Does Drexel Deserve To Go Dancing?

With a win last night, Drexel could have had their dancing shoes packed and ready to go. Now, they must sit and wait out what will be a very long Sunday.

After losing 59-56 to Shaka Smart and Virginia Commonwealth, Drexel's fate lies in the hands of the Selection Committee. So the question is, should they get an at large bid?


The Good:
Drexel won the CAA regular season title outright with a 16-2 conference record, and also hold a 19 game consecutive winning streak. 


Drexel also has a decent RPI at 66. I know you're thinking "Hey Jake, what the hell does RPI mean?" And to that I say good question, new reader. RPI stands for "Relative Power Index", and it's based on how good your team is, as well as how good the team you're facing is. Record as well as winning percentage are taken into account. The lower your RPI, the better it looks. 66 isn't great, but in the poor conference they play in, the Committee should make sure to keep that in mind. 


The Bad: 
Drexel has a miserable Strength of Schedule rank at 210 (according to CBSSports.com), and SOS is highly valued by the Committee.


Drexel didn't even play a team in the Top 25, and are only 1-2 against teams in the Top 26-50. When sitting on "The Bubble", it's extremely helpful to have wins versus teams in the Top 25. 15 of their 27 wins have come against teams that aren't even ranked in the Top 200. Essentially, Drexel has made a living this year beating bad teams to a pulp.


The Verdict:
Sadly, I don't think Drexel makes it in. Their conference record is fantastic, but that Strength Of Schedule would make me want to run away as fast as I can. I can't see the Committee passing over a Texas or a U of Miami for Drexel due to the fact that Drexel plays in a poor CAA, while Texas and Miami play in the Big 12 and the ACC. Is it wrong? Yes. Will Drexel be passed up? Most likely.