Florida's tourney fate up for grabs
The University of Florida basketball players are not going to read this story. They're not going to watch or listen to any of the fussing, howling or debating on television about their chances to make the NCAA Tournament. Just not going to do it.
They believe they have done more than enough to return to the tournament for the first time since this program won back-to-back NCAA titles in 2006 and 2007. They believe there is no reason to utter the term, "NIT," in their locker room.
Popped Florida State. Beat Michigan State. Got Tennessee once.
"We've got some big wins," forward Alex Tyus said.
Sure there were a few burps. But the Gators aren't talking about a high-octane tournament seed. Just a place on the big board early Sunday evening. All the teams that will be tucked into the final at-large positions will have some explaining to do.
But faced with an opportunity to finally stuff a size-17 sneaker into all the chatter about whether Florida is or is not an NCAA tournament team, the Gators provided the tournament selection committee with another reason to go around the table and take a magnifying glass to their credentials by losing to Mississippi State, 75-69, in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament at Bridgestone Arena on Friday night.
"Now we can't help ourselves any more," Tyus said. "I'll get stomach feelings thinking about it so I'll just hope and pray. We would have been a lot more comfortable by winning this one."
It wasn't simply that the Gators lost a game that would have saved them the stress that has percolated in their locker room on Selection Sunday the last two seasons. It was that they were behind, 10-0, to Mississippi State, another team scrambling for a bid, before coach Billy Donovan had time to tug on his tie.
It was that they watched Mississippi State shoot nearly 63 percent overall in the first half -- and then 50 percent (10 of 20) from the three-point line for the game. It was that they made several little runs, but never made the major statement run that was required to scrub away every bit of deficit that grew to 19 points with 12:31 to play in the second half.
It was that they got the lead down to four in the final minute and a half and squandered two possessions to make it even closer.
Blocked shot. Turnover. Here they go again.
It was that something about this game seemed too much like the games the Gators lost to Georgia, Vanderbilt and Kentucky in their final three games of the regular season. Even the Florida players did not argue with that perception. Heck, they brought it up.
"We didn't come out with the right intensity," Gators guard Erving Walker said. "Other teams, they came out and knew what they wanted. We didn't match that from the beginning. We dug ourselves a hole."
Most of the current bracket projections have Chandler Parsons, Tyus and Walker playing in the first NCAA tournament of their careers. They won 21 of 33 games, including nine of 16 in the Southeastern Conference. They played a solid nonleague schedule.
They came to Nashville and stopped that three-game losing streak by defeating Auburn. Several crazy things would have to occur to jerk the Gators off the board.
But it didn't have to be this way. This loss, to this team, did not help, especially if Mississippi State wins its SEC semifinal game against either Vanderbilt or Georgia today. If the Bulldogs do something really crazy and win this tournament, will the Southeastern Conference get five bids?
What's the next day and a half going to be like, fellas?
"Terrible," Florida forward Chandler Parsons said. "Awful.
"I'm concerned. Real concerned because it's not in my hands. I can't control anything. Coach Donovan can't. No one at our school can. I think everybody is just concerned and anxious and just hoping."
And the bracket projection shows? Off limits, right?
"We don't pay attention to any of that stuff," Parsons said. "No one knows anything until Sunday. We just don't watch it or pay attention to it."
"We just don't know," Tyus said. "We can't help ourselves so we're just hoping and praying. It's real tough. We just have to hope there are no more upsets. I wish tomorrow was Sunday."
A Sunday that just got more intriguing than the Gators thought it would be.
(c) 2010 FOX News Network, LLC
NCAA bracket buzz
North Carolina. UCLA. Indiana. Connecticut. Arizona.
Since 1985, when the NCAA tournament expanded to 64 teams, Arizona has never missed the dance. North Carolina has qualified 23 times, Indiana 21, UCLA 20, Connecticut 16.
If the tournament began today, none would be in the 65-team field. Zero.
Those five schools have combined to capture eight of the last 25 national championships. This season, barring some miracles in conference tournaments, they won't have a chance.
Arizona and Indiana are still adjusting to new coaching regimes. UCLA is enduring a talent lull after three Final Fours in four years. Connecticut has fought inconsistency in the difficult Big East.
