Another week of games goes by, and the bubble seems to be a mess right now as far as what to do with some of these teams. Some teams did themselves a lot of favors this week while others really hurt themselves. We are just barely over 6 weeks until selection Sunday and some of these teams better start winnings games in a hurry to get themselves in position for a bid. Luckily for a lot of the major conference teams, the mid-majors have some bad losses since last week, and there does not look to many smaller conference teams looking for a bid.
Remember, teams will have their overall record and their conference record in parentheses. Their RPI and SOS will be next to the conference record. The will also have their Good Wins (GW) and Bad Losses (BL) right underneath that. We do not want to make teams “Locks” until we are completely sure that they will be going to the tournament.
American Conference:
Still no locks for the conference, although SMU and Cincinnati are getting pretty close. This looks like a 3 bid conference, but a 4th is very possible.
Locks: None
Should Be In:
SMU (16-4) (8-1) RPI: 23 SOS: 68
GW: Eastern Washington? Michigan? Temple? BL: None
I really want to lock this team up since they are rolling through everyone, but this profile has no Top 50 wins and only five Top 100 wins total. They host a horrible UCF team tomorrow before a huge game with Cincinnati next Thursday. Win both of those, and get lucky that some of the teams they beat sneak into the RPI Top 50 between now and then, and we will reevaluate SMU’s lock status.
Cincinnati (15-5) (6-2) RPI: 28 SOS: 31
GW: San Diego State, SMU, NC State, Temple BL: None
Cincinnati has now won 4 in a row and got there by beating UCONN last night. The RPI is really good and combined with a solid SOS, this is a very good tournament profile. Beat ECU tomorrow and the game featuring the best two teams in the conference, Cincinnati and SMU, will be held in Texas on the 5th. Does the winner get a lock?
Work To Do:
Tulsa (15-4) (8-0) RPI: 42 SOS: 117
GW: Temple? BL: Oral Roberts
Tulsa has continued to do what it needs to do. They won both of their games this past week (Although the East Carolina game probably should have been a loss) where a loss kills them and a win does nothing. They have the same scenario this week, starting tomorrow, as they host South Florida and travel to Houston. They can’t afford to lose either of those games. Once they get through those 2 games, we will learn a lot about this team as the schedule really toughens up.
Temple (14-7) (5-3) RPI: 48 SOS: 48
GW: Kansas BL: Saint Joe’s
Temple is still hanging their hat on the 25 point drubbing of Kansas back in December. Other than that game, this profile is meh. As of now, they only have three Top 100 wins and an “OK” RPI. They won both of their games against bad teams this week and have 2 more games upcoming against bad teams. Temple can’t afford to lose either and needs to just keep racking up wins and hope some of their other wins start looking better. They are on the outside looking in as of right now, and it really is not close.
Connecticut (11-8) (4-3) RPI: 84 SOS: 64
GW: Dayton, Cincinnati BL: None
Three wins against the Top 100 is all this profile really has. Yeah, they have two nice wins, but they also have an average record in an average conference. Getting worked by Cincinnati last night was not a good thing and now they have three straight games against bad teams. They better win because the only reason they are still on here is because of the number of decent teams and winnable games left on the schedule. A loss in the next 2 weeks will probably get them off of the list for a while. Very disappointing for a team who just won the National Title last year.
ACC:
Say goodbye to Pittsburg for now. They lost to Virginia Tech and have lost 3 in a row. If they can win both of their games this week, we might revisit them next week. Also, say hello to new “Lock”, Notre Dame. A huge win over Duke on Wednesday has locked up the Irish as their profile has some really impressive wins on it. Clemson has been under consideration with 6 Top 100 wins, but with 4 horrible losses, they need to win a couple more games to be taken more seriously.
Locks: Virginia, Duke, North Carolina, Notre Dame
Should Be In:
Louisville (17-3) (5-2) RPI: 18 SOS: 75
GW: Indiana, Ohio State BL: None
The Cardinals really struggled with Boston College, but pulled away late to avoid a poor loss. Their schedule really picks up, starting tomorrow with a home date with UNC, before traveling to Miami and Virginia. Going 2-1 in those games would probably lock them up. This profile just needs a couple more decent wins.
