One more thing

Go on ESPN.com and read the college basketball section. Peter Tiernan and a group of researchers uncovered statistical trends that refute nearly every age-old recipe for success in the NCAA tournament.

Someone who, like in those commercials on TV, is talking out of their butts, would tell you, after watching three games from November to February, that they are experts on college hoops. Then they'll tell you three things:

1) Guard play has to be great to win games in the NCAA tournament
2) Balanced scoring has to be present to win games in the NCAA tournament
3) And senior leadership is hugely important

Don't listen to them. Let them tank in your bracket pool. The key indicators for success in the tournament, as exposed in this study, are:

1) Big margins of victory (over 14 ppg)
2) 60 percent of team scoring from the frontcourt
3) Experienced coaching

Those indicators have stats to back them up. That means Pitt needs Levon Kendall and Sam Young to contribute big time.

That is a problem.

Kendall can't shoot to save his life. The old pick-and-pop doesn't work when he misses his jumpers. Teams leave him open for those and send an extra rebounder to the basket. He gives up to much room in the paint. He gets pushed around. As head coach Jamie Dixon tells us, he does all the little things. Well, maybe he could hit a shot or four, too.

Young, on the other hand, is the polar opposite when it comes to the little things. He is always, always napping on defense, out of position and undersized. Washington's Jon Brockman made Young look like his little brother trying to guard him in the post. If you concede position two feet from the basket, the battle is over. Then when you consider Young's proclivity for 15 footers, it's no wonder he takes hits with his minutes.

Will the real Sam Young please stand up? Twenty-one points against WVU wedged by nonperformances against EVERYONE ELSE. C'mon, man, are you going to try or not? No more blow-bys, please. Kendall, that goes for you, too.

If you held a gun to my head and told me to forecast Pitt's performance in the tournament, I'd say a second-round loss to a 6, 7, 10 or 11 seed. I hate to say it. And I'll hate to say I told you so.

Updates

It's been 11 days since I last posted, so there's lots to cover. First, there are arguably seven good teams in college hoops. Eight on a good day. And I can't express that enough. No one is good outside of those eight. The age-old saying was that champs often come from the second shelf -- the No. 6-15 ranked teams. But this year's group lags. No talent. No signs of life. No one wants to be ranked after the top eight. Everyone else loses when they shouldn't.

Enough furious ranting. Let's update a few things.

One seeds -- Florida, UCLA, Wisconsin, Ohio State
- Yes, I still rate those four ahead of the others, even with some questionable stumbles over the past weeks
Two seeds -- North Carolina, Texas A&M, Kansas, Pitt
- UNC and A&M could jump to the top line if UCLA, 'consin or State stumble. Kansas and Pitt are at their peak positions. Any bad losses could drop them to 3s.
Three seeds -- Washington State, Memphis, Nevada, Georgetown
- I think Wazzou and Memphis could jump to 2s if KU and Pitt struggle over the next two weeks. I think Nevada and Georgetown would have to win impressively to move any higher. Nothing wrong with a 3.
Four seeds -- Butler, Southern Illinois, Air Force, Kentucky
- How about that for mid-major influence? With Nevada at a 3 and Butler, SIU and Air Force at 4s, it'd be hard to root for Cinderellas. Kentucky's in because of its RPI.

Hot -- Kansas, Georgetown, Louisville, Winthrop, Purdue, SIU, BYU, Nevada
Not -- Clemson, New Mexico State, Arkansas, Oregon, Northern Iowa, Michigan, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Marquette, Florida State

Notice how many teams I've listed as struggling?

Improving its chances of getting in -- Providence. With wins over scrappy St. John's and No. 22/18 West Virginia put the Friars back on the bubble after a tough pair of road losses to Pitt and Notre Dame.

Michigan State. Couldn't have asked for a bigger night out of Drew Neitzel. Big, big win over Wisconsin puts them back in the discussion. Pretty much should be in with that win.

Killing its chances of getting in -- Florida State. Four-game losing streaks don't generally reflect well. Big three games at Maryland, home versus NC State and at Miami (FL). Might not be enough.

Oklahoma. If the Sooners ever appeared in the conversation with the four-game winning stretch, they couldn't appear more out of it now with a three-game skid.

Game of the week Georgetown-Pitt. This game is for the regular season crown. I don't care if both teams have two games following the game and Georgetown still has one before Pitt, this is it.

Another Big Saturday

A lot of things happened already this afternoon in college hoops.

-- Georgetown slaughtered Marquette in D.C. to take possession of second place in the Big East.

