Courier Journal Litkenhous 1/15

[Jim Schue]

Sigh...comments like "gotta sell papers" only increase the mistaken idea that Litkenhous uses local sportswriters/voters to rank the teams like a poll. Litkenhous ratings for sports (starting with college football) have been around since 1934. Although the C-J bought the rights and the formula has been tweaked over the years between seasons, the ratings are still computer-generated. Any argument should focus on the formula involving win-loss records, strength of schedule, score differential, etc. To say the formula favors Louisville teams may appear true one season and not the next.

 

Rowan County may well be the top team in the state, but they don't fit the formula as well for this rating system at this point. The good news is they'll have the chance to prove it on the court.

 

This begs the question as to when it was switched to computer rankings. The fact that it has been around this long makes fans wonder how "computer-generated" it really is.

 

By the same token, it's pretty darned close to spot-on.

 

Why did Rowan play in only one holiday tournament?

 

I have the same question myself. If you know you have a good team, you have to put yourself out there.

[Dfenz]

 

 

 

I have the same question myself. If you know you have a good team, you have to put yourself out there.

 

That's funny...I think if you look at Rowan's schedule, they definitely put themselves out there.

[CAL4ALL]

This begs the question as to when it was switched to computer rankings. The fact that it has been around this long makes fans wonder how "computer-generated" it really is.

 

By the same token, it's pretty darned close to spot-on.

 

I can't tell you the exact date that it switched to computers, just that it did. Working for close to 20 years at the C-J (most of those years as a researcher), questions about Litkenhous came up frequently, usually from disgruntled fans :confused:.

 

As I recall, the mathematical system originated with Edward Litkenhous (a Vanderbilt professor) and his brother Frank (also called Fred) in the mid-1930s for college football, later extending to basketball, including KY high schools. Poor Frank suffered much verbal abuse over the years, but more often than not was pretty accurate, leading him to be inducted into the KHSAA Hall of Fame. Here's a link to his induction with brief biographical info: http://www.khsaa.org/hallfame/1988.pdf

Edited January 19, 2009 by CAL4ALL
spelling typo

[CAL4ALL]

That's funny...I think if you look at Rowan's schedule, they definitely put themselves out there.

 

That may be partially true, but the Litkenhous ratings' strength of schedule component is probably what places others ahead at this point.

 

Rowan Co.: 2-0 vs. Litkenhous Top 20 (Manual, Notre Dame)

 

compared to...

 

Iroquois: 4-1 vs. Litkenhous Top 20 (Marshall Co., Nelson Co., Franklin-Simpson - twice, Manual)

 

Manual: 3-2 vs. Litkenhous Top 20 (Highlands, CAL, Rowan Co., Iroquois, Sacred Heart)

 

Elizabethtown: 3-2 vs. Litkenhous Top 20 (North Hardin - twice, CAL, Lexington Christian, Simon Kenton)

 

Christian Academy-Louisville (CAL): 4-2 vs. Litkenhous Top 20 (Notre Dame, Elizabethtown, Montgomery Co., Mercy - twice, Manual)

 

Montgomery Co.: 2-1 vs. Litkenhous Top 20 (Mercy, Lexington Christian, CAL)

 

Henderson Co.: 0-2 vs. Litkenhous Top 20 (Marshall Co., Ohio Co.)

 

Sacred Heart: 1-1 vs. Litkenhous Top 20 (Highlands, Manual)

 

Mercy: 2-2 vs. Litkenhous Top 20 (Montgomery Co., CAL - twice, Notre Dame)

 

--Rowan County's two top-20 wins are impressive, but they have not had the same number of top-20 games as any of the top five teams.

--It can be difficult to beat a top team twice. Examples: CAL has beaten Mercy and lost to Mercy. E-town has beaten North Hardin and lost to North Hardin. Would Rowan beat Manual again? Possibly, but I wouldn't be too sure.

--The anomaly is Henderson County. Although they have won 14 games, they have lost to lower-rated top-20 teams Marshall Co. and Ohio Co. and non top-20 (for the moment) Webster Co. Henderson will probably drop in the rankings and Rowan should continue to move up.

--However, the top five teams all have at least two (usually more) games scheduled against current top-20 teams, not including additional games in tournaments like the LIT or post-season. Rowan has two more against current top-20: Lexington Christian and Montgomery County (perhaps their most important match-up).

--Of course, the ratings will continue to change as will the top 20. As long as Rowan wins on the court in the post-season, they will prove they're number one. Computer-generated Litkenhous and Cantrall may not put them there, but the human voters' AP poll might do so this week. Should be fun to see how it plays out. :thumb:

Edited January 19, 2009 by CAL4ALL
Add AP poll info.

[Claude Henry Smmoott]

That's funny...I think if you look at Rowan's schedule, they definitely put themselves out there.

 

No one is trying to attack Rowan. The question was why did they play in only one tournament. And Jim made the comment that with a team as good as they appear to be why wouldn't you play in a second tournament for the competition and the recognition.

 

Relax......deep breath.....

[Henry Steele]

Didn't the Birds beat Sacred Heart and their only lose is to Manual????

 

Also beat Assumption (who just beat Sacred Heart), LexCath, Boone County, Ryle, Notre Dame - so schedule is not lacking quality opponents (at least 3 wins over top 20 teams) - how are they not higher than 13?

[CAL4ALL]

If you count Assumption, LexCath, Boone County, and Ryle (none of whom are in the current top-20 Litkenhous ratings, though they may have been previously), then several other teams rated ahead of Highlands would also have more "quality" wins against those teams, keeping things about the same. Of course, other ratings and polls may differ. They're still just ratings, nothing more, nothing less. If they win on the court, especially against higher-rated teams, they'll move up.

[ColonelMike]

No one is trying to attack Rowan. The question was why did they play in only one tournament. And Jim made the comment that with a team as good as they appear to be why wouldn't you play in a second tournament for the competition and the recognition.

 

Relax......deep breath.....

 

Can't really speak for Rowan while sitting here in Oldham County...but I know for a fact that a number of schools are cutting back on holiday tournaments as a cost-saver. If there aren't tournaments available within a short distance away, they aren't going.

[Dfenz]

No one is trying to attack Rowan. The question was why did they play in only one tournament. And Jim made the comment that with a team as good as they appear to be why wouldn't you play in a second tournament for the competition and the recognition.

 

Relax......deep breath.....

 

OK, deep cleansing breath here...relaxing....take it in, blow it out...ahhhhhh....wish I had some ocean sounds....my man CHS and his favorite word...."relax".

 

Hey, listen, I don't care if Rowan plays in one, two, five or fifteen holiday tournaments. Their schedule speaks for itself. Holiday tournaments are great and all, but not the benchmark. So they played in one, but not two...big deal. Do they deserve to be #1? #10? or #25? I dunno...don't really care - I was just commenting on the silliness of the statement that Rowan wasn't putting themselves out there. It's their strength of schedule - probably one of the toughest in the state - that puts them in the driver seat year in and year out to make it to Diddle...glad to see the current coach is continuing this practice started by the previous coach. Smart.

[Claude Henry Smmoott]

I think they are a very good team.

 

Just asking why they played in one tournament. The players generally like going somewhere and playing different teams...thaty is all. No hidden agenda...I promise.