Work To Do:
Miami (14-6) (4-3) RPI: 45 SOS: 51
GW: Duke BL: Eastern Kentucky (By 28)
It was not a horrible week for the Hurricane as they beat Syracuse last weekend. The loss at home to Georgia Tech, by 20, was pretty poor. It was not even as close as 20 points. Outside of the Duke win, this profile does not have a lot. They would be wise to beat Florida State before a big game with Louisville on Tuesday. Going 0-2 will really put them into a tough spot moving forward.
North Carolina State (13-9) (4-5) RPI: 55 SOS: 4
GW: Duke BL: None
4 losses in the last 5 games for the Wolfpack. Their RPI has been in steady decline ever since they had that big win against Duke. If they lose either game this week against Georgia Tech or Wake Forest, the Wolfpack will be sitting in poor shape and off of the bubble.
Syracuse (14-7) (5-3) RPI: 62 SOS: 86
GW: Iowa BL: California
The Cuse’ blew a huge opportunity on the road at North Carolina on Monday, and now have lost 2 straight. I will say this, there were some questionable calls at the end of the game @UNC, but Syracuse had their chances and just did not get it done. Now they have a really tricky game with Virginia Tech, who just about beat Virginia, and can’t afford to lose a game to a bad team like that. The Orange have a really nice setup for the next 3 games to get to 17-7 before huge games against Duke, Louisville, and Notre Dame show up. Lots of time for this team to go out and find marquee wins, but they need to actually win them.
Atlantic 10:
It was a weird week in the A10. The bubble teams did “ok” but did not really move the needle much as far as births go. This is a good league with good teams, but will they get more than 2 bids? I am starting to wonder. UMass is playing better and has a decent RPI, but their 11-9 record and numerous below average losses are keeping them off for now. We can check in on them again next week.
Locks: VCU
Should Be In: None
Work To Do:
Dayton (16-4) (6-2) RPI: 35 SOS: 121
GW: Texas A&M BL: None
Look, a loss to UMass last night is not bad, especially on the road, but this team cannot have lapses like that against teams they can pick up Top 100 wins against. They need to avoid a bad loss Sunday vs Fordham. Basically the rest of their schedule is games against bad teams except for next Friday and and February 28 @ VCU.
Davidson (13-4) (5-2) RPI: 36 SOS: 111
GW: Dayton BL: None
The Wildcats last played on the 24th and do not play again until tomorrow. They did what they needed to do, and escaped with an 80-73 win @ George Mason. That win does not change a whole lot, and neither will their game tomorrow @ St. Joe’s. They are in no-win situations right now as a win does not do a ton, while a loss really hurts them. Their next 4 games are that way.
George Washington (16-5) (6-2) RPI: 47 SOS: 191
GW: Wichita State BL: None
George Washington had a HUGE opportunity on Tuesday, to get a road win at VCU. A win like that could really boost their profile…….but instead, they got absolutely dominated the last 18 minutes of the game. After only being down 4 at that point, they were outscored 41-16. The Colonials need to put that behind them as they now have a bubble showdown against Rhode Island on tap for tomorrow. This will be another chance for a Top 100 win and might also be a bubble elimination game.
Rhode Island (13-5) (6-2) RPI: 68 SOS: 159
GW: None BL: None
It is never a good thing when you win both of your games over the week and your RPI drops, but that is the life against the bottom of the A-10. Rhode Island is doing what they need to though, and gets a really big opportunity against George Washington tomorrow. That is their only game within the next week. If RI does not win, they will probably fall off of the list as they do not really play another solid team until the end of February.
Big East: 
This conference as a lot of good teams, and it would be no surprise if 6 teams get in. The conference is that good and a lot of these teams have very strong profiles.
