Joby’s Nitty Gritty Rankings Explained
The JNG reached new heights in 2025 with the 2nd highest posted score (5th overall) on bracketmatrix and the highest 2 year average of ALL bracketologists. YES! No other submission to bracketmatrix has a better combined score over the last two years than the JNG! The JNG also kept its ongoing streak as the top computer based metric to 6 straight years and 8 of the last 9.
Out of the 11 computer based metrics submitted to bracketmatrix.com; the JNG comes out on top. The JNG also was 5th overall (only 2 points behind the winner) out of ALL 249 bracket projections posted across the web, once again beating out all household names such as Lunardi and Jerry Palm.
SUMMARY: Joby’s Nitty Gritty (JNG) rankings were created as an attempt to quantify the characteristics the selection committee has stated and shown to be important as key factors in their analysis. He actually draws from what is known as the “Nitty Gritty Sheet” that the NCAA Selection Committee uses in taking the inputs for the statistics that make up these ratings. This is why it is known as his Nitty Gritty Ratings.
We first show a formal seed list gathered from the ratings and submitted to the bracketmatrix.com. The benefit of being a math based seed list is that it can be easily updated daily after results come in from the night before so have fun following along.
After that list are the ratings for all 365 teams. Once the season begins, if one wants to eyeball the at-large field, look around the 40th-55th spot. The gap there allows one to see who is in and who is out and the teams on the cusp of making it into the field. Similarly the NIT and the newly created CBC tournament field break can be seen between 90th and 110th. In addition, you may see some daily dramatic jumps and drops around the NIT/CBC cut line even if a team does not play due to specific requirements and traits taken that subtly change a team’s merits but have a dramatic effect on their profile.
JNG Seed List March 10, 2026
| SEED | TEAM | Conference |
| 1 | Duke | ACC |
| 1 | Michigan | BIG |
| 1 | Arizona | BXII |
| 1 | Florida | SEC |
| 2 | Houston | BXII |
| 2 | Connecticut | BE |
| 2 | Michigan State | BIG |
| 2 | Illinois | BIG |
| 3 | Iowa State | BXII |
| 3 | Nebraska | BIG |
| 3 | Kansas | BXII |
| 3 | Virginia | ACC |
| 4 | Purdue | BIG |
| 4 | Alabama | SEC |
| 4 | Gonzaga | WCC |
| 4 | Texas Tech | BXII |
| 5 | Vanderbilt | SEC |
| 5 | Arkansas | SEC |
| 5 | St. John’s | BE |
| 5 | North Carolina | ACC |
| 6 | Wisconsin | BIG |
| 6 | Louisville | ACC |
| 6 | Tennessee | SEC |
| 6 | BYU | BXII |
| 7 | Miami | ACC |
| 7 | Kentucky | SEC |
| 7 | Georgia | SEC |
| 7 | UCLA | BIG |
| 8 | St. Mary’s | WCC |
| 8 | Villanova | BE |
| 8 | Clemson | ACC |
| 8 | TCU | BXII |
| 9 | Utah State | MWC |
| 9 | Iowa | BIG |
| 9 | Ohio State | BIG |
| 9 | Texas A&M | SEC |
| 10 | North Carolina State | ACC |
| 10 | Central Florida | BXII |
| 10 | Missouri | SEC |
| 10 | Miami-Ohio | MAC |
| 11 | Saint Louis | A10 |
| 11 | Santa Clara | WCC |
| 11 | Texas | SEC |
| 11 | SMU | ACC |
| 11 | VCU | A10 |
| 11 | Indiana | BIG |
| 12 | South Florida | AAC |
| 12 | McNeese | SLC |
