The College Basketball Post

[allen3xis]

Pargo

 

[d723]

You know what would make this loss so much better? Tyreke Evans signing.

 

[j rain 23]

this blows. k-state is now on the bubble with a chance of not even making the tourney entirely thanks to this slide. if they win @ kansas than i can be restassured they'll get in, but if they don't it's going to be a close call. i still think if they finish 20-10 and pick up a win or two in the big 12tourney that'll be enough. what do you guys think?
i don't care what seed they get, as long as they get in, i am picking b-easy to cut down the nets in san antonio, melo style.

 

[petey yup]

KState is not on the bubble. They're probably about a 7th seed after tonight's loss.

 

[N41D]

Kansas State is in the tournament. Unless the lose out, I don't see any way they're on the outside looking in come Selection Sunday

 

[the lowa]

Originally Posted by D723

You know what would make this loss so much better? Tyreke Evans signing.

I really think that he will sign with Louisville

 

[the lowa]

Originally Posted by allen3xis

Really like Marquette and James right now...

Yea he is playing with a lot of confidence. When he is making he is making his shots that makes Marquette really hard to gurad.

 

[dfresh244]

Originally Posted by The Lowa

Originally Posted by D723

You know what would make this loss so much better? Tyreke Evans signing.

I really think that he will sign with Louisville

Its been stated that Louisville is out of the race. But we'll see

 

[allen3xis]

Mike Huguenin & Bob McClellan
Rivals.com College Basketball Staff

We're less than three weeks away from "Selection Sunday" (March 16), and here is our projection of how the NCAA Tournament field will lookwhen it is unveiled that day.

Teams are grouped by projected seed and listed from strongest to weakest within that seed.

(NOTES: Teams denoted by asterisks must win their leagues to get into the field. RPI figures are through Sunday's game and are from collegerpi.com.)