Locks: Villanova
Should Be In:
Butler (15-6) (5-3) RPI: 16 SOS: 12
GW: North Carolina, Georgetown, Xavier, Seton Hall (X2) BL: None
Butler played on national television on Sunday (Their only game since the last Watch) and absolutely embarrassed Seton Hall, winning by 20. The Bulldogs travel to Marquette tomorrow and just need to keep beating the teams that they should. They have 5 games against 100+ RPI teams the rest of the way.
Providence (16-5) (6-2) RPI: 17 SOS: 21
GW: Notre Dame, Miami, Butler, Georgetown, Xavier BL: Brown, Boston College
After having a weird snow out, Providence got to play yesterday, and came away with a win against a tough DePaul team. That is now 3 straight wins for the Friars, who are led by their sophomore stud mentioned in SOTN today, and they get two more solid win opportunities starting tomorrow with St. Johns. If it weren’t for that AWFUL loss to Brown, this team would probably be a “Lock”
Georgetown (14-6) (6-3) RPI: 20 SOS: 5
GW: Indiana, Butler, Villanova BL: None
Yea, the Hoyas lost an opportunity for for a 4th Top 50 win, but that game meant a lot more for Xavier than it did for Georgetown. The Hoyas are still in pretty good shape, but losing tomorrow @ Creighton will not be a good thing at all. Win tomorrow and then there is a big opportunity waiting for them against Providence on Wednesday.
Work To Do:
Xavier (14-7) (5-4) RPI: 25 SOS: 16
GW: Georgetown (X2), Seton Hall BL: Auburn, UTEP, DePaul?
Xavier did exactly what they needed to do this week. They won a home game over an underrated DePaul team and then went on the road and got the sweep over Georgetown. This team now boasts a top 30 RPI, a top 20 SOS and has 7 Top 100 wins. They also do not have any 300+ RPI wins or losses that drag down the profile. This was a great scheduling job by their AD and coach. They travel to Seton Hall tomorrow for a pretty important bubble game and look for the sweep against them as well.
Seton Hall (14-6) (4-4) RPI: 40 SOS: 67
GW: Villanova BL: DePaul?
Was a win over lowly Marquette really that big of a deal? Why yes, yes it was. That stopped the bleeding for now as the 3 game losing streak is over. The RPI and SOS are solid, and the profile has a few solid wins on it, but the schedule is not great after tomorrow’s game against Xavier, and Seton Hall can’t afford bad losses or things will change really quickly with how this profile will look. They really need another Top 50 win an Xavier is a great opportunity.
St. John’s (12-7) (2-5) RPI: 49 SOS: 32
GW: Providence BL: Creighton, DePaul
After losing on Wednesday at Creighton, the Red Storm have now lost 6 of their last 8 and really damaged their RPI and overall profile over the last couple of weeks. With Providence visiting tomorrow and then traveling to Butler for a game Tuesday, this week could go a long way in deciding if this team is for real or not.
Big 12: 
Kansas looks to be playing for a #1 seed. Can all 8 Big 12 teams get in? I do not think so but they will all have pretty strong cases here in a couple of weeks.
Locks: Kansas, Iowa State
Should Be In:
West Virginia (17-3) (5-2) RPI: 14 SOS: 70
GW: NC State, Oklahoma BL: None
WVU did exactly what they needed to last night, and got themselves a road win to add to their resume’ after winning at Kansas State. The Wildcats have been tough on Big 12 opponents but West Virginia managed to overcome that. WVU has a tune up game at home against Texas Tech tomorrow before a huge road game at Oklahoma on Tuesday. Go 2-0 in those games, and they will probably move into lock status on next week’s Watch.
Work To Do:
Baylor (14-5) (3-4) RPI: 21 SOS: 27
GW: Texas A&M, Iowa State, Oklahoma BL: None
Let’s say that Baylor finishes with a below .500 record in conference play (8-10) but has 5 wins against the Top 50. What would the committee do with them? I think they put them in, but that will be an interesting debate. Baylor gets Texas and TCU this week. Getting to 5-4 in conference would be a nice start of avoiding the previously mentioned dilemma.