| 12 | Yale | IVY |
| 12 | High Point | BSo |
| 13 | Utah Valley | WAC |
| 13 | Northern Iowa | MVC |
| 13 | Liberty | CUSA |
| 13 | Hofstra | CAA |
| 14 | Troy | SunB |
| 14 | North Dakota State | SUM |
| 14 | Hawaii | BW |
| 14 | Portland State | BSKY |
| 15 | Wright State | HZN |
| 15 | Merrimack | MAAC |
| 15 | Tennessee State | OVC |
| 15 | Queens | ASUN |
| 16 | Long Island | NEC |
| 16 | UMBC | AmE |
| 16 | Howard | MEAC |
| 16 | Furman | SoCON |
| 16 | Bethune-Cookman | SWAC |
| 16 | Lehigh | PAT |
JNG Ratings – last updated Tuesday March 10 at 9:50am
| RANK | Final Rating | Conf | +/- | Ystdy | |
| 1 | Duke | 13.402803 | ACC | – | 1 |
| 2 | Michigan | 13.237535 | BIG | – | 2 |
| 3 | Arizona | 12.920653 | BXII | – | 3 |
| 4 | Florida | 10.474517 | SEC | – | 4 |
| 5 | Houston | 9.729213 | BXII | – | 5 |
| 6 | Connecticut | 9.564242 | BE | – | 6 |
| 7 | Michigan State | 9.216369 | BIG | – | 7 |
| 8 | Illinois | 9.115471 | BIG | – | 8 |
| 9 | Iowa State | 8.986445 | BXII | – | 9 |
| 10 | Nebraska | 8.483846 | BIG | – | 10 |
| 11 | Kansas | 8.298276 | BXII | 1 | 12 |
| 12 | Virginia | 8.258864 | ACC | -1 | 11 |
| 13 | Purdue | 8.213372 | BIG | – | 13 |
| 14 | Alabama | 7.972337 | SEC | – | 14 |
| 15 | Gonzaga | 7.903928 | WCC | 1 | 16 |
| 16 | Texas Tech | 7.840417 | BXII | -1 | 15 |
| 17 | Vanderbilt | 7.278943 | SEC | – | 17 |
| 18 | Arkansas | 7.238821 | SEC | – | 18 |
| 19 | St. John’s | 7.154699 | BE | – | 19 |
| 20 | North Carolina | 6.903117 | ACC | – | 20 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | 6.649830 | BIG | – | 21 |
| 22 | Louisville | 6.433766 | ACC | 1 | 23 |
| 23 | Tennessee | 6.423520 | SEC | -1 | 22 |
| 24 | BYU | 6.062226 | BXII | – | 24 |
| 25 | Miami | 5.592663 | ACC | – | 25 |
| 26 | Kentucky | 5.576711 | SEC | – | 26 |
| 27 | Georgia | 5.549083 | SEC | – | 27 |
| 28 | UCLA | 5.448406 | BIG | 1 | 29 |
| 29 | St. Mary’s | 5.385983 | WCC | -1 | 28 |
| 30 | Villanova | 5.372293 | BE | – | 30 |
| 31 | Clemson | 5.206757 | ACC | – | 31 |
| 32 | TCU | 5.202642 | BXII | – | 32 |
| 33 | Utah State | 4.887074 | MWC | – | 33 |
| 34 | Iowa | 4.758379 | BIG | – | 34 |
| 35 | Ohio State | 4.754722 | BIG | – | 35 |
| 36 | Texas A&M | 4.535470 | SEC | 1 | 37 |
| 37 | North Carolina State | 4.441728 | ACC | -1 | 36 |
| 38 | UCF | 4.302701 | BXII | – | 38 |
| 39 | Missouri | 4.217548 | SEC | – | 39 |
| 40 | Miami-Ohio | 4.055358 | MAC | 1 | 41 |
| 41 | Saint Louis | 3.950998 | A10 | -1 | 40 |
| 42 | Santa Clara | 3.936823 | WCC | 1 | 43 |
| 43 | Texas | 3.881220 | SEC | -1 | 42 |
| 44 | SMU | 3.433930 | ACC | 1 | 45 |
| 45 | VCU | 3.394955 | A10 | -1 | 44 |
| 46 | Indiana | 3.341715 | BIG | – | 46 |
| 47 | Stanford | 3.058059 | ACC | – | 47 |
| 48 | Cincinnati | 2.983156 | BXII | – | 48 |
| 49 | South Florida | 2.868234 | AAC | – | 49 |
| 50 | New Mexico | 2.812739 | MWC | 1 | 51 |
| 51 | Virginia Tech | 2.812451 | ACC | -1 | 50 |
| 52 | San Diego State | 2.805631 | MWC | – | 52 |
| 53 | West Virginia | 2.682690 | BXII | – | 53 |
| 54 | California | 2.635245 | ACC | – | 54 |
| 55 | Florida State | 2.561666 | ACC | – | 55 |
| 56 | Boise State | 2.410937 | MWC | – | 56 |
| 57 | Auburn | 2.372391 | SEC | – | 57 |
