With one more win, Northwestern should lock up its first invitation to the NCAA Tournament, according to noted bracketologists Jerry Palm and Joe Lunardi.
The Wildcats have lost four of six, including two to Illinois, as they head into the final three games of the regular season.
Still, CBS Sports' Palm and ESPN's Lunardi agree Northwestern will shed the tag of being the only team from a Power Five conference never to play in the NCAA Tournament.
"It doesn't help, but it's two slices of (an 18)-slice pie," Lunardi said in reference to the Big Ten schedule and the losses to the Illini. "The rest of the pie is ... not gourmet, but it's good enough.
"I know they're nervous, but it's extremely unlikely this has a bad outcome."
One big reason for that, both agreed, is the Wildcats' victory at then-No. 7 Wisconsin in the midst of this skid. The win, which occurred without leading scorer Scottie Lindsey, ended the Badgers' home winning streak at 19.
That and a down year in the Big Ten should play in the Wildcats' favor with the selection committee.
"Northwestern has been able to take advantage of that," Palm said. "They beat some good teams and they didn't lose to anybody they shouldn't."
Palm branded Northwestern (20-8, 9-6) a "middle-of-the-bracket team" in "no danger of missing the tournament," assuming they win at least one more game in the regular season or the Big Ten tournament.
Winning two, Palm and Lunardi agreed, would make the Wildcats a cinch.
"Losing never helps," Palm said. "But it's not like Illinois is terrible."
Palm had the Wildcats as a No. 7 seed in his latest bracket projection Thursday, which would result in what he called a "winnable (first-round) game." Lunardi had the Wildcats as a No. 9 seed.
Neither Palm nor Lunardi thinks Illinois will even be on the bubble to make the NCAA Tournament. Palm said the Illini, who have won three of four, "most likely" will earn an NIT bid, while USA Today projects them as one of the first four teams left out of the NCAA Tournament.
Northwestern plays at Indiana on Saturday, a game Palm expects the Wildcats to win, before facing Michigan "in a toss-up" on Wednesday in Evanston.
The Wildcats could pad their resume in the regular-season finale _ and the final game at Welsh-Ryan Arena as we know it _ March 5 against conference leader Purdue before moving on to the Big Ten tournament in Washington.
Before beating Wisconsin, the Wildcats' best victory was against Dayton, which would have left them "in trouble" on Selection Sunday, Palm said.
Palm also noted close losses to Butler (by two) and Notre Dame (by four) as resume-builders.