Rivals.com Drive for 65
http:// NO. 1 SEEDS
Tennessee
Overall seed: No. 1. Record: 25-2. RPI: 1. Best wins: 82-75 at Xavier on Dec. 22; 66-62 at Memphis on Feb. 23. Worst loss: 72-66 at Kentucky on Jan. 22. Behind the choice: The Vols jump not only into our No. 1 seeds but to No. 1 overall with their victory at Memphis. The key is coach Bruce Pearl has gotten his players to believe in the importance of playing defense in the half court. "They score pretty easily, they rebound well, and they defend, in my opinion, very, very well," Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said. "When you have good guard play, good frontcourt play and great depth, that usually makes you a good team."
Memphis
Overall seed: No. 2. Record: 26-1. RPI: 2. Best wins: 81-70 vs. Connecticut in New York on Nov. 16; 85-71 vs. Georgetown on Dec. 22. Behind the choice: The Tigers still will be a No. 1 seed provided they run the table, and they should with the Conference USA tournament being staged in Memphis. But the air of invincibility is gone.
UCLA
Overall seed: No. 3. Record: 24-3. RPI: 9. Best wins: 68-63 vs. Michigan State in Kansas City on Nov. 20; 82-60 vs. Arizona on Feb. 2. Worst loss: 71-61 at Washington on Feb. 10. Behind the choice: The Bruins swept the Pac-10's Oregon schools last week. The Arizona road swing is this week, and UCLA embarrassed both schools at Pauley Pavilion. A game March 6 against Stanford likely determines whether the Bruins will win the Pac-10 regular-season title or will have to share it.
North Carolina
Overall seed: No. 4. Record: 26-2. RPI: 3. Best wins: 66-55 at Ohio State on Nov. 28; 90-88 at Clemson on Jan. 6. Worst loss: 82-80 vs. Maryland on Jan. 19. Behind the choice: The Tar Heels won twice convincingly last week even though they continue without the services of point guard Ty Lawson (sprained ankle). Maybe it's a blessing in disguise that they haven't had to rush him back and are developing quality depth in point guard Quentin Thomas, who's averaging 7.4 points and 6.6 rebounds in seven starts since Lawson went down. The Heels lead Duke by a half-game in the ACC race, and the teams meet March 8 in Durham. The Blue Devils won the earlier meeting in Chapel Hill.
http:// NO. 2 SEEDS
Duke
Overall seed: No. 5. Record: 23-3. RPI: 4. Best wins: 82-58 vs. Wisconsin on Nov. 27; 89-78 at North Carolina on Feb. 6. Worst loss: 86-73 at Wake Forest on Feb. 17. Behind the choice: We called the upset at Miami in this space last week. The Blue Devils don't play anybody who can beat them again until they face North Carolina at Cameron Indoor in the final game of the regular season. Duke will be looking to sweep the season series.
Texas
Overall seed: No. 6. Record: 23-4. RPI: 5. Best wins: 97-78 vs. Tennessee in Newark, N.J., on Nov. 24; 63-61 at UCLA on Dec. 2; 72-69 vs. Kansas on Feb. 11. Worst loss: -84 at Missouri on Jan. 12. Behind the choice: The Longhorns had won seven in a row and 10 of their past 11 heading into Monday night's game against Kansas State. They've not played particularly well on the road, though, since upsetting UCLA at Pauley Pavilion on Dec. 2. Still, they have three wins over teams in the RPI top 10.
Kansas
Overall seed: No. 7. Record: 24-3. RPI: 8. Best wins: 76-72 vs. Arizona on Nov. 25; 59-55 at USC on Dec. 2. Worst losses: 61-60 at Oklahoma State on Feb. 23. Behind the choice: Teams that are vying for No. 1 seeds don't lose to teams that are 13-12 and under .500 in conference play. The Jayhawks came up with just such a clunker against Oklahoma State, and it could prove quite costly. They trail Texas by a game in the Big 12 race, and Texas beat them head-to-head.
Georgetown
Overall seed: No. 8. Record: 22-4. RPI: 7. Best wins: 72-69 vs. Connecticut on Jan. 12; 74-65 vs. Notre Dame on Jan. 19. Worst loss: 77-70 at Syracuse on Feb. 16. Behind the choice: The Hoyas won twice last week, but they have a couple of difficult games remaining that will be the difference between being a No. 2 seed and maybe even as low as a No. 4. They still play at Marquette, then have a home date with Louisville to close the regular season.
http:// NO. 3 SEEDS
Louisville
Overall seed: No. 9. Record: 22-6. RPI: 14. Best wins: 71-51 vs. Marquette on Jan. 17; 59-51 vs. Georgetown on Feb. 9. Worst loss: 92-82 at Seton Hall on Jan. 19. Behind the choice: The Cardinals have made a steady push up our seedings. They have an intriguing schedule remaining (home games against Notre Dame and Villanova this week, then at Georgetown on March , the kind that could push them toward a No. 2 if they take care of business.
Stanford
Overall seed: No. 10. Record: 22-4. RPI: 20. Best wins: 67-65 at Washington State on Feb. 2; 67-66 at Arizona on Feb. 16. Worst loss: 79-67 at Siena on Nov. 17. Behind the choice: The Cardinal played only once last week, holding off California. The Cardinal close the regular season with road games against UCLA and USC. Win both and a No. 2 seed is entirely reasonable. Lose two and Stanford could fall to a 4, perhaps even a 5.
Xavier
Overall seed: No. 11. Record: 24-4. RPI: 6. Best wins: 80-65 vs. Indiana in Chicago on Nov. 24; 103-77 vs. Kansas State on Dec. 31 on a neutral court in Cincinnati. Worst losses: 59-57 at Miami University on Nov. 13; 78-59 at Temple on Jan. 16. Behind the choice: The Musketeers are looking like a solid No. 3 seed. The only remaining hurdle is a date at St. Joe's on March 6. Xavier has won 10 in a row, and six of those were on the road. The Musketeers have a three-game lead in the Atlantic 10 race.
Wisconsin
Overall seed: No. 12. Record: 23-4. RPI: 13. Best wins: 67-66 at Texas on Dec. 29; 68-66 at Indiana on Feb. 13. Worst loss: 81-76 vs. Marquette on Dec. 8. Behind the choice: The Badgers picked up two key conference road wins last week to move up to a No. 3 seed. They should finish the regular season 26-4, barring an upset at home Thursday night against Michigan State. They've won four in a row and seven of their past eight.
http:// NO. 4 SEEDS
Indiana
Overall seed: No. 13. Record: 23-4. RPI: 19. Best wins: 80-61 vs. Michigan State on Feb. 16; 77-68 vs. Purdue on Feb. 19. Worst loss: 68-66 vs. Wisconsin on Feb. 13. Behind the choice: The Hoosiers looked shaky in their first outing under Dan Dakich, squeaking past Northwestern - which is winless in Big Ten play. This team is capable of a deep run in March, but it's anyone's guess as to how much damage has been done by the coaching change.
Connecticut
Overall seed: No. 14. Record: 21-6. RPI: 12. Best wins: 89-73 vs. Marquette on Jan. 20; 68-63 at Indiana on Jan. 26. Worst loss: 77-65 vs. Providence on Jan. 17. Behind the choice: The Huskies' 10-game winning streak was halted by a 67-65 loss at Villanova. UConn should regain form and still could work its way to a No. 3 seed if it wins its remaining four games, which it will be favored to do.
Purdue
