The College Basketball Post

swiped it from someone on Gtown board
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Originally Posted by wildKYcat

craftsy, you couldn't find a better pic from that game?


and allen, where did you find that pic in your avy?
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Well, I wasn't looking for a picture from that game specifically - i just wanted one of Stanley Pringle.. i'm gonna keep looking, it didn'tturn out as well as I had hoped as an avy.
 
My lord....A game full of Quentin Thomas.....We would be
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aren't y'all already a bunch of babies?




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�sorry, i just hated that dude, but his moms was hot
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Mash was that dude, he'd been the leading scorer in UK history had he stayed his senior season, he was only about 300 shy of Dan Issel.

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�i'm tired of having to go all "nostalgic" inthis thread...
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allen3xis, i don't get why you think Q.Thomas is that bad? He ran the half court set today pretty well, it just he got no D and will get abuse by the otherteam point guard.
 
Originally Posted by friscostylez

allen3xis, i don't get why you think Q.Thomas is that bad? He ran the half court set today pretty well, it just he got no D and will get abuse by the other team point guard.
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Because he is compared to Ty Lawson. That makes him look bad. Look at the turnovers in today's game. All of those came after Lawson was out.

Hopefully Ty will be healthy by Wednesday
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Yooo.

Westbrook is a beast. RW > Collison to me.
But if they don't win the chip this year, they
good all boost their stock by going deep
another year. Love, Collison, Moute, West,
Ship, and Jrue Holiday is a crazy squad.
 
wildKYcat--

could you school me on Pat Patterson, please!!!!
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I don't know muchabout him, he's headed to the league after this season right?
 
Originally Posted by juvedagreat

wildKYcat--

could you school me on Pat Patterson, please!!!!
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I don't know much about him, he's headed to the league after this season right?
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If I remember correctly, Pat said he wants to stay all 4 years... I know that's probably a bit of a stretch, but I don't think he's leavingafter this year. He could probably use another year in school, and he'll be ready to go.
 
Originally Posted by juvedagreat

wildKYcat--

could you school me on Pat Patterson, please!!!!
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I don't know much about him, he's headed to the league after this season right?
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gladly. he's been much better than advertised. one of the most productive freshman in UK history. great hands and footwork, superiorathleticism, pretty tough, nice 12-15 foot jumper and will only get better. don't look for him to jump to the league anytime soon, though.
 
Wow...I thought he was 1 and done. so he has a consistent shot, how's the D though?

I got this from draft express;

Patterson doesn't fight for position much and falls for the classic young forward flaw of trying to react to the shot. He gives opponents the spot they want too easily on the floor, and hasn't learned to get wide and press up underneath his man to effect their balance. Right now, he's mostly about slide stepping and staying in front of his assignment, while waiting for the move and the release. His awareness is poor and he struggles to make his presence felt when pulled out onto the perimeter on pick and roll plays.

true?
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you're right Nowitness.

that "fight for position" comment is absurd.� but sure, he'll get better on D.� he got the best of Tyler Hansbrough and Dion Thompson and heldhis own with DJ White.� but David Padgett gave him a little trouble.� i don't know about his "awareness being poor."� but his shot's OK, notbad, not great.� he's a freshman, he's played 20 games against some good comp.� he'll be fine.��

there's a bunch of PP in this vid:
 
allen3xis, i don't get why you think Q.Thomas is that bad? He ran the half court set today pretty well, it just he got no D and will get abuse by the other team point guard.
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He sucks, he has for 4 years. Dude is a bum. He will fold under pressure.
 
The past few years I've typed up my own bubble watch around this time of the year and tried to update it week to week - but i'm just too busy thesedays, so let's just breakdown ESPN's instead.
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Here's the first one of the year..
[h1]College Basketball Bubble Watch[/h1]
[h1]Bubble beginning to gain separation[/h1]
Andy Glockner
ESPN.com

In honor of Super Sunday, the official start of the two months a year when college basketball is the king of the sports world, here's the latest look at the bubble. With league play unfolding, we're finally starting to get some separation, especially in some of the major conferences.

Here are some quick thoughts to chew on:

• The Atlantic 10 is more likely to get five bids to the NCAAs than it is to get three, and that wouldn't be unfair. This is an extremely solid and extremely deep league.
• Pac-10 fans could be outraged if their league and the Big Ten both end up with five bids, but that's a distinct possibility at this point.
• They'll be even more incensed when the Big 12 gets six ... and so does the SEC.
• If you assume all of those allocations, you easily could have a Big East with nine teams in.
• The MAC East champ could claim the league's first at-large bid in what seems like 20 years.

