Feb. 27--Whether it's to improve potential NCAA tournament seeding or salvage the season with some final victories to make the tournament at all, every team is feeling pressure at this time of the year.
March is only a few days away, and for many teams there is much work to be done.
Nobody wants to enter a conference tournament with the pressure to win it all to earn a bid.
Here are some teams who are living on the NCAA bubble:
Pittsburgh -- (19-10, 8-7 ACC, RPI 37, SOS 31): Victories against North Carolina (No. 13 RPI) and Notre Dame (27) are impressive, but the Panthers' losses at Hawaii (170) and Virginia Tech (222) are damaging. Pitt is just 2-7 on the road. Prediction: Out.
Illinois -- (17-11, 7-8 Big Ten, RPI 59, SOS 52): A team with 13 losses rarely makes the tournament, so Illinois has to make the most of its final three regular-season games. The loss at Iowa on Wednesday night was a wasted opportunity. Prediction: Out.
North Carolina State -- (17-11, 8-7 ACC, RPI 40, SOS 3): The Wolfpack doesn't have a lot of victories but the ones it does have are mighty impressive. A victory at Louisville gives it five top-50 victories. That's probably good enough despite being a loss away from a dozen defeats on the season. Prediction: In.
Texas -- (17-11, 6-9 Big 12, RPI 44, SOS 16). The Longhorns are hanging by a thread and given how they have been playing this may not end well after all. Props for playing a tough schedule but they're just 1-10 against the top 50. Prediction: In.
Top four seeds: Kentucky 28-0, 15-0 SEC, RPI 1, SOS 27; Virginia 26-1, 14-1 ACC, RPI 3, SOS 12; Duke 25-3, 12-3 ACC, RPI 5, SOS 8; Gonzaga 28-1, 16-0 Mountain West, RPI 8, SOS 78.
sryan@tribpub.com