And Carolina? Well, Carolina's fall is most startling. The Tar Heels lost four starters from last year's national title team, including three-time, first-team All-American Tyler Hansbrough.
But strong recruiting classes were supposed to continue Carolina's dominance. Didn't happen. Since a January loss to College of Charleston, the Tar Heels have dropped 12 of 17. They're stung by abysmal guard play.
Roy Williams hasn't missed the NCAA tournament since his first year at Kansas, 1989.
At least he'll have company in the NIT.
Top 3, and then ...
Who wants the fourth No. 1 seed for the NCAA tournament? Hard to tell.
Kansas, Kentucky and Syracuse clearly have distanced themselves from the pack, all but locking up top seeds. Who joins them? The list of contenders includes Villanova, Duke, Purdue, Ohio State, West Virginia and Kansas State.
ESPN guru Joe Lunardi on Saturday had Kansas State as the fourth No. 1. If you believe that, I've got some seaside property for you outside Manhattan, Kan.
I say Duke or Villanova has the inside track. If either wins its conference tournament, it should earn a No. 1.
The ACC is easier to navigate, so Duke has the best chance. 'Nova hammered Duke in last year's Sweet 16.
Big 12 men No. 1
According to the RPI, the Big 12 is the No. 1 conference in America. Come Selection Sunday, the league will almost certainly get seven teams for the first time in its history.
The perceived strength of the league is no doubt aided by a remarkable lack of parity. You know that coaching cliché: “Every win is a good win in this league.”
Well, not in this league.
Nebraska, Colorado, Iowa State, Oklahoma and Texas Tech have done an outstanding job staying out of the way. If those pushovers managed a few more surprises, we'd be talking about five or six bids instead of seven.
But teams like Missouri, Oklahoma State and Texas have avoided upsets against the bottom tier. That goes a long way toward building an NCAA tournament résumé.
UNI a cinch to get in
Should Northern Iowa be nervous? No. Even with a loss Sunday, the Panthers have done enough to get an at-large bid. They beat Siena, Old Dominion and stand 23rd in the RPI.
Which is exactly why the Valley should be cheering for Wichita State today in the conference final. It's the only way the league gets two teams in the NCAA tournament.
Women's buzz
The Nebraska women have locked up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, no matter what happens in the Big 12 tournament. The apparent path seems to be first and second rounds in Minneapolis, followed by a regional in Kansas City.
Who could challenge the Huskers? If I were Connie Yori, the No. 2 seed I wouldn't want in my region is Notre Dame.
Notre Dame started its season 23-1 (the only loss to Connecticut) before two straight road losses to Georgetown and St. John's in late February without starting guard Lindsay Schrader.
Last week, UConn pummeled the Irish for the second time. Still, Notre Dame is arguably a top-five team and getting a No. 2 in Kansas City would make sense.
Who else might get placed in that Kansas City regional?
Count on one more Big 12 foe (aside from Nebraska) earning a top-four seed in the Kansas City region. Yes, NU could run into a conference rival in the Sweet 16 or regional final.
Big 12 women No. 1
The Big 12 ranks No. 1 in the women's RPI, too. More impressive: seven Big 12 teams still have a chance to earn a top-four regional seed. Not all of them will, but the conference has a handful of final four contenders.
The league's strength is just another reason Nebraska's unblemished run is so remarkable.
Consider this nugget: Texas A&M and Oklahoma each might earn a No. 2 seed in the NCAA bracket. A&M has six conference losses. Oklahoma has five. Nebraska, of course, hasn't lost a single game.
Dirk's field of 65
- No. 1 seeds: Kansas, Duke, Kentucky, Syracuse
- No. 2: West Virginia, Villanova, Kansas State, Ohio State
- No. 3: New Mexico, Purdue, Pittsburgh, Temple
- No. 4: Maryland, Gonzaga, Michigan State, Tennessee
- No. 5: Wisconsin, Vanderbilt, Xavier, Baylor
- No. 6: Richmond, California, BYU, Butler
- No. 7: Texas, Texas A&M, Clemson, Georgetown
- No. 8: Utah State, Louisville, Oklahoma State, Northern Iowa
- No. 9: Old Dominion, Missouri, UTEP, Florida State
- No. 10: Wake Forest, Siena, Notre Dame, UNLV
- No. 11: Florida, Rhode Island, Illinois, Virginia Tech
- No. 12: Marquette, Georgia Tech, UAB, San Diego State
- No. 13: St. Mary's, Cornell, Kent State, Murray State
- No. 14: Weber State, Wofford, Sam Houston, Oakland
- No. 15: Robert Morris, Stony Brook, Winthrop, Cal-Santa Barbara
- No. 16: Troy, E. Tennessee State, Lehigh, Jackson State/Morgan State
Copyright (c)2010 Omaha World-Herald
Panthers' NCAA hopes look solid
CEDAR FALLS - Last week, it looked like stormy seas lay ahead for the Northern Iowa Panthers, in the wake of their jaw-dropping loss at Evansville.