-- Dominic James apparently left his shooting touch in January. After today's game, he's 5 of 35 from the field in the last three games.

At times, James appears out of control and in his own little world. The 5-11 guard runs one-on-three and one-on-four breaks, attempting to slice through the lane or pull up. But his jumper has never been that great.

The benefit of him being a sophomore is that he can still work on his mid- and long-range jumpers. The problem is, in the meantime, he makes things awfully frustrating for his teammates.

-- On the flip side, Georgetown is on a seven-game win streak. The Hoyas are right back where they started the season -- in second place in the Big East. I say that because G'Town was widely selected to either win the Big East or take second. It is now in good position to at least tie for first with a win against Pitt Feb. 24 in D.C.

-- Pitt's RPI will get a major boost after West Virginia toppled UCLA in Morgantown this afternoon. I doubt that game, paired with Marquette's loss, will be enough to push Pitt into No. 1 chatter because Ohio State held off Purdue and Wisconsin outlasted Iowa. But the Panthers will inch closer. Needless to say, UCLA is probably still on the top shelf as far as seeds go.

-- Austin Peay held off Samford to maintain its lead in conference. As of right now, AP is probably pushing for a 13 or 14 seed. A loss there might've pushed them farther down the chain.

-- Va. Tech is killing, and I mean killing, Virginia right now. After ESPN put the Cavs' two best players on its front page, I guess that's the payback.

-- Creighton and Southern Illinois meet tonight at 6:30 in a huge battle for MVC supremacy. SIU holds the conference lead, but the Bluejays can make strides back into the race with a win.

-- VCU is watching the Hofstra-George Mason contest with frightened eyes after losing a rough road game. The CAA race could tighten up after VCU lost today, its second loss in the last week.

-- Tennessee killed Vandy, pushing the Commodores off their momentum swing. The Vols needed Chris Lofton back.

Mock Bracket Mocks Bracket

Twenty sports media members picked their NCAA tournament field for 2007 in the Mock Bracket exercise in Indianapolis.

Pitt is seeded in the East Rutherford region with its first- and second-round games in Buffalo. With all due respect, when I go to the NCAA tournament to cover Pitt basketball, I want to go to an exciting place.

What are my options for 2007? For the first- and second-round games, these cities host:

Sacramento -- Pretty sweet trip to Cali, but Pitt will never be shipped there in a pod as the top seed given every other city is closer
Buffalo -- Cold. Just...cold.
Columbus -- I mean, Ohio? Ohio.
Chicago -- This would be cool. I haven't been to Chi-town enough
New Orleans -- A few years ago, it would've been a party. Now, it would be an unreal experience. I could handle it
Spokane -- Eastern Washington meet watching paint dry. Paint, meet Spokane
Winston-Salem -- I've entered North Carolina. I've left North Carolina. And I want to keep it that way
Lexington -- Could this be? A return to my place of birth? Well. Not likely. Pitt has a very small chance of being sent there. The Panthers would have to lose out.

But more importantly, this simulated "Selection Committee" put Pitt as the No. 3 seed. That means there are at least eight teams better than the Panthers. Who did the Committee deem superior to the Big East leaders?

UCLA -- OK
Marquette -- Well, it did beat Pitt in the Petersen Events Center...but Pitt is winning the Big East. Which is more important?
Wisconsin -- The Badgers beat Pitt
Texas A&M -- Probably right there with UCLA as the best defensive team in the nation
UNC -- Duh
Kansas -- Ahead of Pitt? Really? I guess beating Florida helps when compared to a whopping 0-3 against top 25 teams
Florida -- Well, yeah.
Ohio State -- You're telling me you'd rather have Greg Oden than Aaron Gray?! Yeah, me too.

I'd have to say that Pitt winning the Big East regular season title would push them to a No. 2. And furthermore, if the Panthers win the Big East tournament, they are definitely a 2 seed.

In my opinion, there are three teams I can't imagine Pitt beating on that list -- Florida, UCLA and UNC. The Panthers could compete -- and I emphasize "could" -- with Ohio State and Wisconsin. And I certainly think Pitt is in the same class as Texas A&M, Kansas and Marquette.

Beating Georgetown and Marquette in their lairs would help Pitt's case. But that's a tall order. A safer bet is splitting those games and the Panthers winning the BEast in New York City. Assuming Pitt wins all of its other games, that would leave the Panthers at 30-4 if they won the BEast tourney.

If that's not a 2 seed then I don't know what is. But still, that's a lot of prognostication for an early-February post.

