A look at how Wisconsin and North Carolina rank teams during the seeding process for boys and girls basketball. Wisconsin has gone to computerized seeding, a process that is being tweaked each season.
Wisconsin
Electronic seeding will be based on the following factors:
1) Own team winning percentage;
2) Opponents’ winning percentage;
3) Opponents’ Opponent’s winning percentage;
4) Defeated Opponents’ winning percentage;
5) Defeated Opponents’ Opponent’s winning percentage;
6) Own winning percentage vs. teams in regional/sectional grouping.
While the above criteria will be used to determine seeding, the exact formula/weight of each factor will be not be released by the WIAA.
North Carolina
NCHSAA Playoff Ranking Formula
An RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) formula will be used for all team bracketed playoffs. The formula will be as follows for all sports:
RPI = (0.3 x WP) + (0.4 x OWP) + (0.3 x OOWP)
• Winning Percentage (WP): Divide the number of wins by the number of total games played. A tie is worth half a win. If a win in an individual contest gives that contest a winning percentage of 1.00, a tie will give that individual contest a winning
percentage of .500 for both teams.
• Opponents’ Winning Percentage (OWP): Average the winning percentages of a team’s opponents. (Note: This is not calculated via the opponents’ combined record, instead of by averaging each winning percentage of the opponents.) All games involving the team whose RPI is being calculated are ignored in this process.
• Opponents’ Opponents Winning Percentage (OOWP): The same process as described above, except calculated for the opponents of a team’s opponents. (Note: There is an exception for out-of-state teams, which is addressed below.)
Out-of-State Opponents
Out-of-state opponents from the following states will be counted the same as in-state opponents provided they have a verified MaxPreps account and schedule:
• Georgia
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Virginia
All other out-of-state opponents will be handled in the following manner:
• Their direct winning percentage (for example, .750) will count toward the formula, but each of their opponents will have a .500 winning percentage assigned.
• The .500 figure was selected because it is the average value of opponents’ opponents winning percentages across all sports in data gathered from the states using RPI, such as Colorado, Utah, and Washington.
• Note: It is the NCHSAA member school’s responsibility to ensure that the data from their out-of-state opponent is correctly listed on MaxPreps.
International Opponents
International opponents will not count toward the RPI calculation.
Non-Varsity Competition
Contests against the non-varsity competition will not count toward the RPI calculation.
In-State (Non-NCHSAA) Competition
Contests against in-state, non-NCHSAA schools will be handled in the following manner:
• Their direct winning percentage (for example, .750) will count toward the formula, but each of their opponents will have a .500 winning percentage assigned.
• The .500 figure was selected because it is the average value of opponents’ opponents winning percentages across all sports in data gathered from the states using RPI, such as Colorado, Utah, and Washington.
• Note: It is the responsibility of the NCHSAA member school to ensure that the data from their opponent is correctly listed on MaxPreps.
************************************************************
Know some top athletic performances? Seeing some great teams in action?
We can use your help, and it’s simple. Witness some great performances? Hear about top athletes and top teams in our area?
Nominate an athlete or team: HERE
Pancakes or Waffles! We feature top area athletes with our world-renowned feature. Send us your nominations for who you’d like us to interview HERE
Baked or Fried! We also feature difference makers throughout central Wisconsin: coaches, booster club leaders, adminstration, volunteers, you name it. Send us your nominations for who you’d like us to interview HERE
College Athlete Roundup! We want to recognize student-athletes from the area who are competing at the college level. Send us information on college athletes from the area with our simple form HERE
Where are they Now? We feature athletes and difference makers from the past, standouts in sports who excelled over the years and have moved on. Know of a former athlete, coach or difference maker who we should feature? Know of a former standout competitor whose journey beyond central Wisconsin sports is one we should share? Send us information on athletes and difference makers of the past with our simple form HERE
We welcome your stories! Contact us at [email protected]!
Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