Overall seed: No. 15. Record: 21-6. RPI: 30. Best wins: 72-67 at Wisconsin on Feb. 9; 60-54 vs. Michigan State on Feb. 12. Worst loss: 69-66 vs. Wofford on Dec. 19. Behind the choice: The Boilermakers couldn't handle Indiana in their only game last week; that loss snapped an 11-game winning streak. They will have gone eight days between games when they play host to Minnesota on Wednesday. Purdue is a half-game behind Wisconsin in the Big Ten standings, but the Boilermakers swept the Badgers this season.
Notre Dame
Overall seed: No. 16. Record: 21-5. RPI: 21. Best wins: 68-59 vs. Kansas State in New York on Dec. 4; 73-67 vs. Connecticut on Jan. 5. Worst loss: 70-69 vs. Georgia Tech in Virgin Islands on Nov. 19. Behind the choice: The Irish won twice last week to run their homecourt winning streak to 36. They're a half-game behind Georgetown and Louisville for the Big East lead, and they have a showdown with the Cardinals on Wednesday in Louisville. The Irish have won eight of their past nine overall.
http:// NO. 5 SEEDS
Michigan State
Overall seed: No. 17. Record: 22-5. RPI: 15. Best win: 78-72 vs. Texas on Dec. 22. Worst losses: 43-36 at Iowa on Jan. 12; 85-76 at Penn State on Feb. 2. Behind the choice: The Spartans won two in a row last week for the first time in February. Then again, it was home games against Penn State and Iowa. Then again, MSU had managed to lose to both on the road. Call us if you have this team figured out. Any chance of finishing in the top two in the Big Ten depends on winning at Wisconsin on Thursday night.
Drake
Overall seed: No. 18. Record: 24-3. RPI: 11. Best win: 71-64 at Butler on Feb. 23. Worst loss: 72-71 vs. Bradley on Feb. 19. Behind the choice: The Bulldogs were upset at home by Bradley, but they bounced back to shock Butler on its home floor in the biggest BracketBuster game. They've wrapped up the MVC regular-season title, but they have lost two of their past three conference games.
Butler
Overall seed: No. 19. Record: 25-3. RPI: 18. Best win: 65-46 vs. Ohio State on Dec. 1. Worst loss: 43-42 at Wright State on Dec. 8. Behind the choice: The Bulldogs dropped from a four seed to a No. 5 seed with a home loss to Drake. They have a chance to avenge an earlier conference loss to Wright State at home on Thursday. The Bulldogs have just one win over a team in the RPI top 50, and that was at Southern Illinois on Dec. 28.
Vanderbilt
Overall seed: No. 20. Record: 23-4. RPI: 10. Best wins: 91-88 vs. South Alabama on Nov. 29. Worst loss: 74-58 at Ole Miss on Jan. 30.. Behind the choice: Vandy has won six in a row and is 17-0 at home with a game looming Tuesday night against No. 1 Tennessee. The Commodores don't seem to be getting much respect in some other NCAA projections, but that will change if they can knock off the Vols. One negative: There are 15 wins over teams whose RPI is 111th or worse.
http:// NO. 6 SEEDS
Washington State
Overall seed: No. 21. Record: 21-6. RPI: 28. Best wins: 51-47 at Gonzaga on Dec. 5. Worst loss: 69-64 vs. California on Jan. 31. Behind the choice: The Cougars have won four of their past five and are at least in the mix for a No. 5 seed. This is a big week in their attempt to move up the seedings chart, with road games at Cal and Stanford. A season sweep of USC helps. Four of the six losses have come to Arizona and UCLA (two each).
Marquette
Overall seed: No. 22. Record: 20-6. RPI: 17. Best wins: 81-76 at Wisconsin on Dec. 8; 92-66 vs. Notre Dame on Jan. 12. Worst loss: 79-64 at West Virginia on Jan. 6. Behind the choice: The Golden Eagles have won four in a row and seven of their past nine to move into the hunt for fourth place in the Big East. Three of the remaining four regular-season games are tough. Marquette has three wins over teams whose RPI is 25th or better, and each loss has come to a team whose RPI is 38th or better.
Gonzaga
Overall seed: No. 23. Record: 21-6. RPI: 33. Best win: 85-82 vs. Connecticut in Boston on Dec. 1. Worst loss: 73-63 vs. Texas Tech in Anchorage, Alaska, on Nov. 23. Behind the choice: It's a two-team race in the West Coast Conference between the Zags and Saint Mary's. The Gaels won the first game between the teams, but the Zags get them at home Saturday. The Zags' non-conference schedule has them in good shape for an at-large bid, and the win over UConn looks better by the day. Gonzaga has won four in a row and six of its past seven, and a sweep of the WCC regular-season and tourney titles likely would result in a No. 6 or 7 seed.
Pittsburgh
Overall seed: No. 24. Record: 19-8. RPI: 25. Best wins: 65-64 vs. Duke in New York on Dec. 20; 69-60 vs. Georgetown on Jan. 14. Worst loss: 77-64 vs. Rutgers on Jan. 26. Behind the choice: The Panthers have lost three in a row and four of their past six. They're at .500 in the Big East and don't have a road win over anybody of note. Still, the remaining schedule is such that a .500 record in the league looks likely. And Pitt played 12 games without PG Levance Fields, which will be noted by the selection committee.
http:// NO. 7 SEEDS
Clemson
Overall seed: No. 25. Record: 19-7. RPI: 22. Best wins: 84-82 at Mississippi State on Nov. 15; 61-58 vs. Purdue on Nov. 27. Worst loss: 64-55 at Florida State on Feb. 19. Behind the choice: Right now, the Tigers are our No. 3 ACC team - but it's a long, long drop from No. 2 (Duke) to No. 3. Two of the Tigers' next three games are on the road, and the only home game is against a surging Miami team. Clemson has won four of its past six, but the loss to Florida State stings.
Mississippi State
Overall seed: No. 26. Record: 18-8. RPI: 41. Best win: 80-74 vs. Arkansas on Feb. 16. Worst loss: 67-60 vs. Miami University in Anaheim, Calif., on Nov. 25. Behind the choice: The Bulldogs, who have won four of their past five, own a two-game lead in the SEC West over Arkansas (those teams split their season series). Still, there's no non-conference win of note and that could hurt down the line in terms of seeding. The Bulldogs have two tough road games left, against Florida (Saturday) and Vanderbilt (March 5).
West Virginia
Overall seed: No. 27. Record: 19-8. RPI: 38. Best win: 79-64 vs. Marquette on Jan. 6. Worst loss: 62-39 at Cincinnati on Jan. 30. Behind the choice: WVU has won three of its past four to strengthen its NCAA case. But three of its remaining four regular-season games are on the road, including a matchup with resurgent Villanova. There's also a home game with Pitt. A good strength-of-schedule ranking helps the Mountaineers.
Oklahoma
Overall seed: No. 28. Record: 18-9. RPI: 27. Best wins: 88-82 at West Virginia on Dec. 29; 77-71 at Baylor on Jan. 26. Worst loss: 72-58 at Colorado on Feb. 9. Behind the choice: The Sooners have played a tough schedule and look good for a bid if they can finish at least .500 in the Big 12. OU has won three of its past four and has four regular-season games left; other than Saturday's home game against Texas A&M, its remaining regular-season contests are against teams that aren't going to make the NCAA field unless they win the league tourney.