Texas (14-6) (3-4) RPI: 27 SOS: 10
GW: Iowa, West Virginia BL: None
I’ve always thought this team was very overrated. Yes they are big, but they haven’t been able to guard well and have also struggled scoring since conference play has started. They have really good computer numbers and have played 7 Top 50 schools (Iowa has fallen outside the Top 50), but only have one win to show for it. I can’t take this team seriously (And move them to a “lock” or back into “should be in”) until they get some more quality wins. They get another nice opportunity tomorrow @ Baylor.
Oklahoma (13-7) (4-4) RPI: 30 SOS: 14
GW: Butler, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Texas BL: Creighton
Well, I had begun to question whether this team could right the ship after losing 4 of 5 and struggling to really stop anyone. Then Wednesday night happened, and I saw a motivated Sooners team go out and completely dominate Texas Tech by almost 50 points! The big 12 does not give you many breaks, and tomorrow’s game against rival, Oklahoma State, will be big for each team.
Oklahoma State (13-6) (4-4) RPI: 32 SOS: 41
GW: Texas, Baylor BL: South Carolina?
What a wild week for Oklahoma State. A tough road loss at K-State followed up with a huge home win over Baylor. The Cowboys just need to keep gathering resume’ building wins and they have lots of opportunities to do that coming up. Their next 4 games are all against the RPI Top 35.
Kansas State (12-9) (5-3) RPI: 78 SOS: 39
GW: Oklahoma, Baylor, Oklahoma State BL: Texas Southern
Kansas State missed a pretty big opportunity at home against West Virginia on Tuesday. This profile is not awful, with the 4 Top 50 wins, but their non-con just killed them as it ended in a 7-6 record. Kansas State gets another GIGANTIC opportunity tomorrow when they travel to Lawrence to take on the Jayhawks. Win that, and they will add a marquee road victory. Lose, and they will be sitting at 12-10 and hurting badly. They also have a game @ Texas Tech next week. If K-State goes 0-2, their tournament hopes will probably be finished.
Big 10: 
Interesting week in the B1G as most of the bubble teams had a pretty up and down week. Can Purdue continue to win games and make their way onto the Watch? It is looking more and more likely with each B1G win that they pick up. Let’s see how they do this week against Northwestern and Ohio State.
Locks: Wisconsin, Maryland
Should Be In: None
Work To Do:
Ohio State (17-5) (6-3) RPI: 34 SOS: 71
GW: Indiana, Maryland BL: None
Did any other bubble team have a better week than the Buckeyes? If you can find one, let me know. They picked up 2 good wins and both were their only Top 50 wins of the season. They now have four Top 100 wins and a pretty solid computer profile. You need to see the Russell kid play. He dang near earns a triple-double each night. They will need him to continue to play well to avoid losses to average teams the next three games. That starts Wednesday with a trip to Purdue, which has been tough for a lot of teams.
Michigan State (14-7) (5-3) RPI: 39 SOS: 24
GW: Indiana, Iowa BL: Texas Southern
After a poor showing last weekend on the road at Nebraska, the Spartans went out and dominated Rutgers on the road last night. This profile has solid numbers, but Michigan State as swung and missed on a lot of their really good opportunities so far. They get a big game against In-State rival, Michigan, Sunday in East Lansing. They would earn themselves another Top 100 win with a victory, and move that much close to getting to “Should Be In”.
Indiana (15-6) (5-3) RPI: 41 SOS: 42
GW: SMU, Butler, Maryland, Ohio State BL: None
After such a great week last week in throttling Maryland, Indiana has now lost back to back games to Ohio State and Purdue. This profile has lots of nice wins on it, and they are still in good shape for now, but losing to Rutgers tomorrow would add a pretty questionable loss and put Indiana in some danger as the rest of the season schedule is pretty dang tough.
Iowa (13-7) (4-3) RPI: 44 SOS: 17
GW: North Carolina, Ohio State(x2) BL: None
Ouch! That is now back to back losses for the Hawkeyes and the most recent on, last Saturday, was to a very average Purdue team. Iowa had chances, but did not come through in the end. They are starting to look like the same team as last year, and might end up being one of the last 4 in or first 4 out. They have some really nice opportunities coming up at home, and could really change their bubble luck if they can beat Wisconsin tomorrow.
