Bracketology: Team comparisons using selection committee criteria

The data will be incomplete compared to previous season because of scheduling restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic, but data will still be used to determine the field for the NCAA Tournament.

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.

There is no requirement for the committee to give additional weight to a certain category. In addition, the limited amount of non-conference matches has resulted in some of these categories being irrelevant or having skewed data.

The incompleteness of data has the likelihood to increase the deliberations in finalizing seeding and the at-large teams for the NCAA Tournament.

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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 BYU, Hawai’i, Lewis, Loyola, Mount Olive, Pepperdine, UC Santa Barbara, UCLA and USC. The teams under consideration are subject to change the closer to Selection Sunday. Both BYU and Hawai’i were omitted from the Race for the Two At-large Bids section because they are projected to overwhelmingly secure an at-large bid if either of them lose in their conference tournament.]

[Record notes: Matches that count towards the non-conference category must be against independent teams or teams from a different conference. In addition, match results versus NAIA teams do not count in the selection criteria.]

Race for the No. 1 seed

Hawai’i vs. BYU
RPI ranking: Hawai’i No. 1; BYU No. 3. Edge: Hawai’i
Strength of schedule: Hawai’i No. 4; BYU No. 20. Edge: Hawai’i
Won-lost results: Hawai’i 11-0; BYU 16-2. Edge: Hawai’i
Head-to-head competition: Did not play each other this season. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: Hawai’i 0-0; BYU 0-0. Edge: Push
Home record: Hawai’i 4-0; BYU 9-1. Edge: Hawai’i
Road record: Hawai’i 7-0; BYU 7-1. Edge: Hawai’i
Record vs. common opponents: Hawai’i 0-0; BYU 0-0. Edge: Push
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: Hawai’i 3-0; BYU 5-1. Edge: Hawai’i
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Edge: Push

Race for the two at-large bids

UC Santa Barbara vs. Pepperdine
RPI ranking: UC Santa Barbara: No. 17; Pepperdine No. 13. Edge: Pepperdine
Strength of schedule: UC Santa Barbara: No. 30; Pepperdine No. 22. Edge: Pepperdine
Won-lost results: UC Santa Barbara 10-4; Pepperdine 11-5. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Head-to-head competition: Did not play each other this season. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: UC Santa Barbara 0-0; Pepperdine 0-0. Edge: Push
Home record: UC Santa Barbara 7-3; Pepperdine 7-2. Edge: Pepperdine
Road record: UC Santa Barbara 3-1; Pepperdine 4-3. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Record vs. common opponents: UC Santa Barbara 0-0; Pepperdine 0-0. Edge: Push
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: UC Santa Barbara 0-3; Pepperdine 1-5. Edge: Pepperdine
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Edge: Push

UC Santa Barbara vs. UCLA
RPI ranking: UC Santa Barbara: No. 17; UCLA No. 18. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Strength of schedule: UC Santa Barbara: No. 30; UCLA No. 37. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Won-lost results: UC Santa Barbara 10-4; UCLA 13-4. Edge: UCLA
Head-to-head competition: Did not play each other this season. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: UC Santa Barbara 0-0; UCLA 0-0. Edge: Push
Home record: UC Santa Barbara 7-3; UCLA 6-1. Edge: UCLA
Road record: UC Santa Barbara 3-1; UCLA 7-3. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Record vs. common opponents: UC Santa Barbara 0-0; UCLA 0-0. Edge: Push
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: UC Santa Barbara 0-3; UCLA 2-2. Edge: UCLA
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Edge: Push

UC Santa Barbara vs. Loyola
RPI ranking: UC Santa Barbara: No. 17; Loyola No. 5. Edge: Loyola
Strength of schedule: UC Santa Barbara: No. 30; Loyola No. 13. Edge: Loyola
Won-lost results: UC Santa Barbara 10-4; Loyola 13-5. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Head-to-head competition: Did not play each other this season. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: UC Santa Barbara 0-0; Loyola 4-0. Edge: Loyola
Home record: UC Santa Barbara 7-3; Loyola 6-3. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Road record: UC Santa Barbara 3-1; Loyola 6-2. Edge: Push
Record vs. common opponents: UC Santa Barbara 0-0; Loyola 0-0. Edge: Push
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: UC Santa Barbara 0-3; Loyola 0-2. Edge: Push
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Edge: Push

