[jetpilot]

Splitting lots of hairs, but here goes. Current RPI for the highest ranked team in their respective region is in parenthesis.

Tier 1:
11th (.713)
7th (.667)
9th (.691)

Tier 2:
6th (.643)
2nd (.674)

Tier 3:
8th (.693)
4th (.665)
13th (.682)
10th (.676)
5th (.629)

Tier 4:
15th (.649)
16th (.663)
1st (.627)
3rd (.610)

Tier 5:
12th (.617)
14th (.638)


Toughest calls were what to do with the 3rd Tier. The 8th or 4th could go into Tier 2 just as easily. The 15th may be Tier 3 now, but their top team (Pikeville) had some tough losses early and I try to give weight to how the regions fared against one another head-to-head. Pikeville's 72-47 home loss to Ashland Blazer earlier this season was especially hard to look past.

Slotting the 13th was tough considering how well Harlan County played against teams like Male, DeSales, and even Bowling Green, but they've just lost to Pikeville and Frederick Douglass. At the end if the day, I don't know that they're deep enough for a region like the 11th or 7th to fear drawing them.

10th has GRC, who to date, has basically beaten Douglass but lost to South Laurel with lots of filler in between. We'll probably find out more about them soon with Madison Southern, Great Crossing, and Scott County on tap.


Metrics say the 5th isn't good, but this has been the case in the past and they've looked better than the analytics predicted once they got to Lexington. Unless there's a really strong field (read: few upsets), I just struggle to see them being one of the three worst teams in the field, especially if E'town and Ayden Evans get back.

Hard to look past the 3rd game of the season? Pikeville is 13-2 since then with wins over Boyd Co. (21-4) by 24 and Harlan Co. (21-4). Only losses since then to a team from California and Evangel Christian. Pretty stout.