | 1 |
2 | UCLA (3) | 45043 | 1452 | 4 |
3 | Kansas | 45102 | 1368 | 3 |
4 | Alabama | 45072 | 1343 | 2 |
5 | Purdue | 45072 | 1274 | 5 |
6 | Marquette | 45102 | 1218 | 6 |
7 | Texas | 45161 | 1100 | 9 |
8 | Arizona | 45102 | 1042 | 8 |
9 | Gonzaga | 45072 | 1031 | 10 |
10 | Baylor | 45191 | 961 | 7 |
11 | UConn | 45131 | 847 | 14 |
12 | Kansas State | 45161 | 838 | 11 |
13 | Virginia | 45100 | 791 | 13 |
14 | Miami (Fla.) | 45101 | 761 | 16 |
15 | Xavier | 45161 | 641 | 19 |
16 | Saint Mary's | 45102 | 587 | 17 |
17 | Tennessee | 45191 | 573 | 12 |
18 | Texas A&M | 45161 | 507 | 24 |
19 | Indiana | 45220 | 481 | 15 |
20 | San Diego State | 45101 | 370 | 18 |
21 | Duke | 45161 | 293 | NR |
22 | TCU | 45250 | 193 | 22 |
23 | Kentucky | 45220 | 138 | 23 |
24 | Creighton | 45250 | 133 | NR |
25 | Missouri | 45161 | 66 | NR |
Data source: AP Top 25 College Basketball Poll - Through Games MAR. 5, 2023
Power rankings don’t stop when the regular season is over. Sportsbook use their power rankings, and other methods, to set the odds for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games.
For games during the March Madness tournament, bettors can wager on the point spread (-5.5 points for the favorite for example). They can also place bets on the moneyline, for example, +220 for an underdog in a First Round matchup. That means a $100 winning bet on the underdog would win you $320 ($220 plus your original stake).
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