ESPN releases BPI rankings, WSU outside of top-80
Head Coach Gregg Marshall calls a timeout during the second half of the game against NSU on Tuesday, Oct. 29.
Wichita State isn’t feeling the love from ESPN’s Basketball Power Index rankings, which were released Friday morning.
The BPI preseason ranking system is based off of four main factors: quantity of experience on the roster, quality of that experience, recruiting rankings for incoming freshman with an emphasis on five-star recruits, and the coach’s past performance. According to the metric, the Shockers are ranked as the No. 89 team in the country with a 3.7 rating.
The system, which relies heavily on experience, isn’t buying the Shockers’ chance for a rebound season. It gives WSU a 3% chance to win the American Athletic Conference and just a 14% chance to punch their ticket into the NCAA Tournament come March.
The AAC in general ranks outside of the top-5 in conference for projected tournament teams. The Pac-12 and AAC both rank behind the Big East, which is projected to have 4.0 teams in the big dance. The Big 10 is projected to land 7.1 teams in the tournament, more than any other conference.
WSU kicks off their season at home against Nebraska-Omaha on Nov. 5. The game is set to tip off at 7 p.m.
Marshall Sunner was the sports editor for The Sunflower. Sunner majored in communications with a journalism emphasis. He was born and raised in Hutchinson,...