http:// NO. 8 SEEDS
Arizona
Overall seed: No. 29. Record: 17-10. RPI: 16. Best wins: 78-67 vs. Texas A&M on Dec. 2; 65-55 at Washington State on Feb. 23. Worst loss: 75-72 vs. Virginia on Nov. 17. Behind the choice: Given the Wildcats' excellent RPI, it's hard to see them being left out of the field. But they've lost two of their past three and are 7-7 in the Pac-10. As good as the Pac-10 is this season, Arizona does not want to finish below .500 in the league. The Wildcats play host to USC and UCLA this week, then finish out the regular season with the Pac-10's Oregon road swing.
Kansas State
Overall seed: No. 30. Record: 18-8. RPI: 45. Best win: 84-75 vs. Kansas on Jan. 30. Worst loss: 77-74 at Missouri on Feb. 2. Behind the choice: K-State has lost three of its past four and is a game behind second-place Kansas in the Big 12 race. K-State played host to Texas on Monday night, then plays at Kansas on Saturday. Still, it's hard to imagine K-State being left out of the field as long as it finishes above .500 in the league
Miami
Overall seed: No. 31. Record: 19-7. RPI: 24. Best wins: 64-58 at Mississippi State on Dec. 13; 96-95 vs. Duke on Feb. 20. Worst loss: 62-55 vs. Florida State on Feb. 6. Behind the choice: The Hurricanes are playing with a sense of urgency and have won four in a row, including a key victory Saturday over Maryland. Wednesday's game at Clemson is a big one, but the other three remaining games are eminently winnable. UM is looking for its first NCAA bid since 2002 and might be the only team from Florida in this season's field.
Baylor
Overall seed: No. 32. Record: 18-8. RPI: 34. Best win: 68-64 vs. Notre Dame in the Virgin Islands on Nov. 18. Worst loss: 93-83 at Oklahoma State on Feb. 13. Behind the choice: Saturday's home victory over Kansas State was a big one because it snapped a four-game losing streak. The next two games (Colorado and Missouri) are relatively easy, and wins in those two guarantee at least a .500 finish in the Big 12. The Bears haven't been to the NCAAs since 1988, and a trip this season would be just their second since 1950.
http:// NO. 9 SEEDS
Arkansas
Overall seed: No. 33. Record: 18-8. RPI: 35. Best win: 85-78 vs. Baylor in Dallas on Jan. 5. Worst loss: 70-66 vs. South Carolina on Jan. 16. Behind the choice: The Hogs have lost three of their past four, but still should finish at least second in the SEC West. Saturday's home game against Vanderbilt is a big one in terms of potential seeds for both teams.
Saint Mary's
Overall seed: No. 34. Record: 23-4. RPI: 31. Best wins: 72-66 vs. Drake on Nov. 10; 89-85 vs. Gonzaga on Feb 4. Worst loss: 63-55 at San Diego on Jan. 28. Behind the choice: The Gaels had their six-game winning streak snapped by Kent State on Saturday in a BracketBusters game. They're tied with Gonzaga for the West Coast Conference lead. The Gaels beat the Zags at home on Feb. 4 and play at Gonzaga this Saturday. The Gaels look good for at least an at-large bid. How high they will be seeded is the question.
UNLV
Overall seed: No. 35. Record: 20-6. RPI: 32. Best win: 70-41 vs. BYU on Jan. 15. Worst loss: 65-53 at Air Force on Jan. 12. Behind the choice: UNLV trails BYU by a game in the Mountain West, and those teams split their season series. We think the MWC gets at least two bids, but the league ranks 10th in the RPI, so there are no guarantees. UNLV has three home games among its final four regular-season contests and also is the host team for the league tourney. UNLV is 14-2 at home this season, with the only losses to Arizona and Louisville.
South Alabama*
Overall seed: No. 36. Record: 22-5. RPI: 23. Best win: 71-67 vs. Mississippi State on Dec. 15. Worst loss: 70-68 at North Texas on Jan. 31. Behind the choice: The Jags are tied with Western Kentucky at the top of the East Division of the Sun Belt Conference, but USA swept Western in the regular season. Plus, the Jags - who have won five of their past six - are the host team for the Sun Belt tourney.
http:// NO. 10 SEEDS
Kent State*
Overall seed: No. 37. Record: 23-5. RPI: 29. Best win: 65-59 vs. Illinois State in Chicago on Nov. 24; 65-57 at Saint Mary's on Feb. 23. Worst loss: 61-60 at Detroit on Nov. 10. Behind the choice: The Mid-American Conference is solid, but one bid is all it can hope for. Kent State has won nine of its past 10 - including an impressive victory at Saint Mary's in a BracketBuster game Saturday - and leads Akron by two games in the MAC's East Division. Kent already has won at home vs. Akron, and the teams meet again March 9 in Akron.
BYU
Overall seed: No. 38. Record: 21-6. RPI: 26. Best win: 78-76 vs. Louisville in Las Vegas on Nov. 23. Worst loss: 73-70 at Boise State on Dec. 29. Behind the choice: The Mountain West seems likely to get at least two bids, and BYU currently has a one-game lead in the league race over UNLV. UNLV is the host team for the league tourney, and the Runnin' Rebels beat BYU by 29 in Vegas earlier this season. BYU had its nine-game winning streak snapped at San Diego State on Saturday and is at New Mexico on Tuesday night. A win in that one puts the Lobos into the at-large mix.
Texas A&M
Overall seed: No. 39. Record: 20-7. RPI: 47. Best win: 80-63 vs. Texas on Jan. 30. Worst loss: 65-59 vs. Nebraska on Feb. 23. Behind the choice: The Aggies have lost three in a row - their second three-game losing streak of the season - and they're suddenly in danger of not finishing .500 in the Big 12. Saturday's loss to Nebraska was huge. Of their remaining four games, three are against teams that look good for NCAA bids: Baylor (road), Oklahoma (road) and Kansas (home). There's also a home game against a rejuvenated Texas Tech team Wednesday. That appears to be a must-win game.
Saint Joseph's
Overall seed: No. 40. Record: 17-8. RPI: 43. Best wins: 98-92 at Massachusetts on Jan. 9; 77-55 vs. Villanova on Jan. 23. Worst loss: 71-66 vs. Holy Cross on Dec. 4. Behind the choice: The Atlantic 10 is a jumbled mess when you get past first-place Xavier, but the Hawks are in second place and are looking good - at least this week - for an at-large bid. The Hawks have won eight of their past 11 and their next three games are at home. They won at Rhode Island on Sunday, hurting the Rams' at-large hopes.
http:// NO. 11 SEEDS
USC
Overall seed: No. 41. Record: 17-9. RPI: 40. Best win: 72-63 at UCLA on Jan. 19. Worst loss: 96-81 vs. Mercer on Nov. 10. Behind the choice: The Trojans have won eight of their past 11 and are in fourth place in the Pac-10. The Pac-10 looks as if it will get at least five bids, and the Trojans are our fifth Pac-10 team this week. Thursday's road game at Arizona is big for both teams.
Massachusetts
Overall seed: No. 42. Record: 18-9. RPI: 36. Best win: 107-100 at Syracuse on Nov. 28. Worst loss: 76-72 vs. Fordham on Feb. 14. Behind the choice: The Minutemen have won three in a row and are 1.5 games out of second place in the Atlantic 10. They should win their remaining three regular-season games. Given their solid RPI and tough schedule, you would think that finish plus one win in the A-10 tourney would be enough for an NCAA bid.