As always, the records listed are Division I only, per NCAA Tournament selection guidelines. If you have a legitimate grievance, or just like talking bubble, send an e-mail to [email protected].

Next update: Feb. 10.
[table][tr][td]Atlantic Coast Conference[/td] [/tr][tr][td] Work left to do: Clemson, Miami (FL), North Carolina State, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Maryland, Georgia Tech, Boston College

This basically sums up the ACC this season: Virginia Tech was dropped from last week's watch and now is third in the conference at 5-3. Beyond Duke and Carolina, this league is a complete mess. You'll probably see five or so teams get the nod on Selection Sunday, but how you can tell which other three or so it will be at this point is anyone's guess. To clean out some of the muddle, Florida State vanishes this week with its 2-5 league mark and subpar RPI.
Work left to do:

Clemson [15-5 (4-3), RPI: 26, SOS: 27] If you're forced to pick the third-best team in this league, the Tigers still might be the choice. We'll find out one way or the other, as six of Clemson's next eight are on the road. There's no real heft anywhere in the nonconference slate. Crushing Alabama on the road is probably the best win, so despite a solid RPI/SOS combo, this team is far from secure at this point.

Miami (FL) [14-6 (2-5), RPI: 39, SOS: 32] The Canes, losers of five of their past six, are who we thought they were, but with an RPI of 40, they'll stay around for another week despite their 2-5 league mark. The home game Wednesday with Florida State is an absolute must-win ahead of two more road trips, to Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech. There are some decent wins in nonconference play, including Miss. State, VCU and Providence.

North Carolina State [13-7 (2-4), RPI: 49, SOS: 43] The 2-4 record in league play looks bad, but remember that the Wolfpack already have lost games at Duke, Carolina and Clemson. They get all three of those teams in Raleigh later on, so the chances for big statement wins are there. They also play six of their next nine at home, so don't count this team out just yet. In nonconference play, the Wolfpack beat Villanova and Davidson but lost at home to New Orleans and at East Carolina.

Virginia Tech [14-8 (5-3), RPI: 56, SOS: 65] Fine, Hokies. Have it your way. Left for bubble dead 10 days ago, the Hokies ripped off wins at BC and home to Florida State and Virginia to settle into third place in the league. What's more, VT plays Duke (already lost), UNC and Clemson only one time each, so there are a lot more middling teams to take down. Can VT makes its way to the NCAAs by beating the Georgia Techs and Boston Colleges of the world? Someone is going to. There's nothing in the nonconference schedule that's going to help (and a couple things that won't), so VT needs a big league performance -- and so far is getting one.

Wake Forest [13-6 (3-3), RPI: 59, SOS: 117] The Deacons edged Miami in their only game since the last watch update. They'd better continue to make their move in the next three games (at NC State, vs. GT and UVa) because the six after that are not easy. A decisive home win over BYU is a decent nonconference result. There's not much else to crow about, though, so the Deacs need some ACC wins quickly.

Maryland [14-8 (4-3), RPI: 66, SOS: 19] The Terps are on the upswing in a league that has games for the taking. After fading in the second half against Duke, Maryland got wins over Virginia and at Ga. Tech to get back over .500 in league play. Wednesday's trip to desperate BC is huge for the Terps, as the remaining schedule is very doable aside from the return trip to Duke. Maryland also has what no other team in the land has -- a win at Carolina -- but losses to VCU, Ohio and (especially) American aren't going to help the Terps' cause. The best nonconference win might be at Charlotte. The Terps also beat Illinois.

Georgia Tech [10-10 (3-4), RPI: 77, SOS: 8] A tough two-point home loss to Maryland could be very costly for the Yellow Jackets after they beat Virginia in OT. The SOS remains the reason the RPI is acceptable, as GT is still under .500 in league play and .500 overall. Tech beat Notre Dame and Charlotte in a November tournament. Most of the nonconference losses are to very good teams, but there might be too many of them, especially as Tech isn't making a big enough ACC push.

