The sorting has begun in the major conference tournaments this afternoon...some notable teams have already lost:
- Cincinnati's 19-point loss to Georgetown in the Big East tournament is not a huge surprise; but I'm not as sure as Jerry Palm (CBS) and Joe Lunardi (ESPN) that the Bearcats are as sure a thing as it might seem on the surface. Cincinnati's biggest wins were @ Pitt in late December and at home against Marquette. In fact, their saving grace may be a holiday tournament win in Las Vegas over fellow 'bubble' dweller, Iowa State back around Thanksgiving. Goes to show...every game counts!! I'll bet they will be nervous Sunday night though...maybe a 'First Four' candidate now?
- Minnesota's rally against Illinois in the Big 10 tourney fell short this afternoon. They won @ Illinois in convincing fashion earlier this year though. Despite an 8-11 overall record in the nation's best conference; the Gophers victories over Memphis, Michigan State, and Indiana will get the job done on Sunday.
- Oklahoma surrendered a double-digit lead in the second half against desperate Iowa State in the Big 12 tourney at Kansas City. They did post a win against the Cyclones earlier in the season. The Sooner's RPI is in the mid-30's...though KenPom has them at 50. They were 9-9 vs. the Top 100 and had a SOS of 16. They beat Kansas, so I still think they are in, but their seeding may have suffered some.
- Arizona State is done. The Sun Devil's led UCLA by 8 at the half in the PAC-12 tilt @ Vegas. The RPI is in the 80's and a previous win at home over UCLA is the only impressive Top 100 victory on the resume.
- Boise State's loss to San Diego State (a squad they already beat in the regular season) in the opening round of Mountain West Conference Championship late last night keeps the Broncos squarely on the bubble. An early road win against MVC Tourney champion, Creighton and an 8-9 mark against the Top 100 are the only highlights on their resume.
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