Villanova
Overall seed: No. 43. Record: 17-9. RPI: 50. Best wins: 64-63 vs. Pitt on Jan. 6; 67-65 vs. Connecticut on Feb. 23. Worst loss: 80-68 at Rutgers on Jan. 23. Behind the choice: The Wildcats have won four of their past five to get back into the at-large mix, and their game Monday at home against Marquette was a big one for their NCAA hopes. Can the Big East get as many as eight bids? We think so - and the Wildcats are our No. 8 from the league this week.
Ohio State
Overall seed: No. 44. Record: 17-10. RPI: 54. Best win: 79-65 vs. Syracuse in New York on Nov. 21. Worst loss: 53-48 at Iowa on Feb. 2. Behind the choice: The Buckeyes hope the Big Ten is a five-bid league. If it is, they're the only team right now that has a shot at that fifth bid. Ohio State lacks a true marquee victory, but the Buckeyes have three more chances to get one (Michigan State and Purdue at home, and Indiana on the road). The Buckeyes have lost four of their past six, and their RPI has plunged more than 40 spots in the past month.
http:// NO. 12 SEEDS
Kentucky
Overall seed: No. 45. Record: 15-10 overall, 9-3 in the SEC. RPI: 65. Best wins: 79-73 vs. Vanderbilt on Jan. 12; 72-66 vs. Tennessee on Jan. 22. Worst loss: 84-68 vs. Gardner-Webb on Nov. 7. Behind the choice: The Wildcats have won eight of their past nine and look as if they're going to finish with the second-best conference record in the SEC. As hot as they are, their RPI isn't that good and they have 12 wins over teams whose RPI is 128th or worse. But of UK's four remaining games, there are three against teams who could help raise that RPI (Ole Miss, Tennessee and Florida).
Illinois State
Overall seed: No. 46. Record: 20-8. RPI: 42. Best wins: 62-52 vs. Cincinnati on Dec. 8. Worst loss: 72-63 at Eastern Michigan on Dec. 4. Behind the choice: The Redbirds are looking for their first NCAA bid since 1998. They're in second place in the Missouri Valley Conference and have won four of their past five games. Their remaining two MVC games are against Creighton and Southern Illinois, both of whom also reside on the bubble. Illinois State beat both earlier this season.
Creighton
Overall seed: No. 47. Record: 19-8 overall, 9-7 in Missouri Valley. RPI: 52. Best win: 90-84 vs. Saint Joseph's on Dec. 9. Worst loss: 60-56 at Evansville on Feb. 13. Behind the choice: The Bluejays helped their at-large resume by winning at Oral Roberts on Saturday in a BracketBuster game, their fifth win in seven games. Still, to have a legit shot at an at-large bid, Creighton probably needs to win its final two regular-season games, then make it to the final of the MVC tourney.
UAB
Overall seed: No. 48. Record: 19-8 overall, 9-3 in Conference USA. RPI: 68. Best win: 79-76 vs. Kentucky in Louisville, Ky., on Dec. 15. Worst loss: 61-52 at Wichita State on Dec. 22. Behind the choice: We freely admit it - this is not a pick we're sure of at all. We have UAB here because other teams seem intent on playing their way out of the field. The Blazers need to win out in the regular season, then get to the C-USA tourney final to have a legit shot at an at-large bid.
http:// NO. 13 SEEDS
Virginia Commonwealth*
Overall seed: No. 49. Record: 21-6. RPI: 51. Best win: 86-76 vs. Maryland in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 2. Worst loss: 62-61 at James Madison on Jan. 2. Behind the choice: The Rams lead the Colonial Athletic Association, which is down this season compared to the past few years, by two games over George Mason. George Mason beat the Rams last month in the teams' only meeting this season. They are the only league teams in the top 114 in the RPI. VCU needs one more win to clinch the league's regular-season title.
Davidson* (8-6)
Overall seed: No. 50. Record: 21-6. RPI: 61. Best win: 60-47 at Winthrop on Feb. 22. Worst loss: 83-76 at Western Michigan on Nov. 21. Behind the choice: The Wildcats have played a lot of power-conference opponents close - they lost to North Carolina by four, to NC State by one, to Duke by six, to UCLA by 12 - but they don't have any marquee wins. In fact, they don't have any wins against teams ranked higher than 101st in the RPI. Can they get an at-large bid if they were to lose in the Southern Conference tourney? Davidson - which has won 17 in a row - is the only league team without a conference loss, and the Wildcats already have clinched the regular-season title.
Oral Roberts*
Overall seed: No. 51. Record: 20-7. RPI: 57. Best win: 74-59 vs. Oklahoma State in Oklahoma City on Dec. 20. Worst loss: 86-71 to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in College Station, Texas, on Nov. 14. Behind the choice: The Golden Eagles have a 1.5-game lead in the Summit League over IUPUI; the teams split their regular-season meetings. Those are the only teams with a shot at the regular-season crown. The Summit tourney is in Tulsa, ORU's home city.
Stephen F. Austin*
Overall seed: No. 52. Record: 22-3. RPI: 46. Best win: 66-62 at Oklahoma on Dec. 8. Worst loss: 58-57 at Nicholls State on Jan. 10. Behind the choice: SFA is five points away from having a 22-game winning streak. As it is, the Lumberjacks have won seven in a row and lead the Southland Conference West race by three games over Sam Houston State. Stephen F. Austin already has beaten Lamar, which leads the Southland East race, in the teams' only meeting this season.
http:// NO. 14 SEEDS
Rider*
Overall seed: No. 53. Record: 19-9. RPI: 112. Best win: 89-75 at Siena on Feb. 2. Worst loss: 73-66 at Drexel on Dec. 27. Behind the choice: The Broncs are in a four-way tie for first in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with Niagara, Siena and Loyola (Md.). Rider split the season series with each of those three teams and has its final two-regular season games at home. The Broncs also have the best player in the league in Jason Thompson, a 6-11 senior who averages 19.9 points and 11.8 rebounds.
Cal State Fullerton*
Overall seed: No. 54. Record: 18-7. RPI: 93. Best win: 80-72 at Cal State Northridge on Feb. 2. Worst loss: 79-76 at Central Michigan on Dec. 8. Behind the choice: The Titans trail Cal State Northridge by a half-game in the Big West Conference, but they won at Northridge earlier this month. The teams meet again Thursday in Fullerton. The Titans have won four in a row and eight of their past nine. Fullerton is looking for its first NCAA trip since 1978, when it lost to Arkansas in the West Regional final.
Cornell*
Overall seed: No. 55. Record: 18-5. RPI: 71. Best win: 83-77 vs. Siena on Nov. 25. Worst loss: 76-73 vs. Colgate on Dec. 1. Behind the choice: Cornell takes a 12-game winning streak and a three-game Ivy League lead into this weekend's home games against Dartmouth and Harvard. A sweep and the Big Red wins the Ivy title. Cornell is looking for its first NCAA trip since 1988.