Boston College [12-8 (3-4), RPI: 79, SOS: 24] Wednesday's home game against Maryland might be a season-decider for the Eagles after they were crushed on the road at Carolina and Clemson. A trip to Cameron is after that, and there might be no way back from 3-6 in ACC play. BC's home win over Rhode Island is the best thing the Eagles have in the nonconference slate, and that's offset by a bad home loss to Robert Morris.
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[/td] [/tr][/table][table][tr][td]Big East Conference[/td] [/tr][tr][td] Teams that should be in: Connecticut, Marquette, Pittsburgh
Work left to do: Syracuse, Louisville, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Seton Hall, Providence, Villanova

Some teams in this league are finally starting to separate themselves from the field. Georgetown remains locked in. Pitt steps back a level and is joined by UConn and Marquette. Notre Dame and Louisville also look well positioned. After that? It appears there's room for several more to make their way into the dance.
Should be in:

Connecticut [16-5 (6-3), RPI: 15, SOS: 6] The Huskies are probably the biggest mover of the past two weeks, thanks to an extremely impressive five-game winning streak that includes Marquette, Indiana, Louisville and Pitt as victims. It would be hard to find a better stretch of wins from any team in the land. Both nonconference losses (Memphis-N and Gonzaga-N) are against quality foes, so the overall profile should continue to hold up nicely.

Marquette [15-4 (6-3), RPI: 18, SOS: 58] Like Notre Dame, the Golden Eagles finally picked up a road win in league play, and theirs was a solid 15-point victory at Cincinnati. They're home to Louisville, then at Notre Dame in what should be a testing week. The overall profile, despite a relatively weak nonconference schedule (save for the win at Wisconsin), still looks solid.

Pittsburgh [16-5 (5-4), RPI: 19, SOS: 47] Three losses in their past five games, and not exactly against the meat of their schedule, mean the Panthers take a step back this week. Upcoming home games against West Virginia and Providence are pretty important because the Panthers still must visit Marquette, Notre Dame, Syracuse and the Mountaineers. The nonleague win over Duke obviously looks great. Beyond that, a victory at Washington is probably the next-best thing. Pitt should be fine, but it's worth taking a look at them this week and re-evaluating.

Work left to do:

Syracuse [16-7 (6-4), RPI: 33, SOS: 11] It was a very strong rebound week-plus for the Orange, who took down Providence, then won at DePaul and Villanova to really boost their profile. That was critical because their last eight games are really difficult. UConn, Georgetown, Pitt and Marquette all come to the Carrier Dome, and the Orange also play at Louisville, Notre Dame and Seton Hall in that stretch. No question the Orange have the chance to play their way into or out of the NCAAs. In nonconference play, the road win at Virginia is the best on an OK slate. Home losses to UMass and Rhode Island are no disgrace this season, but the bonus points for losing at home are what's crimping the RPI.

Louisville [16-6 (6-3), RPI: 38, SOS: 37] The Cardinals continue to chug along, dropping a tough two-point decision at UConn before hammering Rutgers. This week's combo -- at Marquette and home to Georgetown -- is about as good a barometer as you'll get in this league. In nonleague play, the Cards have three or four OK-but-not-great wins and a couple of home losses that have weakened their RPI, but the overall picture looks pretty solid.

Notre Dame [16-4 (6-2), RPI: 40, SOS: 111] The Fighting Irish did it! The road win at Villanova, combined with subsequent home victories over Providence and DePaul, puts them in very solid shape right now at 6-2. Three of the next four are on the road, sandwiched around a visit from Marquette, so we'll know more shortly. The best nonconference win is over surging Kansas State. The losses were to Baylor and Georgia Tech in an early tournament.

West Virginia [15-6 (5-4), RPI: 43, SOS: 52] The Mountaineers got a crucial road win at Providence on Saturday to help recover from the controversial loss to Georgetown and the disaster against Cincinnati. A trip to an up-and-down Pitt team is up next; that could be a nice win for the 'Eers to get. The two nonconference losses are to Tennessee and Oklahoma on neutral courts (although the loss to the the Sooners was in Charleston, W.Va.). No shame in either of those.

Seton Hall [15-7 (5-4), RPI: 47, SOS: 48] A loss at Georgetown (no shame there) ended a five-game winning streak that has the Pirates in at-large contention. The next four games -- home to ND, at Villanova, home to Marquette and at WVU -- might decide the Pirates' fate, as the last five in league play are very manageable. As with Syracuse, the best nonconference win is over Virginia, although the Pirates won that one on a neutral court at the Palestra in Philly.

Providence [12-9 (3-6), RPI: 65, SOS: 29] Like Villanova, the Friars are hanging on by a thread at this point. Too many losses in league play are watering down a profile that has some OK nonconference wins, such as Arkansas, BC and Florida State. As it stands right now, the Friars are touch and go to make the Big East tournament, let alone the NCAA.