Illinois (13-8) (3-5) RPI: 63 SOS: 73
GW: Baylor, Maryland BL: None
A rough game last week against Minnesota really hurts their chances at this point. Although they have the 2 nice wins, that is about all this profile has. They really need to win their next two games, which are at home, against Penn State and Rutgers. Drop one of those 2 games, and they will have a hard time sticking on the Watch. Tread carefully, Illini.
Michigan (12-8) (6-3) RPI:60 SOS: 18
GW: None BL: N.J.I.T., Eastern Michigan
Let’s welcome the Wolverines to the Bubble Watch. Yea, this profile is pretty bare as good wins go, but they are 7-6 against the Top 100 and have all sorts of chances for profile building wins the rest of the way. They get Michigan State in East Lansing on Sunday, and can start their big push for the tourney then.
PAC 12: 
There were some other teams I was debating on adding, like Oregon and Oregon State, and then this week did not go well for either of those teams. Colorado has a chance to get on here, but they need to get a couple of wins this week for us to take them more seriously. This is looking more like a 3 bid conference.
Locks: Arizona, Utah
Should Be In:
Stanford (15-5) (6-2) RPI: 29 SOS: 62
GW: Texas, Wofford, Washington (X2) BL: DePaul
Stanford went on the road and picked up a sweep of Washington a few days after rolling Arizona State. This team is looking pretty good for a lock if it keeps beating the teams it should. Washington State, UCLA and USC are standing in the way before a HUGE showdown on February 12th when the Cardinal visit Utah. Going 3-0 in the next three would be highly recommended to avoid a possible bad loss.
Work To Do:
Washington (14-6) (3-5) RPI: 54 SOS: 85
GW: San Diego State, Oklahoma BL: California, Washington State
Bad news came about this week as the Huskies dismissed their stud 6’11 defender, Robert Upshaw, from the team. Having that happen coupled with the 0-2 week that included being destroyed at Utah and losing at home to Stanford, and the Huskies are probably starting to get nervous. They get a game at home against Cal before traveling to the Oregon schools. If they are going to show they can win without Upshaw, doing it against teams that they should beat would be the first step.
UCLA (12-9) (4-4) RPI: 64 SOS: 29
GW: Utah, Stanford BL: None
UCLA was about to be removed, but then they went out and got themselves a big win, at home, against Utah last night. This profile is weak with only three Top 100 wins, but they have Arizona and Stanford left on the schedule still. They get Colorado (A team trying to get on the Watch) tomorrow and Stanford Thursday. Both wins might be needed to stay on here. Good luck, UCLA.
SEC: 
Florida has gotten themselves close to getting on the Watch again, but probably need to go 2-0 next week for us to consider them since they have no Top 50 wins. Kentucky is really good, in case you did not know.
Locks: Kentucky
Should Be In:
Arkansas (16-4) (5-2) RPI: 19 SOS: 46
GW: SMU, Dayton, Georgia BL: None
After escaping Mizzou on Saturday (In a game the really should have lost), the Razorbacks got a nice win last night against Tennessee. This team is getting closer and closer to becoming a lock, and can get even closer by getting by Florida and South Carolina.
Georgia (14-5) (5-2) RPI: 24 SOS: 20
GW: Seton Hall, Ole Miss BL: None
In a week where Georgia could only really hurt their resume’, they took care of business and went 2-0. They have a trip to South Carolina tomorrow, which they really need to avoid a bad loss, before a monster opportunity @ Kentucky on Tuesday. If the Bulldogs go undefeated this week, they will be a “lock”.
Work To Do:
Texas A&M (14-5) (5-2) RPI: 37 SOS: 58
GW: LSU BL: None
A&M had a very nice week, going 2-0 and picking up road wins at Tennessee and Auburn. Their profile is pretty bare right now with only one Top 50 win and only three in the Top 100. They get Vanderbilt at home tomorrow and then travel to Oxford to take on Ole Miss. Another 2-0 week will go a long way to improving this profile.