However, Adam Koch steered UNI toward safer territory Saturday night, with late-game heroics in a 61-55 Panther triumph over Illinois State.
Now, for the moment, the Panthers (25-4, 15-3 MVC) can breathe a sigh of relief. The NCAA Tournament appears within reach.
"To win the league title by three games, these guys have ... done it at home and they've done it on the road," UNI coach Ben Jacobson said, while his players cut down the nets late Saturday, celebrating their program's first outright Valley title.
The Panthers, ranked No. 20 in the RPI, now own 10 wins over opponents ranked in the top 100 of the RPI. And, even after seriously stubbing its toe at last-place Evansville last Tuesday, UNI still went 9-3 on the road in regular-season play. Plus, since 1993, every No. 1 seed in the Valley tournament has ended up getting a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Barring a meltdown in the MVC Tournament, the purple and gold are in decent shape to partake in the Big Dance.
Of course, the Arch Madness bracket didn't completely break UNI's way. The top-seeded Panthers will play either Drake (13-18, 7-11 MVC) or Southern Illinois (15-14, 6-12) in their first game in St. Louis, Friday at noon. Both the Bulldogs and Salukis played UNI tough once this season.
Should UNI win on Friday, it'll play either Creighton (16-14, 10-8) or Bradley (15-14, 9-9) in the semis. Creighton, of course, boasts one of the winningest
veteran coaches in the Midwest, Dana Altman. Bradley boasts a talented, athletic lineup, and a coach, Jim Les, that has given UNI fits this winter.
Finally, a league championship matchup could pit the Panthers versus Wichita State (23-8, 12-6) or Illinois State (21-9, 11-7). The Shockers were UNI's equal in head-to-head matchups this year, and Redbird veterans like Osiris Eldridge and Dinma Odiakosa are proven scoring threats.
Let the madness begin. Ben Jacobson thinks his club is ready.
"What I like," the coach noted, "is that these guys have done such a great job of responding to all situations."
3-POINT FRENZY: Some pundits have begun to wonder if UNI has become too reliant on 3-point shooting. In the past five games, the Panthers have hoisted 118 total 3s, or an average of 23.6 trey-attempts per game. They connected on 33.8 percent of those shots.
Most importantly, the Panthers lost two of the five aforementioned contests.
PANTHER PUBLICITY: UNI is featured in the March 1 edition of Sporting News, in an eight-page section titled "The Bracket Breakers," regarding possible cinderella teams in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. The Panthers appear on two pages. The most interesting quote came from UNI's all-time leading scorer, Jason Reese (1986-90), who said this year's UNI team is "the best ever."
CLOSING NUMBER: Here's the stat of the season: UNI is now 18-0 when scoring 60 points or more this year.
(Breakout):
Bracket breakdown: Sizing up UNI's competition at this week's MVC tournament ...
BEWARE OF: Illinois State. The Redbirds average a solid, 70.4 points per game and possess the league's most lethal individual scorer (Osiris Eldridge). Plus, newcomers Tony Lewis, Jackie Carmichael and Austin Hill are all improving rapidly.
UNDERDOGS WITH BITE: Missouri State boasts the league's top offense (71.9 ppg), and likely MVC newcomer of the year Adam Leonard can light it up in a hurry from 3-point territory, evidenced by his MVC-best 87 treys this winter.
And don't discount Bradley's talent and grit.
BETTER LUCK NEXT YEAR: Drake. Yes, gifted scorer Josh Young is about to exhaust his eligibility. But, considering coach Mark Phelps' recruiting acumen, plus the expected off-season growth of youngsters like center Seth Van Deest, the Bulldogs could be much improved next March.