| 58 | Oklahoma | 2.328122 | SEC | – | 58 |
| 59 | Oklahoma State | 2.297213 | BXII | – | 59 |
| 60 | Seton Hall | 2.216951 | BE | – | 60 |
| 61 | USC | 2.145558 | BIG | – | 61 |
| 62 | Grand Canyon | 2.133324 | MWC | – | 62 |
| 63 | Nevada | 2.067834 | MWC | – | 63 |
| 64 | Colorado State | 1.878751 | MWC | – | 64 |
| 65 | Arizona State | 1.853670 | BXII | 1 | 66 |
| 66 | Baylor | 1.813405 | BXII | 1 | 67 |
| 67 | Dayton | 1.719732 | A10 | -2 | 65 |
| 68 | Colorado | 1.631496 | BXII | – | 68 |
| 69 | McNeese | 1.352833 | SLC | – | 69 |
| 70 | Yale | 1.313510 | IVY | – | 70 |
| 71 | Akron | 1.296068 | MAC | – | 71 |
| 72 | Wichita State | 1.220591 | AAC | 1 | 73 |
| 73 | Wake Forest | 1.213658 | ACC | -1 | 72 |
| 74 | George Mason | 1.162542 | A10 | – | 74 |
| 75 | High Point | 1.153115 | BSo | 2 | 77 |
| 76 | Belmont | 1.106138 | MVC | -1 | 75 |
| 77 | Tulsa | 1.094212 | AAC | -1 | 76 |
| 78 | Stephen F. Austin | 0.762021 | SLC | – | 78 |
| 79 | Butler | 0.674755 | BE | – | 79 |
| 80 | Utah Valley | 0.642908 | WAC | – | 80 |
| 81 | Northern Iowa | 0.571433 | MVC | – | 81 |
| 82 | Minnesota | 0.545426 | BIG | 2 | 84 |
| 83 | St. Joseph’s | 0.507774 | A10 | -1 | 82 |
| 84 | Liberty | 0.452219 | CUSA | -1 | 83 |
| 85 | Washington | 0.346633 | BIG | – | 85 |
| 86 | Wyoming | 0.277771 | MWC | – | 86 |
| 87 | Creighton | 0.249535 | BE | – | 87 |
| 88 | UNC-Wilmington | 0.116686 | CAA | – | 88 |
| 89 | UNLV | 0.068654 | MWC | – | 89 |
| 90 | California Baptist | 0.057339 | WAC | – | 90 |
| 91 | UAB | -0.036795 | AAC | 1 | 92 |
| 92 | Syracuse | -0.072387 | ACC | -1 | 91 |
| 93 | Hofstra | -0.079107 | CAA | – | 93 |
| 94 | Murray State | -0.209131 | MVC | – | 94 |
| 95 | Troy | -0.240648 | SunB | 6 | 101 |
| 96 | North Dakota State | -0.267816 | SUM | -1 | 95 |
| 97 | Xavier | -0.273451 | BE | -1 | 96 |
| 98 | LSU | -0.283150 | SEC | -1 | 97 |
| 99 | Illinois State | -0.304997 | MVC | -1 | 98 |
| 100 | Navy | -0.369079 | PAT | – | 100 |
| 101 | Davidson | -0.373006 | A10 | -2 | 99 |
| 102 | Kent State | -0.412334 | MAC | – | 102 |
| 103 | Providence | -0.459505 | BE | – | 103 |
| 104 | Ole Miss | -0.462530 | SEC | – | 104 |
| 105 | Northwestern | -0.465818 | BIG | – | 105 |
| 106 | DePaul | -0.498805 | BE | – | 106 |
| 107 | Sam Houston State | -0.519400 | CUSA | – | 107 |
| 108 | Seattle | -0.536499 | WCC | – | 108 |
| 109 | Hawai’i | -0.540008 | BW | – | 109 |
| 110 | Winthrop | -0.571642 | BSo | 4 | 114 |
| 111 | Bradley | -0.592910 | MVC | -1 | 110 |
| 112 | UC-Irvine | -0.594623 | BW | -1 | 111 |
| 113 | St. Thomas | -0.647675 | SUM | – | 113 |
| 114 | Kansas State | -0.649064 | BXII | -2 | 112 |
| 115 | Oregon | -0.677179 | BIG | 1 | 116 |
| 116 | George Washington | -0.758285 | A10 | -1 | 115 |
| 117 | Georgetown | -0.796116 | BE | 1 | 118 |
| 118 | UC-San Diego | -0.803250 | BW | 2 | 120 |
| 119 | Mississippi State | -0.823206 | SEC | – | 119 |
| 120 | Marquette | -0.826332 | BE | -3 | 117 |
| 121 | Portland State | -0.860595 | BSKY | – | 121 |
| 122 | Pacific | -0.882512 | WCC | – | 122 |
| 123 | Austin Peay | -0.932780 | ASUN | 1 | 124 |
| 124 | Notre Dame | -0.974275 | ACC | -1 | 123 |
| 125 | Pittsburgh | -0.979262 | ACC | 2 | 127 |