Villanova [13-7 (3-6), RPI: 75, SOS: 101] The Wildcats are in very big trouble now as they keep losing "coin flip" games in league play and are 3-6. The RPI has fallen quickly, and the SOS isn't helping, either. The best nonleague win is over George Mason. The only nonconference loss was on the questionable late foul call against NC State in Orlando.
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[/td] [/tr][/table][table][tr][td]Big Ten Conference[/td] [/tr][tr][td] Teams that should be in: Indiana
Work left to do: Ohio State, Purdue

Controversial to move Indiana out of a locked position? Not if you look at the Hoosiers' overall profile, which is devoid of a marquee win and has a very weak SOS. Common sense says they have to make it at this point, but it was worth a capsule this week. Despite recent toe stubs, Michigan State and Wisconsin still look set. Purdue has forced its way into the mix, even with a very weak SOS that is compromising its RPI. Ohio State is doing just enough to keep its fans worried. With Minnesota struggling to get wins, this league looks as though its tally could get capped at five.
Should be in:

Indiana [17-3 (6-1), RPI: 36, SOS: 136] The Hoosiers need to take a step back this week after losses to UConn and at Wisconsin have weakened the overall profile. IU is 0-3 against the RPI Top 25, so there's no marquee win to lean on right now. Would the Hoosiers get into the NCAAs today? Of course, and with the way the league is, it's almost impossible to think they could miss, but how is the overall profile different from Ohio State's at this point? IU is ahead of the Buckeyes based on league standing, their weak SOS notwithstanding.

Work left to do:

Ohio State [15-7 (6-3), RPI: 25, SOS: 18] The Buckeyes' RPI is more a factor of SOS than of anything they have done on the court. They're 0-4 against RPI Top 25 teams, and a disappointing loss at Iowa kept things from looking much better. Wins over Syracuse at MSG and over Florida in Columbus are the nonconference bright spots. OSU also lost to Tennessee, Texas A&M, North Carolina and Butler.

Purdue [17-5 (8-1), RPI: 51, SOS: 162] What more can you say about the baby Boilers, who stand in first place at 8-1? The only league loss was by three at Michigan State when Robbie Hummel was out with the flu. A very solid win over Louisville is the nonconference highlight.
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[/td] [/tr][/table][table][tr][td]Big 12 Conference[/td] [/tr][tr][td] Teams that should be in: Oklahoma, Kansas State
Work left to do: Texas A&M, Baylor, Texas Tech

This conference looks more and more likely to get six bids. Once you get past Kansas and Texas, the current order is not all that clear, but that will sort itself out in the next couple of weeks as far as seeding and placement.
Should be in:

Oklahoma [15-6 (3-3), RPI: 27, SOS: 16] Blake Griffin's early return from a knee injury might be what puts this team into the NCAAs. The Sooners will get some slack for when he was out. They picked up important wins at Baylor and over OK State before losing at A&M on Saturday. After a home game against Texas next, there are some wins to be had. Early losses to Memphis and USC in nonconference play were understandable. The home loss to Stephen F. Austin was less so. The Sooners did beat Gonzaga and West Virginia on neutral floors for some nonleague heft.

Kansas State [14-5 (5-1), RPI: 28, SOS: 13] Despite the loss at Missouri on Saturday, the Wildcats have surged into strong NCAA Tournament position. Having a win over Kansas in your pocket never hurts. A win over Cal is the best thing on their nonconference résumé, stacked against losses to George Mason, Notre Dame, Oregon and Xavier, so the Wildcats need a strong league finish, but they look poised to get one.

Work left to do:

Texas A&M [17-4 (4-3), RPI: 29, SOS: 91] It was a great bounceback week for the Aggies, who beat Texas and Oklahoma at home to get back above .500 in league play. The next six games are reasonably workable, too, so expect A&M to consolidate its position. The Aggies beat UTEP, Washington and Ohio State (in a rout) to win the NIT Season Tip-Off. They also beat Alabama and LSU, but blew a big lead and lost at Arizona.

Baylor [15-4 (4-2), RPI: 32, SOS: 55] Did the epic five-OT win at A&M take more out of the Bears than the Aggies? A&M hasn't lost since and Baylor hasn't won since, dropping tough games to Oklahoma and at Texas. No shame in either of those, but the Bears really ought to handle Texas Tech at home this week, as the five after that include trips to Kansas, OK State and Oklahoma, plus home games against Texas and K-State. The Bears beat Wichita State, Notre Dame and Winthrop to win the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands, and they also won at South Carolina. The losses are by three at home to Washington State and to Arkansas in Dallas.

