A closer look at the RPI

The Bearkat men’s basketball team soared 25 spots this week in the RPI to No. 77. It is the highest ranking the Kats have had in the RPI this late in the season in recent memory (maybe ever). The Bearkats have done it with a strong start to Southland Conference play, winning their first six for the first time as a member of the Southland Conference.

Taking a look at the RPI (you can check out the full list here) there are some familiar names in the Kats’ neighborhood. They are one spot ahead of Georgia, which checks in at 78. Not a big basketball school but one with some name recognition.

If you are looking for a basketball school, just look one spot up on the rankings, North Carolina. Yes, that North Carolina. The defending national champs sit just one tick above SHSU on the rankings. The Kats also check in ahead of Memphis (No. 79), Illinois (No. 80) and Oklahoma (No. 83).

You have to scroll down a while to find the next Southland school. A&M-Corpus Christi is in at 158 followed by SFA at 159. They are the only other schools in the league in the top 200. Northwestern State rounds everyone out at No. 310.

As we turn the page to February, March Madness is not that far away. In the Southland Conference the winner of the postseason tournament gets the bid to the NCAA Tournament. So the Kats won’t have a chance to punch their ticket until Saturday, March 13, in Katy. But a fun site to look at is the Bracketology site on ESPN.com. Right now they have the Bearkats tabbed as a No. 15 seed taking on Purdue in New Orleans.