| 126 | Maryland | -0.980636 | BIG | 2 | 128 |
| 127 | College of Charleston | -0.984875 | CAA | -2 | 125 |
| 128 | Wright State | -0.988525 | HZN | 3 | 131 |
| 129 | Illinois-Chicago | -1.003207 | MVC | – | 129 |
| 130 | Merrimack | -1.008740 | MAAC | – | 130 |
| 131 | North Texas | -1.025765 | AAC | 2 | 133 |
| 132 | Tennessee State | -1.075550 | OVC | 2 | 134 |
| 133 | Central Arkansas | -1.080832 | ASUN | -1 | 132 |
| 134 | William & Mary | -1.096825 | CAA | 2 | 136 |
| 135 | Rhode Island | -1.143541 | A10 | 3 | 138 |
| 136 | Duquesne | -1.153895 | A10 | -1 | 135 |
| 137 | Texas-Rio Grande Valley | -1.174235 | SLC | 7 | 144 |
| 138 | East Tennessee State | -1.186701 | SoCON | -12 | 126 |
| 139 | Florida Atlantic | -1.192336 | AAC | 1 | 140 |
| 140 | Queens | -1.219897 | ASUN | 1 | 141 |
| 141 | Northern Colorado | -1.229366 | BSKY | -2 | 139 |
| 142 | Pennsylvania | -1.246399 | IVY | – | 142 |
| 143 | Long Island | -1.252231 | NEC | – | 143 |
| 144 | Arkansas State | -1.288226 | SunB | 1 | 145 |
| 145 | Robert Morris | -1.291076 | HZN | -8 | 137 |
| 146 | San Francisco | -1.320472 | WCC | – | 146 |
| 147 | Western Kentucky | -1.397433 | CUSA | – | 147 |
| 148 | Montana State | -1.442813 | BSKY | 4 | 152 |
| 149 | Valparaiso | -1.450157 | MVC | – | 149 |
| 150 | Harvard | -1.467867 | IVY | 1 | 151 |
| 151 | Howard | -1.480016 | MEAC | 3 | 154 |
| 152 | UMBC | -1.497202 | AmE | -2 | 150 |
| 153 | Utah | -1.497333 | BXII | – | 153 |
| 154 | Towson | -1.525408 | CAA | -6 | 148 |
| 155 | Utah Tech | -1.558874 | WAC | – | 155 |
| 156 | Furman | -1.594344 | SoCON | 12 | 168 |
| 157 | Texas-Arlington | -1.601522 | WAC | -1 | 156 |
| 158 | UC-Davis | -1.634625 | BW | 1 | 159 |
| 159 | South Carolina | -1.656121 | SEC | -1 | 158 |
| 160 | Cal State-Northridge | -1.660069 | BW | 5 | 165 |
| 161 | Cornell | -1.671425 | IVY | -1 | 160 |
| 162 | Toledo | -1.671636 | MAC | -5 | 157 |
| 163 | Middle Tennessee | -1.695017 | CUSA | -2 | 161 |
| 164 | UC-Santa Barbara | -1.713198 | BW | – | 164 |
| 165 | Lipscomb | -1.726190 | ASUN | -3 | 162 |
| 166 | Marshall | -1.733844 | SunB | -3 | 163 |
| 167 | Penn State | -1.741592 | BIG | -1 | 166 |
| 168 | Tennessee-Martin | -1.742132 | OVC | -1 | 167 |
| 169 | Texas A&M-CC | -1.744651 | SLC | 7 | 176 |
| 170 | Rutgers | -1.825218 | BIG | 3 | 173 |
| 171 | South Alabama | -1.831021 | SunB | -1 | 170 |
| 172 | Bowling Green | -1.835417 | MAC | -1 | 171 |
| 173 | Kennesaw State | -1.844916 | CUSA | -1 | 172 |
| 174 | Siena | -1.880727 | MAAC | – | 174 |
| 175 | Monmouth | -1.894743 | CAA | 6 | 181 |
| 176 | Columbia | -1.916061 | IVY | 1 | 177 |
| 177 | Quinnipiac | -1.944750 | MAAC | 1 | 178 |
| 179 | Mercer | -1.997249 | SoCON | – | 179 |
| 178 | Idaho | -1.971459 | BSKY | 2 | 180 |
| 180 | Northern Kentucky | -2.002225 | HZN | -11 | 169 |
| 181 | Southeast Missouri State | -2.046392 | OVC | 1 | 182 |
| 182 | Cal State-Fullerton | -2.085548 | BW | 3 | 185 |
| 183 | Tulane | -2.096632 | AAC | 1 | 184 |
| 184 | Southern Illinois | -2.105771 | MVC | 5 | 189 |
| 185 | Fordham | -2.119185 | A10 | -2 | 183 |
| 186 | Oregon State | -2.126723 | WCC | -11 | 175 |
| 187 | Bethune-Cookman | -2.150494 | SWAC | – | 187 |
