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Mon. 2/13/12


JSPR Rankings Explained
Two weeks ago, we shared with you an explanation of the RPI and how those numbers are calculated. The RPI, however, is not the only thing that is considered when choosing which teams are selected for the Stuart/Corkery or ‘Elite Eight' tournament. The other vital component in determining who gets into the top tournament is the JSPR Rankings. This article will attempt to explain how these numbers are arrived at.

It starts with the RPI, as it is necessary to take the top 16 teams in the RPI. Those are what are called the "teams under consideration" and those 16 teams are put through a second level of number crunching -- based on four criteria that will be discussed later - in order to arrive at the JSPR Rankings. This system is necessary, and helpful, because it enables a deeper comparison of the top RPI teams. Only 16 teams are put into the JSPR system and analyzed because 16 teams gives a large enough sample size to determine the top eight teams overall. It would be extremely time-consuming (and not that beneficial) to evaluate all NEPSIHA teams under the JSPR system because if a team is out of the top 16 in RPI, there is virtually no chance that they would crack the top eight in the JSPR system. They simply would not have won enough games against the top teams. 

So how does the system work? Essentially, the JSPR Rankings are a means of doing a virtual comparison between any two teams. The ideal, of course, would be to have a large tournament, where each of the top 16 teams play each other but, as that is not going to happen, we use the JSPR system which uses statistical data to figure out which team would win any theoretical matchup. It would be great to set up a computer simulation, knowing the strengths and weaknesses of every player on each team, or maybe even design a computer game simulation, but since that also is not possible, we can only look at the numbers to which we have easy access. The JSPR, then, uses four categories to compare any two teams, and therefore to determine who wins this ‘simulated game.'  

The four categories that are included in the JSPR are:

1.     Head-to-head result (i.e., if the teams have actually played each other on ice the winning team gets credit for that).

2.     Comparing the two teams' RPI (i.e., how do the two teams stand against all other NEPSIHA teams, so that the RPI is still a critical component of the JSPR Rankings.)

3.     Record against mutual opponents (i.e., if the two teams have played the same opponents on the ice, the results against those teams are factored in.)

4.     Record against teams under consideration (i.e., how have the two teams played against other top 16 teams as determined by the RPI.)

Anyway, after the two teams being considered are compared in these four categories, a virtual winner is declared and a JSPR point is awarded to the winning team. 

The easiest way to show how the JSPR works is to do a comparison based on some current data. Let's compare Nobles and Salisbury, the current first place and third place teams in RPI.

These two teams have not faced each other this year on the ice, so neither team wins the first comparison. Nobles currently has a higher RPI, so they win that comparison and get a point. Nobles also has a better record against mutual opponents so they win that comparison and earn another point. And, finally, Nobles has a better record against teams under consideration - i.e. the top 16 teams in RPI -- and thus also earns a point in that category. In summation, in this virtual comparison between Salisbury and Nobles, Nobles is declared the winner as they are ahead in three categories and Salisbury is not ahead in any.  

Since there is an even number of categories being compared, there is always a chance that the two teams will be tied in our simulation. If that is the case, the first tiebreaker is head- to-head record (the best indicator of comparative strength of the two teams), the second is RPI (the most all-encompassing category), the third is record against mutual opponents, and the fourth is record against teams under consideration. This entire process is then carried out for Nobles against each of the other 14 teams, and they are awarded their ‘JSPR points.' In the end the ‘winner' of each virtual comparison is shown in a table similar to the one you can link with here.

JSPR Hypothetical Grid

Each team is therefore involved in 15 comparisons and, once the table is completed, the total number of ‘wins' for each team is then added and the teams are ranked by their number of JSPR points. The team with the most matchup points garners top seed in the tournament, the team with the second highest amount of points gets the second seed, and so on. In the case of  teams winding up tied in points in the final table, the winner of their individual JSPR comparison gets the higher seed.  At the end of the computations, the top eight teams in the JSPR are ranked -- regardless of school size -- for the Elite 8 Tournament. At that point, the remaining NEPSIHA teams (Including the eight that were looked at in the JSPR and did not get into the Elite 8 tournament) are compared solely by RPI and school size. The top remaining large schools in RPI are selected to play in the large school tournament, while the top remaining small schools in RPI are selected to play in the small school tournament. 

In summary, the RPI portion of the playoff calculation system takes the results on the ice, and finds the teams that get the best results out of the most difficult schedule. Then the best teams are compared to each other through the JSPR, which rewards teams for winning games on the ice against the best teams in New England. In the end, the greater number of games that your team wins against the best teams in the league, the better off that you will be. That is the very heart of the system.