New Mexico State*
Overall seed: No. 56. Record: 16-12. RPI: 127. Best win: 71-62 vs. New Mexico on Dec. 4. Worst loss: 94-71 at Hawaii on Jan. 31. Behind the choice: The Aggies have won five in a row and six of their past seven to move into second place in the Western Athletic Conference, a half-game behind Boise State. But New Mexico State swept Boise this season. Thursday's game at Nevada is huge for both in the WAC race. The best news for the Aggies is that they are the host team for the WAC tourney.
http:// NO. 15 SEEDS
Winthrop*
Overall seed: No. 57. Record: 18-10. RPI: 121. Best win: 76-70 vs. Miami on a neutral floor in Miami on Dec. 29. Worst loss: 50-49 at Coastal Carolina on Feb. 6. Behind the choice: The Eagles lead UNC Asheville by a game in the Big South Conference. UNC Asheville won at home over Winthrop earlier this month, and the teams finish off the regular season with a March 3 meeting at Winthrop. The Eagles have won four in a row in league play and are going for their fourth consecutive NCAA bid.
American*
Overall seed: No. 58. Record: 17-10. RPI: 103. Best win: 67-59 at Maryland on Dec. 22. Worst loss: 66-62 at Bucknell on Jan. 16. Behind the choice: American leads Navy by a game in the Patriot League race. The Middies won the first meeting and the teams meet again Wednesday. American has won six in a row. American, which is coached by former Virginia head man Jeff Jones, never has been to the NCAA tourney. The conference tourney is played at campus sites, and the regular-season winner is guaranteed to play every league tourney game at home.
Maryland-Baltimore Co.*
Overall seed: No. 59. Record: 20-7. RPI: 92. Best win: 70-68 at Richmond on Nov. 17. Worst loss: 77-74 vs. Maine on Jan. 12. Behind the choice: The Retrievers have clinched the regular-season title in the America East Conference. UMBC has won eight in a row, and its two league losses are by a combined six points. Finishing first in the regular season is important because the conference tourney final is hosted by the highest remaining seed.
Portland State*
Overall seed: No. 60. Record: 18-9. RPI: 115. Best win: 66-63 vs. Akron in Fairbanks, Alaska, on Nov. 17. Worst loss: 76-68 at UC Davis on Nov. 24. Behind the choice: The Vikings have won nine of their past 10 and lead the Big Sky by 2.5 games over Northern Arizona and Weber State with three games left. The Vikings swept Northern Arizona and split with Weber State. Two of Portland State's remaining three games on the road. The Vikings are looking for their first NCAA appearance.
http:// NO. 16 SEEDS
Austin Peay*
Overall seed: No. 61. Record: 19-10. RPI: 111. Best win: 93-84 at Belmont on Dec. 19. Worst loss: 121-116 at Southeast Missouri State on Jan. 29. Behind the choice: The Governors, looking for their first NCAA bid since 2003, lead Murray State by two games in the Ohio Valley Conference, which is ranked 30th among the 31 Division I leagues in RPI. Austin Peay and Murray split their two regular-seasons contests. Both of the Governors' remaining OVC games are on the road, against teams third and fifth in the league. Of note: Austin Peay beat Belmont (our No. 62 seed) twice this season.
Belmont*
Overall seed: No. 62. Record: 20-8. RPI: 96. Best win: 86-75 at Cincinnati on Nov. 9. Worst loss: 83-75 at Campbell on Jan. 5. Behind the choice: The Bruins are aiming for their third consecutive NCAA trip as Atlantic Sun champs, and they own a one-game lead in the league race over Jacksonville. Belmont beat JU in the teams' only meeting of the season. Belmont has won eight in a row and plays its final two regular-season games at home. In addition, the league tournament is in Nashville, Belmont's home city. The tourney will be at Lipscomb, which is Belmont's biggest rival, but the Lipscomb campus is only about a mile from Belmont's.
Morgan State*
Overall seed: No. 63. Record: 17-9. RPI: 146. Best win: 64-55 vs. Virginia Commonwealth on Nov. 29. Worst loss: 90-89 at Florida A&M on Feb. 16. Behind the choice: The Bears, who never have been to the NCAA Tournament, lead Norfolk State by one game in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference race. Morgan State's two conference losses have come by a total of three points. The Bears are coached by Todd Bozeman, the former Cal head man.
Robert Morris*
Overall seed: No. 64. Record: 23-6. RPI: 125. Best win: 57-51 at Boston College on Jan. 7. Worst loss: 75-66 vs. St. Francis (Pa.) on Dec. 8. Behind the choice: Robert Morris - which has won 11 in a row - has a one-game lead in the Northeast Conference, but both its remaining regular-season games are on the road. One is against Sacred Heart, which is tied for second and already has won at Robert Morris. The Northeast Conference tourney is held at campus sites, and the regular-season champ is guaranteed to host any game it plays.
Alabama State*
Overall seed: No. 65. Record: 14-9. RPI: 236. Best win: 64-54 at SMU on Nov. 11. Worst loss: 81-71 at Jackson State on Jan. 7. Behind the choice: The Hornets, who have a two-game lead, are our pick to win the Southwestern Athletic Conference - the weakest of the 31 Division I leagues. Alabama State has three of its final five regular-season games at home. The Hornets - aiming for their third NCAA bid this decade - also are our pick to be one of the teams involved in the play-in game. Actually, the SWAC champ will be in the play-in game, whoever it is.
http:// BREAKDOWN BY LEAGUE
8: Big East 6: Big 12 5: Big Ten, Pac-10, SEC 4: ACC 3: Atlantic 10, Missouri Valley 2: 2: Conference USA, Mountain West, West Coast 1: America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial Athletic Association, Horizon, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern Athletic, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern Athletic, Summit, Sun Belt, Western Athletic (20)
http:// SOME NOTES ON THE MAKEUP OF THE FIELD
- The NCAA uses an "S curve," meaning it ranks all 65 teams in order 1-65, then places them in regions under the theory the top No. 1 seed would have the worst No. 2 seed in its bracket, the worst No. 1 seed would have the top No. 2 seed, etc. The balancing of the regions is the most important factor in seeding the tournament. - As far as other rules go, teams from the same conference hopefully won't meet until a regional final, but the NCAA has relaxed that because some conferences have six and seven bids (it's even permissible for an intraconference matchup in the second round, though that is to be avoided whenever possible). But the first three teams selected from a given conference must be in different regions. - Higher-seeded teams should be placed as close to home as possible. No team may play on its home floor, but most sites are "neutral courts" anyway. - Teams can move up or down a spot or two in the "S-curve," maybe even a seed, to preserve other principles.