But I still see teams in the field, according to these "experts," that don't belong there or are seeded way too high.

Arizona a No. 7 seed?
Creighton a No. 9 seed?
Gonzaga a No. 7?
Florida State a No. 6?
Kentucky a 3?
Villanova a 6?
Washington State a 3?!?!

Here are teams that got shafted by this Mock Bracket...

Southern Illinois as a 5
Clemson as an 11
UNLV as a 9
Butler as a 4
Kansas State as an 11
Pitt as a 3
Oregon as a 4
Air Force as a 5
Virginia Tech as an 8

And that's it. That's all I have for today. Boy, I was busy. As Jim Jones would say, "Postin'!"

See yinz guys tomorrow.

Young's O key for Pitt - Sports

We've spent the last week bashing bloggers and blogmasters in my Great American Journalists class. The class is registered as a nonfiction class and we study journalism from myriad angles -- photojournalism, sports writing, covering campaigns, etc.

Very exciting. The class is actually my favorite class right there with American foreign policy. It's interesting. But I liked that people bashed bloggers. I'm not really a true blogger -- it's not what I strive to do. I feel like blogging is a way for me to put my thoughts on...well, a computer screen. So I decided to post today.

-- I went to West Virginia last night. It was dark, so I can't necessarily report on the scenery from outside the WVU Coliseum. But at roughly 6:30 p.m., I entered the illustrious home of the West Virginia Mountaineers for a showdown of epic proportions.

The stadium was filled with raucous fans. The student section took up an entire side of the stadium. Hint: Pitt -- maybe the Pete could use more seats for the Oakland Zoo. Anyway, the WVU fans were a little offensive -- "Gray's a fa***t" was their favorite chant -- and I didn't like that so much. I mean, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I've seen Grayzilla macking Pitt girls. Hell, he's probably macked WVU girls.

I also noticed a massive influx of camoflauge hats and pants. I would not go to WVU basketball games if I were a deer. Or a bear for that matter. Or an employer on the brink of firing an employee.

But let's talk about the game itself.

-- West Virginia (18-5, 7-4 in the Big East) looked overmatched from the get-go, hitting 3 of their 16 first-half 3-pointers. Pitt led 27-17 at the half. Sam Young keyed everything, looking healthy (finally) and giddy to get some minutes.

Young's O key for Pitt - Sports

I was impressed with the pressure the Mountaineers put on the ball (as usual) with their 1-3-1 zone. It has potential to cause problems in the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament.

But is WVU a credible team to make a run in the tournament? At this point, I'd say no. But there are really only three teams in the Big East capable of doing that -- Pitt, Marquette and Georgetown -- and we all know how capable each of those programs are of choking. Throw in Notre Dame as a very, very iffy team. The Fighting Irish could make a run. Or they could lose to Oral Roberts in the 5-12 game. Don't get me wrong -- I liked reading about Oral Roberts, the man (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_Roberts) -- ORU is a quality team that could pull an upset, but Notre Dame is a better club. And that would be an embarrassing loss for the Big East.

As you probably know by now, WVU lives and dies by the 3 ball. And if a team defends them well man-to-man, the Mountaineers might bounce out early.

-- Pitt (21-3, 9-1 in the Big East) looked great. The Panthers defended extremely well, challenging every shot (for the most part) and staving a late WVU rally. Good teams coast all game and win close games by the skin of their teeth. Great teams respond to the runs made by the opponent and hits daggers at key spots to kill the comebacks. Pitt did just that last night. Ronald Ramon hit back-to-back 3-pointers to distance Pitt from WVU midway through the half and Young hit a HUGE 3 with four minutes left to crush a 12-0 WVU run.

Against tougher opponents, Pitt will need to defend like it did last night. And if it does, Pitt will definitely have a good shot at Atlanta at the end of March.

-- It was great to see Duke lose, by the way. The Blue Devils actually put up a good fight, but all that matters is that they lost.

-- Pitt fans: don't sleep on Providence when it comes to town Saturday. The Friars are young, gritty and not afraid of anyone. Plus they need a marquee road win. But Pitt is pretty much unbeatable at the Pete (let's just excuse the Marquette loss as a legitimate loss to a legitimate team).

I'll take the Panthers by six. (If this game were in Providence, I might waver.)

-- As I type, I catch updates of news. Sometimes I'll mention a news snippet and comment. Other times, I'll mention something. Anna Nicole Smith apparently just died.