Please keep in mind that when USHR publishes the current RPI or playoff standings they are for that week only. In other words, the teams in the top 16 based on RPI can change each time a new set of games is played.  In fact, just one added game played can affect the rankings on a number of different levels. There's a real ripple effect. When teams in the top sixteen play each other it can change their comparisons and, quite possibly, their  JSPR ranking. The final JSPR ranking can only be calculated when the season is over since the more games that are left to be played, the greater the potential volatility in the rankings. When the final accounting is made, the most-deserving teams will have reached the playoffs and now, with three tournaments, a greater number of teams will experience the joy of making the playoffs.

Wed. 2/29/12

Prep Girls Quarterfinals
Div. I:

#1 Nobles 6, #8 Berkshire 0  (@ Nobles)
#7 Williston 6, #2 Winchendon 0  (@ Winchendon)
#6 Lawrence 2, #3 Westminster 1 (OT)  (@ Westminster)
#4 Cushing 1, #5 NMH 0  (@ Cushing)

Div. II:

#1 Middlesex 3, #8 Greenwich 2  (@ Pomfret)
#2 Rivers 2, #7 Southfield 1 (3 OT)  (@ Rivers)
#3 Proctor 5, #6 Thayer 1  (@ Proctor)
#5 Gunnery 3, #4 Kingsood-Oxford 0  (@ K-O) Played Thurs. 3/1 at 4:30 pm

The semis and finals will be played Sat.-Sun. March 3-4 at the Berkshire School. Here’s the weekend schedule:

Sat. March 3:
12:00 pm – Div. II semifinal: Middlesex vs. Gunnery
2:00 pm – Div. II semifinal: Proctor vs. Rivers
4:00 pm – Div. I semifinal: Nobles vs. Cushing
6:00 pm – Div. I semifinal: Lawrence vs. Williston

Sun. March 4:
11:00 am – Div. II Championship Game
1:10 pm – Div. I Championship Game

Mon. 2/20/12

Schedule, Week of Feb. 20
Wed. Feb. 22
Gunnery @ Kent, 1:30 pm
Tilton @ Proctor, 1:30 pm
Kimball Union @ New Hampton, 2:30 pm
Deerfield @ Williston-Northampton, 2:45 pm
Tabor @ Cushing, 3:00 pm
Greenwich @ Kingswood-Oxford, 3:00 pm
Beaver Country Day @ Worcester Academy, 3:15 pm
Thayer @ Groton, 3:30 pm
Berkshire @ Taft, 4:00 pm
Northfield - Mt. Hermon @ Loomis-Chaffee, 4:00 pm
St. Paul's vs. St. George's, 4:00 pm (@ Groton School)
Westminster @ Andover, 4:00 pm
Exeter @ Winchendon, 4:00 pm
Brooks @ St. Mark's, 4:15 pm
Choate @ Hotchkiss, 4:30 pm
Milton @ Pomfret, 4:30 pm
Kents Hill @ Holderness, 4:30 pm
Millbrook @ Rye Country Day, 4:30 pm
Stanstead College @ Brewster Academy, 5:00 pm
Rivers @ Lawrence Academy, 5:00 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Governor's, 5:15 pm

Fri. Feb. 24
Proctor @ New Hampton School, 4:00 pm
North Yarmouth @ Vermont Academy, 4:30 pm
St. Paul's vs. Holderness, 4:45 pm (@ Plymouth State)
BB&N @ Thayer, 5:00 pm
Williston-Northampton @ Winchendon, 5:00 pm
Southfield @ Rivers, 5:30 pm
Greenwich vs. Worcester Academy, 7:00 pm (@ Southfield School)

Sat. Feb. 25
Greenwich @ Southfield, 12:00 pm
North Yarmouth @ Hebron, 12:00 pm
Tabor @ Thayer, 2:00 pm
BB&N @ Williston-Northampton, 2:00 pm
Exeter @ Andover, 2:00 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Milton, 2:00 pm
Groton @ St. Mark's, 2:00 pm
Brooks @ Governor's, 2:00 pm
Middlesex @ St. George's, 2:00 pm
Gunnery @ Canterbury, 2:30 pm
Vermont Academy @ Kimball Union, 2:30 pm
St. Paul's @ Lawrence Academy, 3:00 pm
Rivers @ Tilton, 3:00 pm
New Hampton vs. Holderness, 3:00 pm
Choate @ Cushing, 4:00 pm
Proctor @ Northfield - Mt. Hermon, 4:00 pm
Loomis-Chaffee @ Deerfield, 4:00 pm
Pomfret @ Winchendon, 4:00 pm
Taft @ Hotchkiss, 4:30 pm
Kingswood-Oxford @ Millbrook, 4:30 pm
Brewster Academy @ Berkshire, 6:00 pm
Westminster @ Kent, 6:30 pm 