Texas Tech [11-8 (3-3), RPI: 63, SOS: 10] No real change from last week as the Red Raiders continue to sit on the fringe. The next four games -- at Baylor and Nebraska, then home to Kansas State and Oklahoma -- should settle things one way or the other. Tech remains unbeaten at home but winless on the road, which is not a good recipe to make the NCAAs. Nonconference play includes a win over Gonzaga and losses to Butler, New Mexico, Stanford, Sam Houston State and Centenary.
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[/td] [/tr][/table][table][tr][td]Pacific-10 Conference[/td] [/tr][tr][td] Teams that should be in: Washington State
Work left to do: USC, Oregon, California, Arizona State

This is starting to sort itself out. UCLA, Stanford and Arizona look pretty certain to be in. Arizona's record with Jerryd Bayless is 14-4 (4-2 Pac-10), which, combined with Arizona's RPI/SOS combo, is more than good enough to overlook the modest actual Pac-10 record at this point. Stanford gets the lock nod because of what it has done in league play with Brook Lopez back. The Cardinal's conference RPI is better than the Wildcats'. If forced to say at this point, you'd have to think Washington State and USC will find their way in. Could that be all, though, with Arizona State and Oregon fading?
Should be in:

Washington State [17-4 (5-4), RPI: 30, SOS: 86] Well, that was unexpected. Getting swept at home by the Bay Area schools knocks the Cougars down a big step. It doesn't get any easier with surging UCLA coming to Pullman on Thursday ahead of what could be a really crucial game with USC on Saturday. This is a good team and should be OK, you would think, but there's not a lot in the nonconference profile other than the win at Baylor and one over Gonzaga in Seattle that will help support a Pac-10 fade.

Work left to do:

USC [14-7 (5-4), RPI: 41, SOS: 28] The Trojans got an enormous win at UCLA on Saturday, then backed it up by cruising past Oregon State in Corvallis to get back to even in the conference. A big game at Oregon is on tap for Saturday. Five of the past seven league games were at home, so the longer USC can hang around, the better the chances that it will be dancing. The win over Oklahoma looks solid, and Miami (Ohio) and Southern Illinois are decent wins, as well. But there's that Mercer loss at home, and the Trojans just missed on big-name chances against Kansas and Memphis (two four-point L's).

Oregon [13-8 (4-5), RPI: 55, SOS: 30] The Ducks got the must-win at home against Oregon State, but they are still in a very precarious position, and with five of the next seven on the road, things could come completely undone. Kansas State and Utah are the best nonconference wins, but the Ducks also have losses at Saint Mary's, Nebraska and Oakland, which could prove damaging.

California [13-7 (4-5), RPI: 72, SOS: 46] A huge road sweep at the Washington schools gives the Golden Bears a bubble lifeline. It doesn't get much manlier in league play than Ryan Anderson's 33-point, 16-rebound tour de force at Washington in a four-point win. There's still plenty of work to do, but with Arizona State's collapse and Oregon's struggles, there's an opening for Cal to slide in. Five of the last seven are on the road, which includes games at Arizona, Stanford, USC and UCLA, so the Golden Bears best take care of business this coming week at home against the Oregon schools. Those likely are both must-wins. Cal beat Missouri and San Diego State in an uninspired nonconference slate.

Arizona State [14-7 (4-5), RPI: 92, SOS: 120] It's now five losses in a row for the Sun Devils, who are in real trouble. Fortunately, the league provides a ton of chances for marquee wins, but ASU needs any win at this point. It won't be easy to get off the schneid at ticked-off Arizona, which was smashed at UCLA and still is smarting from an earlier loss in Tempe (without Jerryd Bayless). And here's nothing in nonconference play that's going to help other than the rout of Xavier.
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[/td] [/tr][/table][table][tr][td]Southeastern Conference[/td] [/tr][tr][td] Teams that should be in: Vanderbilt
Work left to do: Mississippi, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi State

The SEC picture has gotten more muddled as Ole Miss and Vandy have struggled and teams continue to beat up on each other. Tennessee's a mortal lock. Beyond that, you can't say the same about anyone else, although you'd suspect six teams have a good chance to make it on Selection Sunday. Kentucky is starting to make some noise. We'll check back on the Cats next week.
Should be in:

Vanderbilt [18-4 (3-4), RPI: 11, SOS: 40] The Commodores got the home win they desperately needed Saturday over Auburn, but can they do anything on the road? They have two more chances -- at Georgia and South Carolina -- up next to see. The RPI is great, which makes the overall profile look good, but this team isn't playing better than several others on this list right now, so Vandy's relative standing is precarious. UMass is probably the best win in a suspect nonconference slate, but at least the Dores ran the table before SEC play.