| 188 | Appalachian State | -2.152133 | SunB | – | 188 |
| 189 | Morehead State | -2.182150 | OVC | -3 | 186 |
| 190 | Montana | -2.197360 | BSKY | 17 | 207 |
| 191 | Vermont | -2.224538 | AmE | -1 | 190 |
| 192 | Marist | -2.242255 | MAAC | – | 192 |
| 193 | St. Peter’s | -2.250600 | MAAC | -2 | 191 |
| 194 | Samford | -2.297573 | SoCON | -1 | 193 |
| 195 | Louisiana Tech | -2.332291 | CUSA | 1 | 196 |
| 196 | Wofford | -2.349348 | SoCON | -2 | 194 |
| 197 | Coastal Carolina | -2.371527 | SunB | – | 197 |
| 198 | Green Bay | -2.377903 | HZN | -3 | 195 |
| 199 | Detroit Mercy | -2.422878 | HZN | 10 | 209 |
| 200 | James Madison | -2.434130 | SunB | -2 | 198 |
| 201 | Georgia Tech | -2.445659 | ACC | -2 | 199 |
| 202 | Fairfield | -2.468492 | MAAC | -2 | 200 |
| 203 | Temple | -2.503962 | AAC | -2 | 201 |
| 204 | Southern Miss | -2.507681 | SunB | 1 | 205 |
| 205 | Buffalo | -2.540529 | MAC | -2 | 203 |
| 206 | Memphis | -2.544204 | AAC | -2 | 204 |
| 207 | Colgate | -2.585071 | PAT | -1 | 206 |
| 208 | Georgia Southern | -2.638344 | SunB | -6 | 202 |
| 209 | Texas State | -2.699505 | SunB | 3 | 212 |
| 210 | Oakland | -2.702359 | HZN | -2 | 208 |
| 211 | Iona | -2.705321 | MAAC | – | 211 |
| 212 | Fort Wayne | -2.736082 | HZN | -2 | 210 |
| 213 | Fresno State | -2.810146 | MWC | 1 | 214 |
| 214 | Portland | -2.923561 | WCC | 3 | 217 |
| 215 | SIU Edwardsville | -2.945609 | OVC | 1 | 216 |
| 216 | Lindenwood | -2.973345 | OVC | 2 | 218 |
| 217 | Stony Brook | -2.996480 | CAA | 2 | 219 |
| 218 | New Orleans | -3.022346 | SLC | -5 | 213 |
| 219 | Central Connecticut | -3.054877 | NEC | 2 | 221 |
| 220 | St. Bonaventure | -3.089637 | A10 | – | 220 |
| 221 | Charlotte | -3.131380 | AAC | 2 | 223 |
| 222 | Massachusetts | -3.166364 | MAC | 3 | 225 |
| 223 | Richmond | -3.202487 | A10 | 1 | 224 |
| 224 | Washington State | -3.203381 | WCC | 2 | 226 |
| 225 | Weber State | -3.237463 | BSKY | -10 | 215 |
| 226 | Boston College | -3.251636 | ACC | 1 | 227 |
| 227 | Campbell | -3.273696 | CAA | -5 | 222 |
| 228 | New Mexico State | -3.301536 | CUSA | – | 228 |
| 229 | Drexel | -3.314004 | CAA | – | 229 |
| 230 | Alabama A&M | -3.337427 | SWAC | 3 | 233 |
| 231 | Loyola Marymount | -3.396889 | WCC | – | 231 |
| 232 | North Dakota | -3.403185 | SUM | -2 | 230 |
| 233 | Florida International | -3.525556 | CUSA | -1 | 232 |
| 234 | Radford | -3.591821 | BSo | 2 | 236 |
| 235 | Ohio | -3.637953 | MAC | -1 | 234 |
| 236 | Western Carolina | -3.673357 | SoCON | -1 | 235 |
| 237 | Eastern Washington | -3.777543 | BSKY | 4 | 241 |
| 238 | Lehigh | -3.825011 | PAT | -1 | 237 |
| 239 | American | -3.834562 | PAT | -1 | 238 |
| 240 | Denver | -3.856315 | SUM | -1 | 239 |
| 241 | Boston University | -3.919144 | PAT | -1 | 240 |
| 242 | UNC-Asheville | -3.948973 | BSo | 4 | 246 |
| 243 | Tarleton | -3.964624 | WAC | -1 | 242 |
| 244 | Mercyhurst | -3.966764 | NEC | -1 | 243 |
| 245 | South Dakota | -3.994724 | SUM | -1 | 244 |
| 246 | Drake | -4.014849 | MVC | -1 | 245 |
| 247 | Cal Poly | -4.036836 | BW | – | 247 |
| 248 | South Dakota State | -4.076239 | SUM | – | 248 |
| 249 | Southern | -4.104772 | SWAC | 1 | 250 |
| 250 | Longwood | -4.142189 | BSo | 5 | 255 |