 

[allen3xis]

BUBBLE TEAMS

LOOKING GOOD

Arizona (17-10, 17th in RPI)
Arkansas (18-8, 35th in RPI)
Baylor (18-8, 33rd in RPI)
BYU (21-6, 26th in RPI)
Clemson (19-7, 22nd in RPI)
Massachusetts (18-9, 36th in RPI)
Miami (19-7, 23rd in RPI)
Mississippi State (18-8, 40th in RPI)
Oklahoma (18-9, 27th in RPI)
Saint Joseph's (17-8, 44th in RPI)
UNLV (20-6, 32nd in RPI)
USC (17-9, 39th in RPI)
West Virginia (19-8, 38th in RPI)


LOOKING IFFY

Arizona State (17-9, 69th in RPI)
Florida (20-7, 57th in RPI)
Illinois State (20-8, 41st in RPI)
Kent State (23-5, 29th in RPI)
Maryland (17-11, 66th in RPI)
Ohio State (17-10, 53rd in RPI)
South Alabama (23-5, 31st in RPI)
Texas A&M (20-7, 46th in RPI)
Villanova (17-10, 59th in RPI)


LOOKING BAD

Creighton (19-8, 51st in RPI)
Davidson (21-6, 60th in RPI)
Dayton (17-9, 37th in RPI)
Houston (20-6, 63rd in RPI)
Kentucky (15-10, 65th in RPI)
Mississippi (18-8, 45th in RPI)
New Mexico (22-6, 45th in RPI)
Rhode Island (20-8, 54th in RPI)
Southern Illinois (16-12, 49th in RPI)
Syracuse (17-11, 48th in RPI)
UAB (19-8, 67th in RPI)
VCU (21-6, 50th in RPI)
Wake Forest (16-9, 62nd in RPI)
W. Kentucky (22-6, 58th in RPI)

 

[scuse7]

Were *$$+#%.

But if we Beat Pitt and Marquette at home i think that will get us in.

Then defiantly the win against @ Seton Hall and one in the BE tourney.

 

[N41D]

UCLA as a 1 seed over Texas = Bad call...

Horns have a better RPI and went to Los Angeles and knocked off the Bruins... And you could argue Texas is as hot as any team in the country coming down thestretch...

 

[allen3xis]

Yeah, I agree.

Although I still can't buy into Texas being in that small group of elite teams...maybe I should...but I just have a problem doing so...

kinda like when Washington was a #1 seed a few years back.


maybe it's just me being stubborn but

Kansas
UCLA
UNC
Memphis

and now Tennessee...

then a notch below Texas and Duke

followed by

Stanford, Louisville, Gtown, Xavier, Uconn

 

[gottagitdemjs]

petey yup wrote:

---

KState is not on the bubble. They're probably about a 7th seed after tonight's loss.


This season will show everybody that the selection process hinges heavily on TV ratings. Last year K-State went 21-10 (10-6 in conference)and did not make the tournament. This year, it is looking like they're going to go 20-10 (10-6 in conference). The main difference in the two years??? Theyhave two marquee players that will pull big ratings on TV.

 

[allen3xis]

If that was the case Syracuse would've made it last year...they travel well, and would be watched..

K State I thought had a gripe about last year....but this year they are more deserving

 

[j rain 23]

i wish huggins would've stayed at k-state. i really don't like frank martin.

 

[petey yup]

KState didn't have the type of wins last season like they do this season.....

 

[gottagitdemjs]

Originally Posted by petey yup

KState didn't have the type of wins last season like they do this season.....

Not Exactly...

Big wins highlighted in red. MAJOR wins highlighted in green. Keep em coming.