Work left to do:

Mississippi [16-4 (3-4), RPI: 21, SOS: 57] The home loss to South Carolina could haunt the Rebels down the road, although the schedule is not as harsh as those some others face. They have a tricky five-day stretch coming up next, with road games at Arkansas and Alabama sandwiched around a last-minute replacement game against Presbyterian, a transitional D-I team that is much feistier than its horrible guarantee game-fueled record suggests. The win over Clemson in Puerto Rico is the out-of-league highlight, but the win over South Alabama is a quality one, as well.

Arkansas [16-5 (5-2), RPI: 37, SOS: 54] The Hogs brought the hammer out this week, pounding Mississippi State and Florida at home. If they want to be the team to beat in the SEC West, though, they'll need to navigate the next three (Ole Miss, at Tennessee, at Miss. State). The nonconference win over Baylor still looks very good. Victories over VCU and Missouri are decent, too. Losses to Providence and Appalachian State (the latter in Little Rock) are less so.

Florida [18-4 (5-2), RPI: 48, SOS: 154] The young Gators got their comeuppance Saturday in Fayetteville, but they're still in decent position despite a 1-3 mark against the RPI Top 50. It doesn't get any easier Tuesday, when they head into the cauldron at Tennessee. After that, the schedule eases up again, so expect some more W's. The best nonconference win is over Temple, which tells you all you need to know about that part of the schedule.

Mississippi State [14-7 (5-2), RPI: 58, SOS: 67] The Bulldogs took Tennessee to the limit Saturday but lost, making it two straight after getting mauled at Arkansas earlier in the week. With five of the next seven on the road, things don't get any easier. Missouri is the only decent nonconference win, and it's up against losses to Clemson, Southern Illinois, Miami (Ohio), Miami (Fla.) and South Alabama. There's nothing awful there, but five nonconference losses are often a lot to overcome. That continues to explain the suspect RPI.
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[/td] [/tr][/table][table][tr][td]Atlantic 10 Conference[/td] [/tr][tr][td] Teams that should be in: Dayton, Rhode Island
Work left to do: Massachusetts, Saint Joseph's, Temple, Charlotte

Is it unthinkable that the A-10 could get five teams in? At this point, no. Xavier will dance, and Rhode Island looks very likely, as well. Dayton's profile is terrific, as is its performance when healthy. Saint Joe's profile is rapidly improving, and there are several other teams, particularly UMass, that look positioned to make a push.
Should be in:

Dayton [15-5 (3-4), RPI: 13, SOS: 9] The Flyers are going to be an interesting case come Selection Sunday because their profile when they were fully healthy was great. Now they've lost four of their past five, mostly without Chris Wright and Charles Little, two of their top four scorers. Dayton has two outstanding nonconference wins -- at Louisville and versus Pitt. The Flyers also have several other solid nonleague wins and an overall profile that's still very good. Can they stay afloat in a really harsh A-10 long enough? The schedule is a bit softer over the next five games, so chances are they can. Little came back Saturday at URI, and Wright should be back in three weeks or so.

Rhode Island [19-3 (5-2), RPI: 20, SOS: 125] Rhode Island gets a bump up after taking care of wounded Dayton on Saturday to split the series and stay a game behind Xavier and Saint Joe's in the hunt. Nonconference wins over Syracuse and Providence will help, although the overall SOS is still mediocre. The Rams have a chance to really help themselves Thursday night at UMass.

Work left to do:

Massachusetts [14-7 (3-4), RPI: 24, SOS: 14] Despite a damaging loss at Saint Louis on Saturday, the Minutemen have pretty good control of their own fate as the most difficult part of the A-10 slate is behind them. They have a bunch of home games now and a home-and-home with Rhode Island (starting Wednesday) with which to make an impression. They already were swept by Saint Joseph's and lost to Xavier, but beat Dayton and Charlotte. Like Rhode Island, UMass beat Syracuse. Unlike the Rams, the Minutemen also beat BC and Houston in nonconference play.

Saint Joseph's [14-5 (6-1), RPI: 46, SOS: 126] The Hawks are looking like an NCAA team but still have some work to do. That work continues this week in the Holy War against Villanova, then with trips to Duquesne and Xavier. The sweep of UMass could be a huge chip come Selection Sunday. Saint Joe's also has one of the toughest collection of nonleague L's in the land. Two were in OT (vs. Gonzaga and at Creighton), and two others were last-possession defeats (at Syracuse and vs. Holy Cross).

Temple [10-9 (3-2), RPI: 61, SOS: 5] The last-second loss to Saint Joe's could be a backbreaker, but the Owls still have a very manageable run ahead of them and could make a strong push. They'll need a great run in A-10 play to make up for a nonconference slate devoid of a big win and littered with seven losses.