-- There is a noticeable problem in the middle of the Big East -- nobody wants to separate. Let's watch this weekend:

Saturday
'Nova at Seton Hall
Marquette at Georgetown
South Florida at Louisville
Providence at Pitt

Sunday
St. John's at Syracuse

'Nova, 'Cuse, Louisville and Providence are all at critical points. 'Nova and Louisville have quality wins to hold up if they lose this weekend, but PC and Syracuse need big wins now. Syracuse will have to get theirs some other way, because beating St. John's at home isn't going to wrinkle the Selection Committee's collective tie. PC has a shot this weekend to get a gigantic win at Pitt to match its home win over Marquette. We have to see what these guys are made of.

-- OK, more at a later date. Probably after Pitt-PC Saturday.

-- And if you hold a gun to my head, I'll pick some more bubble teams. Comment, comment, comment. I like hearing other college hoops fans opinions. C'mon!

My Bracketology

Here is my tournament field if the selection committee met today. And I promise, it's more reliable than Joe Lunardi.

1 seeds: Florida, UCLA, UNC, Wisconsin
2 seeds: Kansas, Pitt, Texas A&M, Oregon
3 seeds: Memphis, Oklahoma State, Marquette, Duke
4 seeds: Butler, Air Force, Notre Dame, Kentucky
5 seeds: Washington State, Indiana, Virginia Tech, Nevada
6 seeds: Southern Illinois, Clemson, Alabama, Georgetown
7 seeds: USC, West Virginia, UNLV, Michigan State
8 seeds: Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Louisville
9 seeds: Florida State, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Gonzaga
10 seeds: New Mexico State, Creighton, Boston College, Arkansas
11 seeds: George Washington, Missouri State, Texas Tech, Syracuse
12 seeds: VCU, Arizona, Wichita State, Providence
13 seeds: Winthrop, Vermont, Akron, Oral Roberts
14 seeds: South Alabama, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Davidson, Austin Peay
15 seeds: Weber State, East Tennessee State, Cal State-Fullerton, Holy Cross
16 seeds: Central Connecticut State, Loyola (Md.), Penn
Play-in game: Delaware State vs. Jackson State

How bad are the teams between, I don't know, the No. 4 and No. 16 seeds? This might be the worst tournament ever.

Just Some Quick Updates

It's been a little while so why not bring people out there in BlogLand back up to speed? There have been a couple you-might-not-care-now-but-you-will-when-the-season-starts signings in the Major Leagues and I thought we'd start with those. Then we can begin my Bubble Watch and Tournament Chat. To the baseball stuff first:

-- The Mariners have quietly developed a decent rotation after losing Jamie Moyer, Gil Meche and Joel Piniero. They are in the final stages of signing Jeff Weaver (one year, $8.25 million). Now Weaver isn't a fantastic signing in that he'll turn the franchise around. But give him credit, he has some decent to above average stuff that should solidify the backend of Seattle's rotation.

Joining the ranks of the Ms are Horacio Ramirez and Miguel Batista. Ramirez came over from Atlanta in exchange for Rafael Soriano. Batista inked a three-year deal. Again, no front-end signings, but guys that fill the 3-5 slots in the rotation. With Batista, Ramirez and Weaver at the tail end of the roto, and Jarrod Washburn and an improving Felix Hernandez, Seattle might have a team that can compete again.

-- JD Drew finally agreed in full to play in a Red Sox uniform for 2007. Apparently there was some debate over Drew's shoulder and its health. The Sox didn't want to agree to anything until the doubts were snuffed out.

-- The Phils establishing Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins means they might actually have a core of players ready to take the team to the next level. The trade for Freddy Garcia certainly helps. Throw in Ryan Howard's inability to leave until at least 2010 or 2011, and the Phillies are in good shape.

OK, those are the biggest stories as of late in the Major Leagues. To hoops:

Here are the top 8 teams in the country according to yours truly:

1. Florida -- even though I think it will do something to lose in March, probably over the second weekend (Sweet 16, Elite Eight)
2. UCLA -- love the defensive ability of the club.
3. Wisconsin -- it has the player to lead them (Alando Tucker) but I won't be sold until Ohio State gets its shot at the Badgers in Columbus. Still, the win at home against the Buckeyes, and wins over Pitt, Michigan, at Illinois and at Marquette all make Wisconsin a legitimate top seed.
4. UNC -- duh. Do I even need to talk about the reasons the Tar Heels are here?
5. Ohio State -- the Buckeyes lost twice in the only two games I've seen them play (both road losses), yet in both games, I was extremely impressed.
6. Texas A&M -- the Aggies have the defense to make anyone uncomfortable.
7. Pitt -- still need a marquuee win against a ranked opponent, but the Big East is awful.
8. Oregon -- I love the Ducks. If Aaron Brooks can stay healthy, they will be tough all year.
8a. Kansas -- so talented, so inconsistent