LSU (16-4) (5-2) RPI: 38 SOS: 105
GW: West Virginia, Georgia BL: Missouri
All LSU had to do was avoid a bad loss this past week, and they did……..barely. They probably should have lost on Wednesday to South Carolina, but they Gamecocks were awful in the last 30 seconds and the Tigers hung on for the win. As far as this week goes, the same rules apply. Mississippi State and Auburn are really bad, and losses to either would be severely damaging to their resume’.
Ole Miss (13-7) (4-3) RPI: 46 SOS: 41
GW: Cincinnati, Arkansas BL: TCU, Charleston Southern
Ole Miss avoided a bad loss against Mississippi State and picked up a solid win over Florida over the week. The Rebels have two pretty impressive wins but also have 2 pretty questionable losses. With only 4 Top 100 wins, they need to continue to pick up wins, and avoid bad losses. Tomorrow is an opportunity for a bad loss as Ole Miss travels to Mizzou.
Tennessee (12-7) (4-3) RPI: 58 SOS: 50
GW: Butler, Arkansas BL: Marquette
Tennessee had their chances, but could not get by Arkansas on the road on Tuesday. They have now dropped back to back games and have two games this week against two of the worst in the conference. There is no margin for error this week because a win does not do a lot but losses will really hurt. This team needs wins.
Alabama (12-7) (3-4) RPI: 59 SOS: 40
GW: Texas A&M BL: South Carolina
Lost at home to Florida on Tuesday, in a game that they really needed to win. We will leave them on for another week, only because they get Kentucky tomorrow. If they lose tomorrow, they probably will not be on here next week.
Missouri Valley: 
Wichita State continues to run the table in the conference, but a BIG game with Northern Iowa is on tape for tomorrow. The MVC looks fairly safe to get 2 teams in, but Evansville is hanging on to see if the conference can sneak in 3 bids.
Locks: Wichita State
Should Be In:
Northern Iowa (19-2) (8-1) RPI: 22 SOS: 155
GW: Iowa BL: None
The Panthers RPI took a small hit, but they did what they needed to do this week and have now won 8 games in a row since that loss to Evansville on Jan. 1st. They only have three Top 100 wins as of now, but they play in a “Weekend Watch” game against Wichita State tomorrow and a win in that game will go a long way in helping solidify this teams tournament chances.
Work To Do:
Evansville (15-5) (6-3) RPI: 71 SOS: 122
GW: Northern Iowa BL: Indiana State
The Purple Aces (What an awesome nickname) continues to do what is needed…..win. This week will be much more of a challenge as they travel to Drake and then Illinois State. The latter, is a really tough place to win. A 6-0 stretch is almost non-negotiable before back to back games with Wichita State and Northern Iowa on the road.
Mountain West:
This is starting to become scary for such a traditionally good conference. They are all starting to beat up on eachother, and I am not sure if they can get more than 1 At-Large at this point.
Locks: None
Should Be In: None
Work To Do:
San Diego State (15-5) (6-2) RPI: 31 SOS: 60
GW: Utah BL: Fresno State
They lost a game that would have been recognized as a good win on Saturday, in Colorado State. That was not a huge deal since they get to play them again, but they are running out of opportunities to rack up any more wins of substance. The win over Utah can only carry this profile so far, so SDSU needs to whoop up on Utah State and Nevada this week to avoid a bad loss.
Colorado State (17-3) (5-3) RPI: 33 SOS: 114
GW: San Diego State, Boise State BL: None
Got one of the big wins it need this weekend over SDSU, but then lost to Boise State in a close game on Tuesday. CSU could have really used both games, but at least they earned themselves another Top 50 win. They get a really bad Fresno State team tomorrow before playing in a big showdown against Wyoming on Wednesday night. With the MWC as bad as it is, any more than 2 losses the rest of the way will have CSU in some bubble trouble.