| 251 | Missouri State | -4.145498 | CUSA | – | 251 |
| 252 | Elon | -4.197353 | CAA | 2 | 254 |
| 253 | Jacksonville State | -4.213451 | CUSA | -1 | 252 |
| 254 | Omaha | -4.236640 | SUM | 2 | 256 |
| 255 | Nicholls State | -4.252262 | SLC | -6 | 249 |
| 256 | Youngstown State | -4.257667 | HZN | -3 | 253 |
| 257 | Abilene Christian | -4.264350 | WAC | – | 257 |
| 258 | Florida Gulf Coast | -4.299282 | ASUN | – | 258 |
| 259 | NJIT | -4.314928 | AmE | 1 | 260 |
| 260 | Rice | -4.336248 | AAC | -1 | 259 |
| 261 | Presbyterian | -4.444291 | BSo | 1 | 262 |
| 262 | Eastern Michigan | -4.446193 | MAC | -1 | 261 |
| 263 | Charleston Southern | -4.462219 | BSo | 2 | 265 |
| 264 | Idaho State | -4.545765 | BSKY | 3 | 267 |
| 265 | San Diego | -4.550428 | WCC | -1 | 264 |
| 266 | Mount St. Mary’s | -4.555900 | MAAC | -3 | 263 |
| 267 | West Georgia | -4.595636 | ASUN | -1 | 266 |
| 268 | Florida A&M | -4.601095 | SWAC | – | 268 |
| 269 | San Jose State | -4.678091 | MWC | 5 | 274 |
| 270 | Dartmouth | -4.680535 | IVY | 1 | 271 |
| 271 | Milwaukee | -4.689614 | HZN | -2 | 269 |
| 272 | Lamar | -4.694453 | SLC | -2 | 270 |
| 273 | Indiana State | -4.698339 | MVC | – | 273 |
| 274 | La Salle | -4.700763 | A10 | -2 | 272 |
| 275 | East Carolina | -4.746237 | AAC | – | 275 |
| 276 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | -4.787773 | SWAC | – | 276 |
| 277 | Norfolk State | -4.792568 | MEAC | 1 | 278 |
| 278 | Incarnate Word | -4.847026 | SLC | 1 | 279 |
| 279 | Bellarmine | -4.888272 | ASUN | 2 | 281 |
| 280 | Loyola-Chicago | -4.889752 | A10 | -3 | 277 |
| 281 | USC-Upstate | -4.912087 | BSo | 3 | 284 |
| 282 | UNC-Greensboro | -4.923109 | SoCON | -2 | 280 |
| 283 | Old Dominion | -4.944192 | SunB | -1 | 282 |
| 284 | Wagner | -4.979280 | NEC | -1 | 283 |
| 285 | Hampton | -5.057882 | CAA | 1 | 286 |
| 286 | Massachusetts-Lowell | -5.057919 | AmE | -1 | 285 |
| 287 | Prairie View | -5.078861 | SWAC | 1 | 288 |
| 288 | Houston Baptist | -5.145196 | SLC | -1 | 287 |
| 289 | Morgan State | -5.166960 | MEAC | 1 | 290 |
| 290 | Grambling | -5.172469 | SWAC | 8 | 298 |
| 291 | Le Moyne | -5.185810 | NEC | – | 291 |
| 292 | Chattanooga | -5.196486 | SoCON | -3 | 289 |
| 293 | New Haven | -5.232182 | NEC | -1 | 292 |
| 294 | UTEP | -5.234218 | CUSA | -1 | 293 |
| 295 | Sacred Heart | -5.240322 | MAAC | -1 | 294 |
| 296 | Princeton | -5.285512 | IVY | – | 296 |
| 297 | UC-Riverside | -5.289669 | BW | 5 | 302 |
| 298 | East Texas A&M | -5.291879 | SLC | -3 | 295 |
| 299 | Texas Southern | -5.305480 | SWAC | 2 | 301 |
| 300 | Jacksonville | -5.306099 | ASUN | – | 300 |
| 301 | Central Michigan | -5.310292 | MAC | -2 | 299 |
| 302 | Southern Utah | -5.333941 | WAC | -5 | 297 |
| 303 | Long Beach State | -5.367257 | BW | 1 | 304 |
| 304 | Tennessee Tech | -5.385502 | OVC | -1 | 303 |
| 305 | Pepperdine | -5.404553 | WCC | – | 305 |
| 306 | Ball State | -5.438307 | MAC | – | 306 |
| 307 | Eastern Illinois | -5.448572 | OVC | – | 307 |
| 308 | Western Michigan | -5.510824 | MAC | – | 308 |
| 309 | Northwestern State | -5.569435 | SLC | – | 309 |
| 310 | Sacramento State | -5.578593 | BSKY | 2 | 312 |
| 311 | North Carolina A&T | -5.582196 | CAA | – | 311 |
