RPI WATCH: 11/23/11

After two games in two nights, it's probably fair to say Kansas and Missouri are better teams than most of us expected.

Yes, it's still early, but I see Bill Self's coaching fingerprints all over his team. Win or lose tonight, the Hawks will be a tough out if they can avoid foul trouble in the frontcourt.

And I'm simply stunned by what Frank Haith is doing with Mike Anderson's players, which confirms once and for all that Mike Anderson simply isn't that great of a basketball coach.

Meanwhile, the Texas two-step in New Jersey suggests to me that 1) the Longhorns don't play defense, 2) they're worthless without J'Covan Brown on the floor and 3) you simply don't lose five starters and not miss a beat.

I think UT is staring at a season much like the 2008-09 Cats had after they lost all that talent and Jacob Pullen wasn't quite ready to lead yet.

Overall Record = 3-0

Big 12 Record = 0-0

RPI = 98

SOS = 243

Signature Wins (RPI 1-30) = none

Quality Wins (RPI 31-100) = none

Bad Losses (RPI 101 or greater) = none

• Charleston Southern (3-2) | RPI = 156: Win over Stetson (73-64)
• Loyola Chicago (0-4) | RPI = 219
• UMES (1-4) | RPI = 124: Loss at Kansas State (50-92)
• George Washington (3-1) | RPI = 173: Wins over Detroit (86-73) and Austin Peay (54-52)
• Virginia Tech (3-0) | RPI = 60
• West Virginia (3-1) | RPI = 209: Win over Morehead State (83-48)
• North Florida (1-4) | RPI = 99: Loss at No. 3 Ohio State (50-85)
• No. 13 Alabama (5-0) | RPI = 14
• Southern Illinois (0-3) | RPI = 198
• Clemson (2-2) | RPI = 93: Loss to Coastal Carolina (59-60)
• UTEP (1-2) | RPI = 214
• Auburn (2-0) | RPI = 134
• Hawaii (1-2) | RPI = 270: Loss to Eastern Washington (72-89)
• Long Beach State (3-1) | RPI = 26: Win over Boise State (72-62)
• No. 12 Xavier (3-0) | RPI = 39
• Howard (1-3) | RPI = 322: Loss at Rider (72-74)
• No. 14 Kansas (3-1) | RPI = 113: Wins over Georgetown (67-63) and UCLA (72-56) in the Maui Invitational
• No. 21 Missouri (5-0) | RPI = 17: Wins over Notre Dame (87-58) and California (92-53) in the CBE Classic
• No. 9 Baylor (4-0) | RPI = 38: Win over South Carolina State (70-50)
• Oklahoma (2-0) | RPI = 241
• Texas (2-2) | RPI = 247: Loss to North Carolina State (74-77) in the TicketCity Legends Classic
• Oklahoma State (3-0) | RPI = 23
• Texas Tech (3-0) | RPI = 245
• Iowa State (3-1) | RPI = 144: Win over Northern Colorado (90-82)
• No. 25 Texas A&M (3-1) | RPI = 130