Pepperdine vs. UCLA
RPI ranking: Pepperdine No. 13; UCLA No.18. Edge: Pepperdine
Strength of schedule: Pepperdine No. 22; UCLA No. 37. Edge: Pepperdine
Won-lost results: Pepperdine 11-5; UCLA 13-4. Edge: UCLA
Head-to-head competition: Season series tied at 1-1. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: Pepperdine 0-0; UCLA 0-0. Edge: Push
Home record: Pepperdine 7-2; UCLA 6-1. Edge: UCLA
Road record: Pepperdine 4-3; UCLA 7-3. Edge: UCLA
Record vs. common opponents: Pepperdine 10-4; UCLA 12-3. Edge: UCLA
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: Pepperdine 1-5; UCLA 2-2. Edge: UCLA
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Edge: Push

Pepperdine vs. Loyola
RPI ranking: Pepperdine No. 13; Loyola No. 5. Edge: Loyola
Strength of schedule: Pepperdine No. 22; Loyola No. 13. Edge: Loyola
Won-lost results: Pepperdine 11-5; Loyola 13-5. Edge: Loyola
Head-to-head competition: Did not play each other this season. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: Pepperdine 0-0; Loyola 4-0. Edge: Loyola
Home record: Pepperdine 7-2; Loyola 6-3. Edge: Pepperdine
Road record: Pepperdine 4-3; Loyola 6-2. Edge: Loyola
Record vs. common opponents: Pepperdine 0-0; Loyola 0-0. Edge: Push
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: Pepperdine 1-5; Loyola 0-2. Edge: Pepperdine
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Edge: Push

UCLA vs. Loyola
RPI ranking: UCLA No. 18; Loyola No. 5. Edge: Loyola
Strength of schedule: UCLA No. 37; Loyola No. 13. Edge: Loyola
Won-lost results: UCLA 13-4; Loyola 13-5. Edge: Loyola
Head-to-head competition: Did not play each other this season. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: UCLA 0-0; Loyola 4-0. Edge: Loyola
Home record: UCLA 6-1; Loyola 6-3. Edge: UCLA
Road record: UCLA 7-3; Loyola 6-2. Edge: Loyola
Record vs. common opponents: UCLA 0-0; Loyola 0-0. Edge: Push
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: UCLA 2-2; Loyola 0-0. Edge: UCLA
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Edge: Push

Race for the No. 3 seed

Lewis vs. Penn State
RPI ranking: Lewis No. 2; Penn State No. 4. Edge: Lewis
Strength of schedule: Lewis No. 14; Penn State No. 28. Edge: Lewis
Won-lost results: Lewis 16-2; Penn State 17-3. Edge: Lewis
Head-to-head competition: Did not play each other this season. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: Lewis 4-0; Penn State 3-1. Edge: Lewis
Home record: Lewis 8-1; Penn State 11-1. Edge: Penn State
Road record: Lewis 7-1; Penn State 6-2. Edge: Lewis
Record vs. common opponents: Lewis 3-1; Penn State 8-2. Edge: Penn State
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: Lewis 0-0; Penn State 0-0. Edge: Push
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Edge: Push

Penn State vs. UC Santa Barbara
RPI ranking: Penn State No. 4; UC Santa Barbara No. 17. Edge: Penn State
Strength of schedule: Penn State No. 28; UC Santa Barbara No. 30. Edge: Penn State
Won-lost results: Penn State 17-3; UC Santa Barbara 10-4. Edge: Penn State
Head-to-head competition: Did not play each other this season. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: Penn State 3-1; UC Santa Barbara 0-0. Edge: Penn State
Home record: Penn State 11-1; UC Santa Barbara 7-3. Edge: Penn State
Road record: Penn State 6-2; UC Santa Barbara 3-1. Edge: Push
Record vs. common opponents: Penn State 0-0; UC Santa Barbara 0-0. Edge: Push
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: Penn State 0-0; UC Santa Barbara 0-3. Edge: Push
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Edge: Push

Lewis vs. UC Santa Barbara
RPI ranking: Lewis No. 2; UC Santa Barbara No. 17. Edge: Lewis
Strength of schedule: Lewis No. 14; UC Santa Barbara No. 30. Edge: Lewis
Won-lost results: Lewis 16-2; UC Santa Barbara 10-4. Edge: Lewis
Head-to-head competition: Did not play each other this season. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: Lewis 4-0; UC Santa Barbara 0-0. Edge: Lewis
Home record: Lewis 8-1; UC Santa Barbara 7-3. Edge: Lewis
Road record: Lewis 7-1; UC Santa Barbara 3-1. Edge: Lewis
Record vs. common opponents: Lewis 0-0; UC Santa Barbara 0-0. Edge: Push
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: Lewis 0-0; UC Santa Barbara 0-3. Edge: Push
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Edge: Push