One the Bubble Watch to start the conversation...
Boston College 14-5 6-1 in the ACC RPI: 40 SOS: 36
-- Face it, beating FSU and Virginia in Cambridge aren't the marquee wins BC needs. Being killed by Kansas, Clemson and Vermont and losing to Duquesne makes me wonder if they are legit.
Virginia 12-6 4-2 in the ACC RPI: 92 SOS: 64
-- Wins over Maryland, Gonzaga and Arizona are nice, but a loss to Appalachain State looks bad. Big chances for big wins were missed in the three-game losing streak (Stanford, @ UNC, @BC).
Florida State 14-6 2-4 in the ACC RPI: 22 SOS: 11
-- Should be in unless something goes horribly awry
Georgia Tech 13-6 2-4 in the ACC RPI: 33 SOS: 35
-- Wins over Duke, Memphis, Purdue and FSU are solid but the Yellow Jackets need seven or eight conference wins and the schedule doesn't get any easier -- Va. Tech, Clemson, UConn (out of conference but HUGE for both teams), at FSU, at Duke, at Virginia, UNC and BC.

Xavier 14-6 4-2 in the A-10 RPI: 50 SOS: 43
-- As I'll say about the next two teams, Xavier probably has to win the conference tournament or win the regular season title with at least 12 conference wins and get to the conference tourney title game.
UMass 14-6 4-2 in the A-10 RPI: 69 SOS: 146
-- Both RPI and SOS are killing them. Plus, they needed to beat URI and Xavier, and failed in both tries. A win over Louisville in December won't carry much weight with the selection committee.
GW 14-4 5-1 in the A-10 RPI: 78 SOS: 179
-- The Colonials are behind Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the RPI and the SOS is awful. They have get some big wins in conference and make a run in the tournament.
URI 13-8 6-1 in the A-10 RPI: 141 SOS: 150
-- If the Rams keep winning the conference, the RPI will improve. Right now, they're on the list because I think they might keep winning.

Louisville 14-6 4-2 in the Big East RPI: 79 SOS: 49
-- Big wins over Providence, UConn and at DePaul in conference are key. Still, room for improvement and some chances to get upper-level wins are on the horizon.
Providence 13-6 3-3 in the Big East RPI: 55 SOS: 45
-- Wins over BC, Marquette and GW are quality, but losses to Brown, Florida State (by30) and Seton Hall hurt. The Friars have more chances for marquee wins: at UConn, at Marquette, at Pitt, at Notre Dame, West Virginia, Syracuse and a home and home with St. John's give PC a couple good spots to step up and get big wins. Going 4-4 or 5-3 in that stretch might put them over the top.

Purdue 13-7 2-4 in the Big 10 RPI: 46 SOS: 19
-- A very strong SOS and RPI will help the Boilermakers, but they'll need to start winning the Big 10 if they want to stay that high in the ratings.

Texas 14-5 4-1 in the Big 12 RPI: 56 SOS: 91
-- A couple of tough losses on national TV hurt the Longhorns' chances, but if the selection committee is anything like me, it'll want to see Kevin Durant in the tourney.
Kansas State 14-6 3-2 in the Big 12 RPI: 49 SOS: 77
-- Without Bill Walker, the Wildcats could have some trouble getting wins in conference. But games at Texas, at Kansas and at OK State give them three solid chances to pick up a win.

Hofstra 15-5 8-1 in the CAA RPI: 64 SOS: 140
-- The Pride are 15-2 since their rough 0-3 start, with wins over St. Joe's and St. John's. Still, they'll probably have to win the conference regular or postseason title to get in.
Drexel 15-4 7-2 in the CAA RPI: 41 SOS: 106
-- Bruiser Flint has a winner in Philly. His Dragons topped Syracuse, Villanova, St. Joe's and MAC-leading Toledo. A solid resume, but they'll need to do well the rest of the way in conference to avoid any questions.