| 312 | Stetson | -5.613261 | ASUN | -2 | 310 |
| 313 | Eastern Kentucky | -5.632533 | ASUN | – | 313 |
| 314 | Jackson State | -5.654662 | SWAC | – | 314 |
| 315 | Louisiana | -5.696749 | SunB | 1 | 316 |
| 316 | Little Rock | -5.703519 | OVC | -1 | 315 |
| 317 | Evansville | -5.766561 | MVC | 1 | 318 |
| 318 | Delaware | -5.794176 | CUSA | 2 | 320 |
| 319 | Southeastern Louisiana | -5.802809 | SLC | -2 | 317 |
| 320 | North Carolina Central | -5.811820 | MEAC | -1 | 319 |
| 321 | Northern Illinois | -5.833562 | MAC | 2 | 323 |
| 322 | Cleveland State | -5.865512 | HZN | – | 322 |
| 323 | Brown | -5.899619 | IVY | 1 | 324 |
| 324 | Northern Arizona | -5.907402 | BSKY | 2 | 326 |
| 325 | Alabama State | -5.932162 | SWAC | -4 | 321 |
| 326 | Lafayette | -5.937294 | PAT | -1 | 325 |
| 327 | Manhattan | -5.950904 | MAAC | – | 327 |
| 328 | Stonehill | -6.034298 | NEC | 1 | 329 |
| 329 | Fairleigh Dickinson | -6.039959 | NEC | 1 | 330 |
| 330 | Oral Roberts | -6.070138 | SUM | -2 | 328 |
| 331 | Loyola | -6.117517 | PAT | – | 331 |
| 332 | Bucknell | -6.118988 | PAT | – | 332 |
| 333 | Albany | -6.171649 | AmE | – | 333 |
| 334 | Georgia State | -6.184610 | SunB | – | 334 |
| 335 | Holy Cross | -6.247249 | PAT | – | 335 |
| 336 | Maryland-Eastern Shore | -6.279795 | MEAC | – | 336 |
| 337 | Army West Point | -6.305713 | PAT | – | 337 |
| 338 | Bakersfield | -6.334969 | BW | – | 338 |
| 339 | Alcorn State | -6.369565 | SWAC | 4 | 343 |
| 340 | North Alabama | -6.437726 | ASUN | -1 | 339 |
| 341 | New Hampshire | -6.457173 | AmE | – | 341 |
| 342 | Northeastern | -6.461424 | CAA | – | 342 |
| 343 | Citadel | -6.475702 | SoCON | -3 | 340 |
| 344 | South Carolina State | -6.604015 | MEAC | 1 | 345 |
| 345 | North Florida | -6.619322 | ASUN | -1 | 344 |
| 346 | Chicago State | -6.624855 | NEC | – | 346 |
| 347 | Canisius | -6.630288 | MAAC | – | 347 |
| 348 | Texas-San Antonio | -6.774916 | AAC | – | 348 |
| 349 | Bryant | -6.808595 | AmE | 1 | 350 |
| 350 | IUPUI | -6.824190 | HZN | -1 | 349 |
| 351 | Niagara | -6.925051 | MAAC | – | 351 |
| 352 | Air Force | -6.987175 | MWC | – | 352 |
| 353 | Maine | -7.252252 | CAA | – | 353 |
| 354 | Delaware State | -7.407746 | MEAC | 1 | 355 |
| 355 | St. Francis (PA) | -7.407779 | NEC | -1 | 354 |
| 356 | Southern Indiana | -7.414080 | OVC | – | 356 |
| 357 | Coppin State | -7.513412 | MEAC | – | 357 |
| 358 | Binghamton | -7.638548 | AmE | – | 358 |
| 359 | Rider | -7.697182 | MAAC | 1 | 360 |
| 360 | VMI | -7.734994 | SoCON | -1 | 359 |
| 361 | Kansas City | -7.882376 | WAC | – | 361 |
| 362 | Louisiana-Monroe | -8.066996 | SunB | – | 362 |
| 363 | Western Illinois | -8.069055 | OVC | – | 363 |
| 364 | Gardner-Webb | -8.471867 | BSo | – | 364 |
| 365 | Mississippi Valley | -8.776693 | SWAC | – | 365 |
JNG CALCULATION METHODOLOGY
The baseline for strength used to be the RPI. The Committee, rightfully or wrongfully, has now switched to the “NET” formula as the primary baseline to determine what a “good win” or a “bad loss” is. To determine this distinction the JNG feeds off a weighted matrix that incorporates the “quadrant” system, influenced by fellow HoopsHD contributor Kyle Lamb, and adopted by the Committee in 2018.