Charlotte [13-7 (4-2), RPI: 89, SOS: 105] After a tough loss at UMass, the 49ers beat La Salle on the road and now get Fordham and Richmond at home the next two Saturdays before a trip to Dayton. The up-and-down nonconference performance is why the RPI is where it is. Wins over Clemson, Wake Forest, Davidson and Southern Illinois are offset by a series of losses that run the gamut from Maryland to Tulsa to Hofstra to Monmouth.
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[/td] [/tr][/table][table][tr][td]Other at-large contenders[/td] [/tr][tr][td] Teams that should be in: Saint Mary's, Gonzaga
Work left to do: UNLV, South Alabama, Brigham Young, Illinois State, Kent State, Ohio, George Mason, Creighton, Virginia Commonwealth, San Diego State, Houston, UAB, Davidson, Akron, Utah State

Drake moves into the lock category, but there's precious little movement otherwise. Right now, BCS leagues still look ready to get a high percentage of this season's at-larges.
Should be in:

Saint Mary's [17-3 (5-1), RPI: 22, SOS: 115] The Gaels still look very strong, but the loss to San Diego burned one of their free passes. They get their chance against Gonzaga on Monday night. Saint Mary's has beaten Oregon, Seton Hall, San Diego State and Ohio, so it has some very good tiebreakers, if needed.

Gonzaga [17-5 (6-0), RPI: 34, SOS: 69] The Zags acquitted themselves well at Memphis and, with the help of a bizarre foul in the final seconds of regulation, stole a game from Santa Clara to stay unbeaten in the WCC. Gonzaga has beaten Western Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Saint Joe's, UConn and Utah, and all five losses have come against good or excellent teams.

Work left to do:

UNLV [16-4 (6-1), RPI: 31, SOS: 59] The Rebels remain the strongest at-large candidate in the MWC, especially with the 29-point win over BYU creating some separation from the Cougars. The three-point home loss to Arizona was a big missed opportunity in nonleague play. The MWC regular-season champ is practically an annual lock to be invited to the NCAAs, but with the league really lacking top-50 wins, that's no certainty this season.

South Alabama [16-4 (10-1), RPI: 35, SOS: 109] Despite suffering a first league loss, the Jaguars stay in striking range of an at-large. The three nonleague losses are at Ole Miss by three, at Vandy by three in 2OT and by five to Miami (Ohio) in Anaheim. The best nonleague win is at home over Mississippi State.

Brigham Young [17-5 (6-1), RPI: 42, SOS: 113] With W's at Air Force and Wyoming, BYU has ripped off five straight wins in the MWC. It is a co-leader with UNLV at 6-1. Of course, UNLV won the first meeting by 29, so the Rebels have the upper hand in the league for now. The return match is Feb. 16. The Cougars beat Louisville and lost to North Carolina and Michigan State in competitive efforts.

Illinois State [15-6 (8-3), RPI: 44, SOS: 103] The Redbirds have stabilized and remain, nominally, the second-best at-large candidate in the Valley behind Drake. The best nonconference win is over Cincinnati. ISU needs to do more in league play, but a clear second-place finish would be a good start.

Kent State [17-5 (6-2), RPI: 45, SOS: 135] Kent can't afford many more surprising losses like the one to Toledo this weekend. That cost the Golden Flashes sole possession of the MAC East lead. Wins over Illinois State and George Mason could come in handy in head-to-head bubble comparisons.

Ohio [15-6 (6-2), RPI: 50, SOS: 134] Quietly, the Bobcats have won five straight and are tied with Kent State and Akron atop the MAC East. This really could be the year the MAC gets an at-large, but you'd better win your division to have a real claim. The Bobcats beat Maryland and St. John's on the road as part of a huge slate of nonconference away games, but they could have too many losses to overcome. The RPI/SOS combo is still marginal for an at-large.

George Mason [16-6 (8-3), RPI: 52, SOS: 110] The Patriots got a big home win over VCU to tighten things up in the CAA. They're a game behind the Rams and probably need at least a share of the league crown to feel decent about their chances. Unfortunately, the teams don't play again -- at least until the conference tourney. Earlier results were all over the place. GMU beat Dayton, Kansas State and South Carolina, but lost to East Carolina and suffered surprising CAA losses at Georgia State and Delaware.

Creighton [14-6 (6-5), RPI: 54, SOS: 89] With the Bluejays tied for third and two games behind second-place Illinois State, a bid is looking less likely at this point. They have a couple of very big home games against UNI and SIU up next and probably have to get both. Wins over DePaul, Nebraska and Saint Joe's are decent, but the Bluejays need to make a strong Valley run and haven't yet.