Playoffs:

Quarterfinals will be played at campus sites on Wed. Feb. 29

Semifinals and finals will be played at the Berkshire School:

Sat. March 3:
12:00 pm – Div. II semifinal #1
2:00 pm – Div. II semifinal #2
4:00 pm – Div. I semifinal #1
6:00 pm – Div. I semifinal #2

Sun. March 4:
11:00 am – Div. II Championship Game
1:10 pm – Div. I Championship Game

Mon. 2/13/12

Schedule, Week of Feb. 13
Mon. Feb. 13
Millbrook @ Berkshire, 5:15 pm

Tues. Feb. 14
Choate @ Kingswood-Oxford, 5:00 pm

Wed. Feb. 15
Northfield - Mt. Hermon @ Williston-Northampton, 2:00 pm
Kent @ Hotchkiss, 2:30 pm
Pomfret @ St. Mark's, 2:30 pm
Taft @ Westminster, 2:30 pm
Middlesex @ Lawrence Academy, 2:30 pm
Kimball Union @ Tilton, 2:30 pm
Cushing @ Deerfield, 3:00 pm
New Hampton @ Southfield, 3:00 pm
Andover @ Noble & Greenough, 3:00 pm
Ashland-Medway HS @ Worcester Academy, 3:15 pm
St. Paul's @ BB&N, 3:30 pm
Choate @ Berkshire, 3:30 pm
Tabor @ Exeter, 3:30 pm
Newton CD @ Beaver Country Day , 3:30 pm
Rivers @ Governor's, 3:45 pm
Exeter @ Winchendon, 4:00 pm
St. George's @ Milton, 4:00 pm
Berwick @ Winsor, 4:00 pm
Canterbury @ Millbrook, 4:00 pm
Holderness @ Vermont Academy, 4:00 pm
North Yarmouth @ Kents Hill, 4:00 pm
Brewster Academy @ Loomis-Chaffee, 4:30 pm
Hebron @ Proctor, 4:30 pm
Groton @ Brooks, 4:45 pm
Dana Hall @ Pingree, 5:00 pm
Gunnery @ Greenwich, 5:15 pm

Fri. Feb. 17
Kents Hill @ Hebron, 3:00 pm
BB&N @ Lawrence Academy, 4:45 pm
New Hampton @ Exeter, 5:00 pm
Southfield @ St. Paul's, 5:00 pm
Newton CD @ Berwick, 5:00 pm
Brooks @ Middlesex, 5:00 pm
Milton @ Andover, 5:15 pm
Rice @ Kimball Union, 5:30 pm (S)
Noble & Greenough @ Thayer, 6:00 pm

Sat. Feb. 18
BB&N @ St. Mark's, 1:30 pm
Northfield - Mt. Hermon @ Exeter, 1:30 pm
Winsor @ Portsmouth Abbey, 1:30 pm
Lawrence Academy @ Governor's, 2:00 pm
Cushing @ Pomfret, 2:15 pm
New Hampton @ Hebron, 2:30 pm
Kent @ Kingswood-Oxford, 2:30 pm
Hotchkiss @ Deerfield, 3:00 pm
Vermont Academy @ Tilton, 3:00 pm
Groton @ St. George's, 3:00 pm
Gunnery @ Southfield, 3:30 pm
St. Paul's @ Noble & Greenough, 3:30 pm
Brooks @ Tabor, 3:30 pm
Williston-Northampton @ Loomis-Chaffee, 3:30 pm
NEWHL @ Holderness, 3:45 pm (S)
Milton @ Brewster Academy, 4:00 pm
Choate @ Taft, 4:00 pm
Berkshire @ Westminster, 4:30 pm
Canterbury @ Winchendon, 4:30 pm
Millbrook @ Lawrenceville, 4:30 pm
Proctor @ Rivers, 4:30 pm

Mon. Feb. 20
New Hampton @ Holderness, 4:45 pm

Sat. 2/11/12

Girls Prep Standings
Here are the standings as of Saturday morning.