2007

Date	Opponent*	Result	Record
Nov. 9, 2007	Sacramento State	W	94-63	1-0
Nov. 11, 2007	PITTSBURG ST	W	76-66	2-0
Nov. 17, 2007	Western Illinois	W	77-64	3-0
Nov. 22, 2007	George Mason[sup]1[/sup]	L	87-77	3-1
Nov. 23, 2007	at UCF[sup]2[/sup]	W	73-71	4-1
Nov. 25, 2007	at Rider[sup]3[/sup]	W	82-69	5-1
Nov. 29, 2007	Oregon	L	80-77	5-2
Dec. 4, 2007	at Notre Dame	L	68-59	5-3
Dec. 9, 2007	California	W	82-75	6-3
Dec. 17, 2007	Florida A&M	W	87-60	7-3
Dec. 22, 2007	WINSTON SALEM	W	90-48	8-3
Dec. 29, 2007	Wagner	W	101-59	9-3
Dec. 31, 2007	at Xavier	L	103-77	9-4
Jan. 7, 2008	Savannah St	W	85-25	10-4
Jan. 12, 2008	at Oklahoma	W	84-82	11-4 (1-0)
Jan. 19, 2008	Texas A&M	W	75-54	12-4 (2-0)
Jan. 23, 2008	at Colorado	W	72-56	13-4 (3-0)
Jan. 26, 2008	Iowa State	W	82-57	14-4 (4-0)
Jan. 30, 2008	Kansas	W	84-75	15-4 (5-0)
Feb. 2, 2008	at Missouri	L	77-74	15-5 (5-1)
Feb. 6, 2008	Nebraska	W	74-59	16-5 (6-1)
Feb. 9, 2008	OK State	W	82-61	17-5 (7-1)
Feb. 13, 2008	at Texas Tech	L	84-75	17-6 (7-2)
Feb. 16, 2008	Missouri	W	100-63	18-6 (8-2)
Feb. 20, 2008	at Nebraska	L	71-64	18-7 (8-3)
Feb. 23, 2008	at Baylor	L	92-86	18-8 (8-4)
Feb. 25, 2008	Texas	L	74-65	18-9 (8-5)
Mar. 1, 2008	at Kansas	8:00 pm CT
Mar. 4, 2008	Colorado	8:00 pm CT
Mar. 8, 2008	at Iowa State	3:00 pm CT

2006

Nov. 11, 2006	William & Mary	W	70-60	1-0
Nov. 15, 2006	at Rutgers	W	55-41	2-0
Nov. 18, 2006	Tennessee Tech	W	101-79	3-0
Nov. 21, 2006	at New Mexico	L	78-54	3-1
Nov. 25, 2006	Coppin St.	W	68-57	4-1
Nov. 29, 2006	at California	L	78-48	4-2
Dec. 2, 2006	at Colorado State	L	84-83	4-3
Dec. 5, 2006	Cleveland St.	W	93-60	5-3
Dec. 9, 2006	at NO DAKOTA ST	W	83-81	6-3
Dec. 17, 2006	KENNESAW[sup]1[/sup]	W	82-54	7-3
Dec. 19, 2006	Maryland-ES[sup]2[/sup]	W	79-58	8-3
Dec. 22, 2006	Southern Cal[sup]3[/sup]	W	68-55	9-3
Dec. 23, 2006	at New Mexico[sup]4[/sup]	W	72-56	10-3
Jan. 3, 2007	at Xavier[sup]5[/sup]	L	76-66	10-4
Jan. 6, 2007	at Texas A&M	L	69-65	10-5 (0-1)
Jan. 8, 2007	Texas Tech	L	62-52	10-6 (0-2)
Jan. 13, 2007	at Missouri	W	85-81	11-6 (1-2)
Jan. 17, 2007	Baylor	W	69-60	12-6 (2-2)
Jan. 20, 2007	at Iowa State	W	69-60	13-6 (3-2)
Jan. 22, 2007	Chicago St.	W	73-36	14-6
Jan. 27, 2007	Nebraska	W	61-45	15-6 (4-2)
Jan. 31, 2007	Missouri	W	80-73	16-6 (5-2)
Feb. 3, 2007	at Texas	W	73-72	17-6 (6-2)
Feb. 7, 2007	at Kansas	L	97-70	17-7 (6-3)
Feb. 10, 2007	Colorado	W	78-59	18-7 (7-3)
Feb. 13, 2007	at Nebraska	L	74-63	18-8 (7-4)
Feb. 17, 2007	Iowa State	W	65-47	19-8 (8-4)
Feb. 19, 2007	Kansas	L	71-62	19-9 (8-5)
Feb. 24, 2007	at Colorado	W	87-71	20-9 (9-5)
Feb. 27, 2007	at OK State	L	84-70	20-10 (9-6)
Mar. 3, 2007	Oklahoma	W	72-61	21-10 (10-6)

 

[allen3xis]

Would be a big win for OSU tonight..

 

[allen3xis]

Well,

thats not the whole equation...look at the difference's in OOC schedule..

 

[gottagitdemjs]

Take Beasley and Walker of this team. Give them the same record, and they don't make the tournament. No ratings for CBS.

Don't get me wrong though. If they beat KU again and/or go a few games deep into the Big XII tournament, this point will be moot. But as of right now,they're getting by on the popularity of Beasley and Walker.

 

[petey yup]

Look at their losses in the OCC this season...Xavier, ND, Oregon, GMU....Reall good teams.

And as far as quality wins this season it's...Kansas, A&M, Oklahoma, Cal, Rider, Nebraska

Last season in the OCC they lost to..New Mexico, Cal, Colorado St., Xavier

Completely diff Resume's

 

[N41D]

Yeah, this year's resume is better, and it's really hard to argue with the sheer fact that they are simply a more talented team than they were lastyear...

 

[petey yup]

I gotta say Lunardi seems kinda off this year to me. For example, No way Ohio St is in right now. RPI is not even in the top 50 and there best win is Syracuseand there ONLY other notable win is Florida. 17-10 8-6 in the L10 and 1-7 against the top 50(#48 is there only one). Umm no.

 

[jrellcuse10]

If Syracuse doesn't make the tournament (which it looks like) and Cornell does (which it looks like), a lot of explaining is going to have to be done. Ican picture Central New York sports media (although it sucks) now. Going to be an interesting offseason.