Other factors such as high level wins away from home, wins against “the field,” conference leaders, overall records, out of conference SOS, and “recency bias” are all components that comprise the ratings. The JNG is “advanced” as it recalculates until stabilized. This is a crucial trait as one of the key criteria, “wins against the ‘at large’ field,” is reliant on the rating system repeatedly recalculating upon itself until the exact number that fits an “at large” field that matches up with potential conference champion spots to create a cut line. As mentioned earlier, one can see this critical junction in the ratings listed below with a gap in the list, usually in a spot between 45th and 50th in the ratings. One can use this cut line to easily eyeball a “last 4 in” (above) and “first 4 out” (below) the gap. A similar gap exists on the chart below for the NIT and CBI cutoffs, typically around 85-95 and 105-115 respectively.
HISTORY:
2015: First year of the JNG and showed immediate promise. When nobody thought UCLA should even get close to a bid, the ratings revealed that they actually were in the thick of the discussion (further proof the ratings are meant to mimic the Committee, NOT evaluate merit in a manner that should be adopted).
2016: JNG claims the top spot among ratings. The big surprise by the committee was the inclusion of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane and, once again, the JNG called it.
2017: The JNG was perfect and the #1 most accurate rating with a score that rivaled the top human bracketologists. It got all 68 teams correct and 59 of 68 teams within 4 spots of the official seed list released by the Committee. The biggest surprise was not an inclusion but the seeding of Vanderbilt. Many did not even have the Commodores in the field, but the Committee gave them a 9 seed and 33rd overall mimicking the JNG’s 9 seed and 34th overall.
2018: Second only to the KPI among the published ratings with 66 of 68 teams and 60 teams within 4 spots of the official seed list. The JNG not only had the slumping Sooners in the field but nailed their 10 seed on the nose.
2019: JNG reclaimed its top spot. 66 of 68 and 59 within 4 of the seed list (58 within 3 and 52 within 2!). St. John’s was such a surprise, only 2 ratings had them even in the field. The JNG was one of them. Likewise, Arizona St was only in 6 computer fields, and the JNG was one of them. Temple was only in the field in 9 ratings, and the JNG once again caught the outlier. It gets even better considering that Ohio St was one of the 2 “misses” and barely missed the JNG field to UNC-Greensboro. The Committee said UNC-G was one of the first teams out and nobody else human or computer had UNC-G in or near the field.
2020: Most similar to top bracketologists. As we all know there was no NCAA Tournament in 2020 so there was no absolute measuring stick. As a general guide though, the JNG was compared to the top human baracketologists on bracketmatrix.com (of note, the JNG is one of only a dozen formulas accepted as an entrant on the bracketmatrix.com). The JNG was easily the closest to the mean.
2021: JNG still in the top spot. The JNG tied for the top spot with well-respected stat guru Bart Torvik’s T-Rank. While most bracketologists on the bracketmatrix.com missed the inclusion of Wichita St, the JNG nailed the selection and seed perfectly. The only miss was the JNG’s 2nd team out (Utah St).
2022: JNG makes giant leap in score. Not only did the JNG keep its spot as top of class among computer projections, but it also beat the majority of human bracketologists on bracketmatrix.com commanding an impressive 352 score. It was the only computer in the entire world to have Rutgers in its field. Only 40% of all professional human bracketologists had the Scarlet Knights but the JNG had them in.
2023: JNG on top with highest all time score. The JNG made it 7 out of 8 years as the top computer ratings guessing the Committee. The JNG’s improvement led to a score of 359. While most human bracketologists did a simple swap for Princeton’s upset of Yale in the Ivy, the JNG recognized that the Tigers were actually a 15 seed and the Committee agreed. Compared to other computer programs, the JNG did not punish the ACC at the expense of the MWC, correctly identifying the true traits the Committee sees in a resume, not just efficiency ratings, which can be gamed by preseason scheduling. As a result, the JNG did not miss a single seed out of the ACC and MWC participants.
2024: JNG gets highest overall position in its history. It is now 8 out of 9 years running for top computer metric. The seeding once again came in handy as the JNG was one of the only brackets to count UAB’s conference strength in their favor to get a 12. It also correctly did not overstate Sunday results and kept Auburn a 4 and Illinois a 3 despite nice conference tournament wins. This year the JNG surpassed the bracketologists from the ESPN, CBS, the Athletic, FOX, Sports Illustrated, SB Nation, the Sporting News, and USA Today.
2025: JNG highest spot ever! SIXTH in bracketmatrix. The JNG is now in rarified air with its highest score of 374 and ranking, climbing up the charts to a 6th place finish and only a mere 2 points off the top spot of all 250 recognized bracketologists. It was one of only 50 to have North Carolina in the field and also smartly did not put weight on the Big Ten Tournament results correctly placing Purdue as a 4 seed and Michigan as a 5.
We will try to update the ratings daily in the morning during the season so you can see the ebb and flow of where teams land.