INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA released its first ever rankings for the newly featured NCAA Evaluation Tool, or NET and the University of San Francisco men's basketball team is currently ranked 25^th in the nation.
 
The NET, relies on game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses. To make sense of team performance data, late-season games (including from the NCAA tournament) were used as test sets to develop a ranking model leveraging machine learning techniques. The model, which used team performance data to predict the outcome of games in test sets, was optimized until it was as accurate as possible. The resulting model is the one that will be used as the NET going forward.
 
The Dons capped off another undefeated week on Saturday when it defeated Dartmouth by 19, 84-52. USF is 6-0 for the first time since the 1981-82 season when the Dons opened the year 10-0 before going on to finish the season 25-6 and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
 
The Dons opened the season with a program-record, four-straight wins by a margin of 32 points or better.  USF is currently fourth in the nation in scoring margin at +27.7 and sixth in the nation in scoring defense, holding opponents to 53.3 points per game – two key elements of the NET.
 
According to KenPom.com, the Dons adjusted defensive efficiency is 94.3 which is 36^th in the nation.
 
The Dons will return to action on Friday at 5:00 a.m. PST when USF takes on Stephen F. Austin at SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland for game one of the Basketball Hall of Fame Belfast Classic.