MVC tourney
Pairings
At Scottrade Center (St. Louis)
GAMES THURSDAY
Game 1 -- #8 Drake (13-18, 7-11) vs. #9 Southern Illinois (15-14, 6-12), 6 p.m.
Game 2 -- #7 Missouri State (19-11, 8-10) vs. #10 Evansville (9-20, 3-15), 8:30 p.m.
GAMES FRIDAY
Game 3 -- #1 UNI (25-4, 15-3) vs. Winner Game 1, noon
Game 4 -- #4 Creighton (16-14, 10-8) vs. #5 Bradley (15-14, 9-9), 2:30 p.m.
Game 5 -- #2 Wichita State (23-8, 12-6) vs. Winner of Game 2, 6 p.m. [MVC TV Network]
Game 6 -- #3 Illinois State (21-9, 11-7) vs. #6 Indiana State (17-13, 9-9), 8:30 p.m.
GAMES SATURDAY
Game 7 -- Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 1:30 p.m. [MVC TV Network]
Game 8 -- Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 4 p.m.
GAMES SUNDAY
Championship -- Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 1 p.m.
(c)Copyright 2010, wcfcourier.com
Calhoun's heart still very much belongs to UConn
STORRS -- Jim Calhoun stoked our morbid curiosity, not that we necessarily have any right or reason to pry into his 23-day absence from the UConn sideline if he chooses not to enlighten us.
"It's called curiosity," said Calhoun Friday, mindful of the questions about his absence, but determined to leave us with a loose end.
No one likes loose ends.
"If I thought what happened to me would benefit other people, I would be more than happy to talk about it," Calhoun said. "The only advice I would give you, beyond curiosity ... which doesn't really help anybody ... is the fact that if you're not feeling particularly well, you should go see a doctor. I did. And probably after about two weeks it dissipated, and I was able to come back to my duties."
Before we turn the conversation to his return and not his absence, the mystery of Calhoun's medical leave was exacerbated by the fact he is a human dynamo when it comes to stumping for a cause, be it heart disease, prostate cancer, autism or any other number of causes for which his celebrity profile has been put to good use.
We'll leave the mystery at: If Jim Calhoun doesn't want us to know, there's probably good reason, and it's none of our business.
But he did seem in good spirits, looked noticeably slimmer, and nothing in the conversation with the media would advance the notion that he is any nearer to retirement today than he was a month ago. His medical leave, he said, was not a period of reflection; rather an anguish to get back with his team and help bring a positive end to a season that has not met the coach's own expectations.
"I have never given any indication that I don't want to be here at UConn or coaching basketball," Calhoun said. "I couldn't wait to get back with our kids and am looking forward to the next seven games. I know the difficulty of them. I know the urgency of them. It was painful to watch the games ... exhilarating when we beat Texas, disappointing the last nine minutes against Providence, nerve-wracking against Marquette and DePaul, heartbreaking against Syracuse."
Calhoun said if there was any overriding emotion during his absence, it was not reflection, but a sense of guilt for being away from the team. Not in the sense that he would have impacted the games any differently than associate head coach George Blaney, but that there was unfinished business.
"It was a lot of anguish of wanting to get back and trying to relax to get back," Calhoun said. "I was able to get back. I feel good, and my job now is to try to finish the season and go from there."
Calhoun, 67, was unable to say for certain if his medical condition was caused by the rigors of his job, but he has talked off and on for a few years about his coaching window. Whether or not the end of his Hall of Fame career comes at the conclusion of this season or in 2015, he has earned the right to call the shot when he's ready.
With his contract situation dragging on, I've heard speculation that the school is playing hardball ... and fervently hope that the school doesn't embarrass itself. The man is 10 months removed from taking the Huskies to the Final Four, a concept that in 1985 was as foreign to the Connecticut basketball fan as a Ket manuscript.
Warts and all, Calhoun is a sacred coach, expressed eloquently by long-time nemesis Jim Boeheim following the game in the Carrier Dome Wednesday night.
"I can't help speculation that's going to continue to exist," Calhoun said. "I know I love basketball, I know I wanted to come back and coach this team, and all I'm asking them to do is give 100 percent."
