Xavier coach Skip Prosser watches Toledo, his team's opponent Saturday, and sees a good team. The Ratings Percentage Index sees the nation's No.1 team.

        “That's just more evidence that they are very good,” Prosser said.

        Not that good, of course. Toledo, 6-2 after an 88-72 loss at Fresno State late Tuesday night, didn't receive a single vote in this week's Associated Press balloting and hasn't been ranked in the AP poll since 1979.

        So how can it be No.1 in the RPI?

        “That's just happenstance,” said Jerry Palm, the Chicago-based statistician whose collegeRPI.com Web site provides an independent duplication of the RPI.

        “... This kind of thing happens every year. Last year about this time, Penn was No.1.”

        In the 1992-93 season, XU's men briefly topped the RPI when they were 8-0.

        XU is 43rd in the RPI. It was 105th before beating Cincinnati and Marquette.

        The RPI is computed thusly: 25 percent, your own winning percentage; 50 percent, your opponents' winning percentage; and 25 percent, your opponents' opponents' winning per centage.

        “The RPI is based strictly on the record of the teams you've played,” Palm said. “The RPI doesn't care if it's Michigan State or some undefeated team from a lower conference.”

        Toledo's strength-of-schedule ranking is No.2. It owns victories over Creighton (No.6 RPI), George Mason (No.30) and Auburn (No.79). Its lone loss came at St.Bonaventure, which is seventh in the RPI.

        “You'd have to think they won't be in the (RPI) top 10 at the end of the year, just because of their (Mid-American Conference) schedule,” Palm said. “As Toledo gets into conference play, they'll play teams all over the map in the RPI.”

        The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee uses the RPI as a tool in picking at-large teams. XU has tried to schedule tougher teams after its RPI the past two seasons (70th in 1998-99, 88th last year) doomed the Muskies to the NIT.

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