Creighton 13-7 7-3 in the MVC RPI: 45 SOS: 29
-- A good start in the MVC puts the Bluejays (yes, it's officially one word) in the thick of the Bubble. Beating Xaiver, Missouri State twice and at Northern Iowa helps the cause. Still, they missed chances for good out-of-conference wins in losing to Nebraska and Dayton.
Northern Iowa 15-5 6-3 in the MVC RPI: 44 SOS: 101
-- The Panthers won their in-state contests with Iowa and Iowa State, and myriad wins in conference help. They'll need 12 conference wins and a showing in the semifinals of the MVC tourney.
Bradley 15-7 6-4 in the MVC RPI: 34 SOS: 12
-- Crushed DePaul and Rutgers, hung with Illinois and beat Iowa State. The Braves need to keep winning in conference and probably, like Northern Iowa, get 12 wins and a good tourney showing.
Missouri State 14-7 5-5 in the MVC RPI: 31 SOS: 21
-- A .500 record in the MVC isn't the same as a .500 record in any of the power conferences. It's not much worse, but it's not on that par. So the Bears need to step it up. Still, the win over Wisconsin and three-point loss to OK State help. But Mizzou State has to rebound from its recent three-game skid.
Wichita State 13-8 4-6 in the MVC RPI: 61 SOS: 37
-- In the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately mindset of the selection committee, the Shockers are in trouble. Wins at LSU and Syracuse help their cause, but that was so long ago that the 4-6 MVC record hurts WSU's image.

BYU 14-6 4-2 in the Mountain West RPI: 53 SOS: 50
-- Yes, I included the Mormons on this list. The RPI and SOS are nice and high, so why not? Beat Seton Hall and San Diego State.
Colorado State 14-5 4-3 in the Mountain West RPI: 71 SOS: 149
-- Win over Kansas State is huge for the resume. Loss to Wyoming? Not so much. The Rams need to do better in their conference and do well in the tournament to have a shot.

Stanford 13-5 5-3 in the Pac 10 RPI: 37 SOS: 22
-- Being in the Pac 10 helps the Cardinal in terms of RPI and SOS. HUGE win over USC yesterday helps even more. Wins over Texas Tech, Virginia and Washington State might put them over the edge.

Vanderbilt 14-6 4-2 in the SEC RPI: 67 SOS: 70
-- Beat Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky AND LSU. If the Commodores keep winning, they will be off the Bubble. Those conference wins are huge.
Tennessee 14-6 2-3 in the SEC RPI: 18 SOS: 9
-- The ratings here would imply that I'm crazy. But losing four out of their last five hurts the Vols. They'll need to recover some momentum before they are safely in.
Arkansas 13-7 2-4 in the SEC RPI: 28 SOS: 7
-- Great ratings paired with wins over West Virginia, Alabama and LSU help the Razorbacks. But, like the Vols, losing four of the last five contests hinders the 'Backs resume from appealing to me.
Ole Miss 13-7 2-4 in the SEC RPI: 94 SOS: 130
-- Yeah, yeah, the ratings are awful. But beating Tennesse and Arkansas helps. Still, the Rebels are 2-5 in their last seven, and show few signs of turning it around. Placement on the Bubble is purely a formality.
Auburn 13-8 3-3 in the SEC RPI: 103 SOS: 51
-- The Tigers conference wins (Tennessee, Alabama and Vandy) and solid showings against OK State, Pitt and LSU help. If Auburn keeps winning tough games in the conference, it could sneak in the tournament as a 12 or 13 at-large.

Santa Clara 14-6 4-1 in the WCC RPI: 72 SOS: 75
-- Winning at Stanford doesn't outweigh the awful blowouts against Cal, Missouri State, Kentucky and Air Force. Losing to Gonzaga probably hurt the Broncos' chances.
Gonzaga 13-7 4-1 in the WCC RPI: 57 SOS: 27
-- Huge wins over UNC, Texas and Washington help. But the Bulldogs' loss to St. Mary's (CA) in conference leaves them tied with Santa Clara. They'll need to beat the Broncos again and hope to go undefeated in the WCC from here on out. A 5-6 run over the last 11 games makes things rather dangerous down the stretch in terms of "going in strong." Still, expect the Zags to pull it out in the conference tourney.

New Mexico State 16-4 6-1 WAC RPI: 66 SOS: 206
-- The strength of schedule KILLS the Aggies. They haven't won against anyone good out of conference. A major win against Nevada definitely helps their chances -- the Wolfpack are definites for the tourney.
Utah State 15-5 4-2 in the WAC RPI: 68 SOS: 190
-- Yet another WAC team with a whack nonconference schedule. Terrible joke. Anyway, two meetings each with Nevada and New Mexico State remain on the Aggies' schedule. That means there is still a big chance for the Aggies to make some noise.


Well that's it for this Bubble. Talk to you all soon enough.