
Pitt is the new No. 1, but will the Panthers receive a top seed come tournament time?
SI.com's Andy Glockner says yes in his latest NCAA field projection. Joining the ascendant power atop the bracket regions are North Carolina, Oklahoma and UConn, but the fun comes in deciding who is on the bubble.
As things currently stand, former Pitt coach Ben Howland and UCLA are not a lock to dance next month:
Before Bruins fans go nuts, understand that UCLA (20-7, 9-5; RPI: 35; SOS: 63) almost certainly is going to make the NCAAs and with a home weekend left against the Oregon schools, seems set for at least 11 Pac-10 wins. But what would happen if the Bruins somehow lose three of their final four and then get bounced in the Pac-10 quarters in a 4-5 game? Take a look at their resume, which is mysteriously thin. It's possible in that scenario that they'd be 3-6 against Arizona State, Washington, Cal and Arizona, and have finished in fifth place in the league with a 5-8 mark against the RPI Top 50. Their current nonleague SOS is 220 and the best win out-of-conference is ... Miami (Ohio)? Sorry, that's not a lock profile, so the Bruins are not a lock team this week.
Do you agree with that logic? What teams are in? What teams are definitely out? Give us your thought on the landscape with less than a month to Selection Sunday.
Andy Glockner: Left-for-dead teams showing life in the latest Watch [SI.com]
Andy Glockner: UConn, OKlahoma, Pitt, UNC project as top seeds [SI.com]


Alana Blanchard
Nina Agdal


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