Div. I:

1. Nobles
2. Winchendon
3. Westminster
4. Berkshire
5. Deerfield
6. Cushing
7. Hotchkiss
8. Lawrence (tie)
8. Williston (tie)
10. NMH
11. Tabor
12. BB&N
13. Choate (tie)
13. Exeter

Div. II:

1. Rivers
2. Proctor
3. Middlesex
4. Greenwich
5. K-O
6. Southfield
7. Gunnery
8. Berwick
9. Thayer
10. Governor's
11.Vermont
12. Groton
13. Pingree

Sun. 2/5/12


Schedule, Week of Feb. 6

Mon. Feb. 6
Holderness @ Tilton, 2:45 pm
Rye Country Day @ Pingry, 3:15 pm
Morristown Beard @ Greenwich, 3:45 pm
Pingree @ Newton CD, 4:30 pm
St. George's @ Portsmouth Abbey, 4:30 pm
Dana Hall @ Rivers JV, 5:00 pm (S)

Wed. Feb. 8
Exeter @ Kimball Union, 1:30 pm
Brewster Academy @ Proctor, 2:30 pm
Cushing @ Lawrence Academy, 2:30 pm
Kent @ Canterbury, 2:30 pm
Gunnery @ Millbrook, 2:30 pm
St. Mark's @ Milton, 3:00 pm
St. Paul's @ Middlesex, 3:00 pm
Williston-Northampton @ Choate, 3:00 pm
Winchendon @ Southfield, 3:00 pm
Tilton @ Vermont Academy, 3:00 pm
Thayer @ Governor's, 3:15 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Groton, 3:30 pm
Northfield - Mt. Hermon @ Kingswood-Oxford, 3:30 pm
Beaver Country Day @ Dana Hall, 3:30 pm
Tabor @ Andover, 3:45 pm
Holderness @ Brooks, 3:45 pm
St. George's @ BB&N, 4:00 pm
Berkshire @ Pomfret, 4:00 pm
Hotchkiss @ Loomis-Chaffee, 4:00 pm
Hebron @ Berwick, 4:00 pm
Taft @ Greenwich, 4:15 pm
Kents Hill @ New Hampton School, 4:30 pm
Winsor @ Pingree, 4:30 pm
Morristown Beard @ Rye Country Day, 4:30 pm
Deerfield @ Westminster, 5:00 pm

Fri. Feb. 10
Dana Hall @ Winsor, 4:00 pm
New Hampton School @ St. Mark's, 4:15 pm
Greenwich Acacemy @ Millbrook, 4:30 pm
Governor's @ Andover, 4:45 pm
BB&N @ Noble & Greenough, 5:00 pm
Rivers @ Cushing, 5:00 pm
St. Paul's @ Deerfield, 5:30 pm
NE Jr. Falcons @ Williston-Northampton, 6:00 pm (S)
Southfield @ Proctor, 6:00 pm
Westminster @ Loomis-Chaffee, 6:30 pm

Sat. Feb. 11
Noble & Greenough @ Westminster, 1:00 pm
Proctor @ Holderness, 1:30 pm
Lawrence Academy @ Thayer, 2:00 pm
Kingswood-Oxford @ Gunnery, 2:00 pm
St. Mark's @ Rivers, 2:00 pm
Kents Hill @ Winchendon, 2:00 pm
Hotchkiss @ Taft, 2:30 pm
Middlesex @ Milton, 2:30 pm
Governor's @ St. Paul's, 2:30 pm
Kimball Union @ Williston-Northampton, 2:30 pm
Brooks @ St. George's, 3:30 pm
Berwick @ Portsmouth Abbey, 4:00 pm
Millbrook @ Kent, 4:00 pm
Choate @ Loomis-Chaffee, 4:00 pm
Deerfield @ Berkshire, 4:30 pm
Exeter @ Brewster Academy, 4:30 pm
Tabor @ Pomfret, 4:30 pm
Pingree @ North Yarmouth, 5:00 pm
Northfield - Mt. Hermon @ Cushing, 5:30 pm
Worcester Academy @ Vermont Academy, 5:30 pm
Hebron @ Canterbury, 7:00 pm

Sun. Feb. 12
Kents Hill @ Canterbury, 12:00 pm
Hebron @ Winchendon, 2:00 pm
Noble & Greenough @ Westminster, 2:30 pm

Mon. Feb. 13
Millbrook @ Berkshire, 5:15 pm