It's not too late for UConn to make a run at the NCAA tournament. Among their next four games they face No. 4 Villanova and No. 5 West Virginia. If you were to tell me that Connecticut beats both those teams, sure they're back in the conversation.
Now, I don't think it probable - either beating both those teams or qualifying for the NCAA tournament - but to those who say UConn's NCAA hopes are over, I say give it another week or so. By Feb. 22, we'll know if UConn is, at best, NIT bound, or on the NCAA tournament bubble.
Calhoun's return doesn't change the personnel or shortcomings, but if there was ever a game to build off, it was against Syracuse.
Sustaining that type of play, by certain individuals in particular, has defied and defined this team throughout the season.
But Jim Calhoun, who has made a career of pushing his teams beyond many peoples' imagination, is the right man to see this out ... wherever and whenever "out" might be.
(c)Copyright 2010 The Middletown Press
The current projected Top 16 teams
Seed
Team RPI Rec. Comment
No. 1
1. Kansas 1 21-1 Big Monday trip to Austin looming
2. Syracuse 2 22-1 Next three games vs. bubble teams
3. Villanova 4 20-1 Saturday @Hoyas, Monday @W. Va.
4. Kentucky 6 21-1 Handled Vandy, Ole Miss at home
No. 2
5. Texas 18 19-3 Visits Norman to warm up for KU
6. Purdue 10 19-3 Got first win of millennium @Indiana
7. West Virginia 5 18-3 Win streak at 5, includes OSU, Pitt
8. Michigan St. 14 19-4 Finally lost in the league, and badly
No. 3
9. Georgetown 8 16-5 Lost at home to USF last time out
10. Duke 3 18-4 Avoided season sweep by Ga. Tech
11. Kansas State 7 17-4 Wildcats' last Sweet 16 trip: 1988
12. Wisconsin 9 17-5 Forcefully ended MSU's perfect run
No. 4
13. Temple 17 19-4 Scrum for Atlantic 10 lead still tight
14. New Mexico 13 20-3 Beat BYU, Cal, A&M, Texas Tech
15. Butler 16 19-4 Beat Ohio St., Xavier; 12-0 in league
16. Wake Forest 20 15-5 Are Deacons second-best in ACC?
Records and RPI are through Thursday. Records reflect games against D-I opponents only.
Virginia: The Bubble State
To some, the Commonwealth of Virginia is known as “the Old Dominion” or “the Mother of Presidents.” This year, on this page, Virginia is the Bubble State, with six teams from three different leagues possessing at-large resumes worthy of consideration, but not automatic inclusion.
Team RPI Record (Conf.) vs. Top 25/50
Richmond 31 17-6 (6-2 A-10) 0-1 / 2-2
Old Dominion 37 18-6 (10-2 CAA) 1-0 / 2-3
William & Mary 53 14-7 (7-5 CAA) 1-0 / 3-2
VCU 58 16-5 (8-4 CAA) 1-0 / 2-0
Virginia Tech 67 17-4 (4-3 ACC) 0-1 / 0-2
Virginia 81 14-6 (5-2 ACC) 1-1 / 2-2
RPI figures are through Thursday. Records are vs. D-I opponents only.
Still unbeaten in conference
Southland Conference leader Sam Houston State (11-5, 7-0, RPI 69) is one of eight league leaders in Division I basketball without a conference loss. Also on the list: Kansas, Villanova, Butler, Cornell (16-3, 4-0 Ivy, RPI 35), Siena (19-4, 12-0 MAAC, RPI 46), Murray State (19-3, 12-0 Ohio Valley, RPI 96) and Morgan State (16-7, 8-0 Mid-Eastern, RPI 127).
(c) 2010 San Antonio Express-News
Blue bloods are falling on hard times
It was expected from Indiana and even Arizona with the recent coaching changes that followed tumultuous seasons in Bloomington two years ago and Tucson this past April.
Then came the dramatic and surprising fall of UCLA with a loss to Cal State Fullerton to begin the season and setbacks to fellow mid-majors Portland and Long Beach State shortly thereafter.
Add three more high-powered coaches and programs - North Carolina, UConn and Louisville - to the list of big boys who may not even be dancing come March.
Overlooked amid Kentucky's resurgence in the wake of Billy Gillispie's departure has been the dramatic drop-off of a half-dozen of the nation's most illustrious and powerful programs.
