Virginia debuts at No. 45 in first NET rankings of 2020-21 season

The NCAA released its first NET rankings of the 2020-21 season on Monday, January 4th. Virginia came in at No. 45 in the first rankings, good for sixth in the ACC. Clemson leads ACC teams at No. 15, followed by Syracuse at No. 25, Louisville at No. 33, Virginia Tech at No. 34, and NC State at No. 38.

The NET, which stands for NCAA Evaluation Tool, is used to — you guessed it — evaluate teams for the NCAA tournament. Starting with this season, the NET is a little different than the version we saw introduced in 2018. Instead of utilizing five metrics to evaluate teams, the committee will use two metrics: Team Value Index (TVI) and a net efficiency rating.

Winning percentage, adjusted winning percentage, and scoring margin will no longer be used.

The TVI is a, “result-based feature that rewards teams for beating quality opponents, particularly away from home, as well as an adjusted net efficiency rating.”

Unsurprisingly, Gonzaga came in No. 1 in the first NET rankings of the season at 10-0 with wins over Kansas, Auburn, West Virginia, Virginia, and Iowa. Baylor, Tennessee, Illinois, Villanova, Michigan, Iowa, Houston, Texas, and Missouri round out the top-10.

The Hoos had their game against Virginia Tech postponed from this weekend after a staff member from the Virginia program tested positive for the coronavirus. As of right now, the next game will be Wednesday, January 6, at 9pm against Wake Forest.

You can see the full NET Rankings here.