Boise State (13-6) (5-3) RPI: 51 SOS: 92
GW: St. Mary’s, Colorado State BL: Utah State
Boise State, owners of a nice 5 game winning streak, got themselves a big win on Tuesday over Colorado State. They now own two Top 50 wins and only have one game this week, @ Utah State. That will be a tricky game as they have just beaten Wyoming. They have 2 shots at SDSU coming up soon. The need to take care of business before then.
Wyoming (15-4) (6-2) RPI: 80 SOS: 229
GW: Colorado State, Boise State BL: None
The Watch is going to be nice and leave Wyoming on here, only because they have a game against Colorado State this week. If they do win Saturday, against Nevada, and Wednesday, against Colorado State, then they will be back on next week. A loss in either of those 2 games, and Wyoming may be sitting out for a while. It is a shame because Larry Nance Jr. is a stud and needs the opportunity to show what he can do on national television.
WCC: 
Locks: Gonzaga
Should Be In: None
Work To Do:
St. Mary’s (16-4) (9-1) RPI: 53 SOS: 153
GW: None BL: Northern Arizona
After losing to Gonzaga last week, the Gaels were able to beat Portland and Loyola Marymount this week and keep themselves from acquiring a bad loss. They have a home game this week against Pepperdine and need to take care of them. The only Top 100 win is over BYU and then there are a lot of Top 175 wins but that does not do them a ton of good. They really just need to beat Gonzaga on February 21st.
BYU (14-7) (6-4) RPI: 61 SOS: 76
GW: Stanford, UMASS? BL: Pepperdine, San Diego
Well, they did beat San Francisco last night. That is nice and all, but they lost to San Diego (No not the good one) last Saturday and have almost ended their At-Large hopes. They probably can’t lose again until the last game of the season, against Gonzaga, and then see what happens from there.
Other Teams:
Well, say goodbye to Bowling Green and Harvard. You can’t lose to awful teams like that, you just can’t. That is not to say they can’t climb back on here, but they need to put a nice streak of wins together first. There are some other MAC teams that the Watch would love to add, but their profiles just are not quite there, yet. We will revisit that conference next week and see if, and how many, we can add to the column. Louisiana Tech is leading Conference-USA, but their profile is not quite there either. They need another week of evaluation.
What’s Left:
Old Dominion (16-4) (5-3) RPI: 43 SOS: 132
GW: VCU, LSU BL: Middle Tennessee State, Illinois State, UAB
This has been a poor couple of weeks for the Monarchs. They have picked up losses to MTSU, UAB and WKU. They ended their 2 game losing streak last night against FIU, but this team has really damaged their profile. They are about out of chances to handle a loss. They would be wise to not lose another regular season game. A lot of pressure on this team.
Wisconsin Green-Bay (15-4) (6-1) RPI: 56 SOS: 185
GW: Miami BL: Oakland, UC-Irvine
Welcome, Green-Bay! I wanted to put this team on the Watch last week, but I figured I would put the winner of them and Valpo on here. Well, the Phoenix won, have a solid RPI, and 3 Top 100 wins on their Resume’. They really can’t afford another loss, though, as it will probably be considered a bad one. They have a big return trip to Valpo in the middle of February which would be the only game that will not really hurt them if they lose, but it is their only shot at another Top 100 win.
Wofford (15-5) (8-1) RPI: 57 SOS: 158
GW: NC State BL: The Citadel
Well, Wofford is basically staring at the same scenario as the team above. They probably can’t lose another game because it can only be a bad loss. Wofford’s RPI will continue to drop because of how poor the conference is. That stinks because this is a good basketball team. With only two Top 100 wins, this team is about as big of a long shot as there is for the bubble.
Eastern Washington (12-5) (6-1) RPI: 72 SOS: 163
GW: Indiana BL: Sacramento State, Sam Houston State?
The Eagles reward for winning by 22 last Saturday?? Well, they dropped 10+ spots in the RPI and things do not look to be any better. They are a LONG shot to make the dance anyway, but they still have that really nice win on the road @ Indiana. They only play one Top 200 team the rest of the way, so they can’t lose again and will need to be impressive the rest of the way to catch the selection committee’s eye. Will that even be enough?