UCLA was a fixture in the Final Four for three consecutive years from 2006 to 2008. Ben Howland had it rolling in Westwood. However, the Bruins, who have won a record 11 national titles, will need to win the Pac-10 tournament to have any shot of dancing come March.
Fellow Pac-10 and national power Arizona will almost certainly see its current streak of 25 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances come to a close unless it, too, can run the table and win the Pac-10 tourney to earn an automatic bid.
Indiana's Tom Crean is still trying to get the Hoosiers, who have won five national championships, back to respectability.
Louisville has yet to get a signature victory. In fact, Rick Pitino's "resume" win thus far came at home against Cincinnati this past week (that's sarcasm) and while UConn knocked off former No. 1 Texas last weekend, the Huskies still don't exactly have the makings of a Final Four -- or even an Elite Eight -- club.
Just ask Providence, which knocked off UConn earlier this week.
North Carolina, despite winning the title a year ago and losing four players to the NBA, was still regarded by some as a Final Four contender.
But the Tar Heels have dropped out of the Top 25 and basically off the map after losing four of their past six games - including one to College of Charleston.
The last time all six of the programs - which have combined to make 97 Sweet 16 appearances and win 26 national titles - weren't represented in the Elite Eight was 1996.
That was when Boston College upset Indiana and Princeton pulled off the shocker against UCLA in the first round. UConn bowed out to Mississippi State and North Carolina fell to Texas Tech in the second round. Arizona and Louisville both made the Sweet 16, but the Wildcats lost to Kansas and the Cardinals couldn't get past Wake Forest.
This year, it'll be a mild upset if half of them even make the NCAA tournament when the bracket is unveiled.
Let's begin with those who were expected to struggle this season: Indiana and Arizona.
Crean took over a program in shambles following the Kelvin Sampson fiasco and turned over his entire roster. Indiana has made progress from Year 1 to Year 2 of the Crean Era, but the Hoosiers are 9-10 overall and remain miles away from returning to the national title and even Sweet 16 conversation.
Arizona brought in new coach Sean Miller this past offseason after a couple of seasons of turmoil brought on by the coaching uncertainty of Hall of Famer Lute Olson.
Miller was the beneficiary of some late signees in the spring, but the Wildcats' streak was expected to end - and Arizona, not unlike Indiana, is still a couple of years away from getting back to the 'Zona of old.
The only reason the Wildcats are 5-3 in league play is because the Pac-10 has the makeup of a mid-major conference this season.
UCLA and North Carolina both lost a ton from last season, but were still expected to be more competitive than they've been thus far this season.
No one could have anticipated Howland's Bruins losing to one mid-major after another to begin the season. It's a combination of youth and also talent.
Jerime Anderson isn't Darren Collison or Jordan Farmar, and there's no Kevin Love or even Ryan Hollins on the roster.
The Tar Heels won it all last season and watched most of their team head off to the NBA, so there shouldn't have been any surprise that this is a rebuilding year of sorts on Chapel Hill.
But the fans didn't want to hear it - especially with a highly rated recruiting class led by John Henson arriving on campus.
But Henson isn't ready, the Tar Heels didn't have someone to replace Ty Lawson and there isn't a go-to guy who can make a play with the game on the line.
Louisville and UConn were both supposed to make noise in what was thought to be a down Big East this season.
Neither is a lock to have their names called on Selection Sunday.
Among college basketball royalty, they are hardly alone.
(c)2010 Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC
Does country have a UConn complex?
Sure, Connecticut is scary good. In fact, it's hard to remember the last time team sports saw such dominance. But have we gotten to the point that other teams are actually scared? Intimidation is one thing, but much of the rest of the country spent last week playing as if it was trying to avoid the NCAA tournament -- perhaps because that would mean a potential meeting with the Huskies machine even for those smart enough not to schedule Geno Auriemma's juggernaut.
All sarcasm aside, it was a rough week for contenders. Of the 61 teams considered to be in the at-large pool, 39 lost at least one game from Jan. 10 through 17. In eight days, nearly two-thirds of the teams playing for seeds or bids lost.
That includes six of the top 11 teams on the S-curve (in fairness to Notre Dame and Duke, their losses were to UConn) and every team ranked 21st through 28th. Of course, when everyone loses in these groups of teams, little changes -- unless the loss was by a big margin (see Georgia Tech) or a big upset (see North Carolina).
