Bracketology 2020: Examining mid-major basketball at-large profiles

Rhode Island Rams

21-9 | NET: 57 | KPI/SOR Avg: 43.5 | BPI/POM/SAG Avg: 69

Rhode Island was a sure-thing NCAA Tournament team in my opinion as of the beginning of the second week of February sitting at 18-5. However, starting with a road drubbing at the hands of Dayton, Rhode Island has dropped four of its last seven games. The solace for Rams fans is that it won the games it was supposed to win and its four losses were twice to Dayton, and once each to Davidson and Saint Louis, Quad 1 and Quad 2 losses respectively.

The resume numbers are better than the predictive metrics, which is good or bad depending on which the Committee favors more highly. I tend to think the Committee leans towards the predictive metrics and that could spell trouble for the Rams.

Rhode Island is 8-8 in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games, which is fair, although the 1-6 record in Quad 1 games leaves a bit to be desired. The Committee will like the 7-2 mark in Quad 2, but this resume could use another Quad 1 win. A 9-6 record in road and neutral-site games is favorable to Rhode Island’s chance, but the giant red flag is a 10-point Quad 3 road loss at Brown, ranked 224th in the NET and not among the four Ivy League teams vying for that league’s automatic bid. That could very well be the defeat that keeps Rhode Island from dancing.

In the A-10 tournament, Richmond and Rhode Island could meet in the semifinals in what would be a loser leaves town match. While the winner wouldn’t be guaranteed a spot in the field, the losing team would likely be on the outside of the Bubble.

Bracketology Prediction: NIT 2-seed