Virginia Commonwealth [16-5 (9-2), RPI: 57, SOS: 173] The Rams remain the CAA leader, which is a good place to be. The RPI still isn't great, but winning this league should mean something, even in a slightly down year. Nonleague wins over Houston and Maryland aren't bad, but a loss to MEAC favorite Hampton won't help. It's a shame the Rams don't get a home chance against George Mason. That should be remembered in case of a league tiebreaker.

San Diego State [14-6 (5-2), RPI: 62, SOS: 104] A home loss to UNLV could hurt. The escape at Colorado State keeps the Aztecs alive for now. The nonconference profile is pretty barren. SDSU beat Fresno State but lost to Cal, Saint Mary's, Arizona and ... Northern Colorado.

Houston [16-4 (5-1), RPI: 68, SOS: 171] What to do with the Cougars? They couldn't handle Memphis at home, which is their only C-USA loss. They also have lost at UMass and at home to Arizona and really lack a distinguishing profile, despite a good record and some talent.

UAB [15-6 (5-1), RPI: 69, SOS: 147] If Houston's on here, UAB has to be, too. Those two teams are tied for second behind Memphis in C-USA. The Blazers are unbeaten at home and get two shots at Memphis. The first one comes Feb. 16. The Blazers beat Cincinnati and Kentucky for their best nonconference wins.

Davidson [14-6 (13-0), RPI: 71, SOS: 150] The Wildcats probably can't get there, but what if they run the table until the SoCon final and lose a heartbreaker? Could the committee find a way for a seven-loss SoCon team, even one that had very near misses against Duke, UNC and NC State and played UCLA tough? It's worth keeping an eye on.

Akron [16-5 (6-2), RPI: 76, SOS: 217] The Zips are tied with Kent State and Ohio atop the MAC East, but their profile is way worse than that of either of those two, meaning a division title likely is imperative. The last two games of the regular season are at Ohio and home to Kent State, which could be for all the marbles. The Zips have some winnable games on tap, so expect them to stay in the mix.

Utah State [15-6 (6-1), RPI: 90, SOS: 197] The Aggies look primed to win the WAC (although don't count out Boise State and New Mexico State yet), but that might not be enough this season with a really questionable RPI and SOS. The 30-point loss at a New Mexico State team that's finally whole is a sore spot, too.
[/td] [td] Locks







[/td] [/tr][/table]
Not a whole lot of locks - especially in the non-major category... that could mean a lot of 1-bid leagues this year, which is kind of what Iexpected.. A-10 throws a wrench into a complete sweep for the majors, but still... it's actually a semi-clear bubble picture this year, for being thisearly in the season.. a lot of separation for a change.

anyone else feel like the ACC only deserves about 3 bids this year? such a garbage conference right now, what happened?
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The BigXii should be able to nail down 6 bids... Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma and A&M should solidify themselves for sure throughout the rest of conferenceplay. If Baylor can come away with a split of these next six games (Tech, @ Kansas, @ OSU, @ Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas State
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), they should find themselvescontrolling their own destiny down the stretch... Kansas State should be fine as well, especially if they can go into Lawrence and beat Kansas like Mike andBill promised.
 
how is the ACC trash? i know we all have our biases, but aside from the Big East and Pac 10, it's hard to argue that any other conference is tougher fromtop to bottom (Big 12 and SEC you could argue either way)
parity rules in college basketball nowadays, it's not just the ACC. i guess maybe because Duke/UNC sit so much higher up from everyone else this season,but the entire conference is definitely solid.

Clemson and Miami will probably get us 2 more bids and make us look bad in the tourney and everyone will say "see the ACC sucks" but oh well
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Originally Posted by juvedagreat

wildKYcat--

could you school me on Pat Patterson, please!!!!
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I don't know much about him, he's headed to the league after this season right?
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Pat Patterson has a better college game than a Pro Game IMO. He is more physical/athletic than skilled. He needs to stay at least 2 but I wouldn't besurprise if he stayed 3 or even all 4 years. Although he's athletic, his athleticism will not stand out in the L and he better start looking on his skillset. He got an alright jumper but he needs to stay in the gym this summer and work on getting it more consistent and polishing his post moves. I do believe heis a future first round pick.
 
I just hope my baby boilermakers can keep it up and not let winning get to their heads. All I can say is that RPI is just ridiculous to me it's worse thanthe BCS the way some of the rankings are.
 
UNC will beat Duke even without Ty....







I am hoping Ty will play on Wed. but if he doesn't, we will still get the W.
 
I really hope Ty will be able to play on Wednesday. I still cannot believe how FSU help Hansbrough to no field goals in the first half. But still had 22points.
 
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