Of the final 10 teams to make this week's field as at-large contenders, each one except Temple dropped a game. Of course, those clubs stayed in the field because six of the next seven teams also lost.
While it remains early, that's no way to play your way into the tournament. If this keeps up, finding a list of 33 worthy at-large invites will be quite a chore. At the same time, opportunity opens for teams that can avoid the losing bug. A small winning streak in the next two weeks could now be huge in gaining some separation in a crowded pool.
Temple and Southern California are perfect examples. By stringing together just a couple of victories, they're both in. If so much carnage hadn't occurred in front of them, each still would be on the outside looking in.
The worst of the losses at that end of the pool were by Oregon (twice on the Arizona swing) and Miami (to Wake Forest). Each forfeited its spot in the field because it lost to teams lower in the RPI. Vermont nearly cost itself a spot when it fell to Boston University on Monday. The Catamounts, who had just moved into the AP poll for the first time in 17 years, now have no margin for error the rest of the season.
But no one had a rougher week than Michigan State. The Spartans, still somehow in the RPI top 20, lost twice in that eight-day span and have dropped three straight overall. Wins over Xavier and North Carolina seem further and further away with each failed offensive possession. Michigan State needs to right the ship quickly, as more than just the Big Ten race is getting away from Suzy Merchant's club.
Among those who did avoid the week of failure, Nebraska, Oklahoma State and West Virginia were the biggest winners. The Cornhuskers beat two top-20 teams (Texas and Baylor), solidifying themselves as the biggest surprise of the season and as legitimate contenders for at least a No. 2 seed. A No. 1 remains a real possibility if Notre Dame should stumble to anyone other than Connecticut.
Nebraska hosts Oklahoma State on Feb. 3, and a win over the Cowgirls also would have to be part of that equation. The Cowgirls are winners of 11 straight, and more importantly have road wins at Vermont, New Mexico and Kansas. Winning in Lawrence this week cemented the fact that Oklahoma State is probably here to stay in the Big 12 race.
The Mountaineers aren't always pretty, but in a week in which both wins came without them scoring 70 points, they established themselves as the Big East's third-best team.
How the West was lost
This should have been the perfect season for the Mountain West to grab some of the West Coast attention from the Pac-10. After Stanford, the latter conference is way down. Cal and Arizona State, regulars in the postseason the past few seasons, don't at all look like tournament teams. USC and UCLA both are in right now, but their hold isn't strong. Oregon might have been propped up by its exciting style and plenty of home games.
Unfortunately, the MWC doesn't have the horses to steal away any attention or bids. More than half the league is outside the RPI top 100. TCU and San Diego State are the only teams that look remotely tournament worthy, and even the Aztecs' résumé is a bit lacking. And the soft underbelly of the league isn't going to help San Diego State's cause, either.
Teams from the Colonial, America East and Atlantic 10 probably are the most likely to take advantage of the not-so-wild West.
Games to watch
A few key contests in the coming week likely to affect the bracket:
Wednesday: Kansas at Iowa State: The Jayhawks desperately need a substantial road win and would be all but eliminated from a shot at the Big 12 crown with another loss this soon.
Thursday: Hartford at Boston University: The Hawks need to avoid what happened to Vermont on Monday. The Terriers would be in the America East driver's seat with a win.
Thursday: Tennessee at Georgia: If the Lady Vols emerge victorious here and at LSU on Sunday, the race in the SEC over the final month and a half will be for second place. Georgia would have a firm hold on a No. 2 seed with a win.
Saturday: Eastern Michigan at Bowling Green: If anyone is going to threaten the Falcons in the MAC, it's the Eagles.
Saturday: DePaul at Georgetown: The Blue Demons are hanging by a thread and really could use a road win over a top-20 opponent. A loss, and they are gone from the field.
Sunday: VCU at Drexel: The Rams also host Delaware earlier in the week. This is the Dragons' chance to get back to the top of the CAA.
Sunday: West Virginia at Notre Dame: Losing to UConn didn't cost the Irish their No. 1 seed, but losing to the Mountaineers would, especially with Ohio State and Nebraska awaiting their chance at a top seed.
(c)2009 ESPN Internet Ventures
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