Should be in:

Clemson [23-8 (9-8), RPI: 28, SOS: 47] Not being able to take care of business in Tallahassee put a bit more pressure on the Tigers. But they could get two more regular-season wins in their last four games, and that should be enough. Clemson still looks like ACC team No. 3, especially with Maryland's fade. Wins over Purdue and Mississippi State in nonconference play look very solid.

Work left to do:

Wake Forest [24-6 (11-6), RPI: 16, SOS: 69] The loss at North Carolina by all rights puts the Deacons out of realistic at-large range if you look at their RPI and SOS. Could they make a statement by winning their last four in ACC play? Sure, but it almost certainly will take that and/or a really deep ACC tourney run for the Deacons to have a reasonable case come Selection Sunday. Their best work in nonconference play was their home win over BYU, but the profile is more filled with victories over teams like NC Central, Presbyterian, Winston-Salem State and USC-Upstate. None of the nonconference losses was bad.

Maryland [20-13 (9-10), RPI: 54, SOS: 23] The Terps are officially back in trouble after dropping games to Virginia Tech (finishing a season sweep) and at Miami (in the teams' only meeting). Their RPI is extremely questionable for an at-large bid, due in part to a number of home and neutral losses in nonconference play. One of those, to VCU, could hurt if the Rams don't win the CAA auto bid. Maryland needs to find three more wins (including the ACC tourney) to have a truly legit claim.

Virginia Tech [18-14 (8-10), RPI: 61, SOS: 24] The Hokies kept rolling Tuesday night, crushing BC at home to get to 8-6 in the league. Now they have a week to get ready for a huge home game against Wake Forest. If they can get to 9-7 (or even 10-6 if they can win at Clemson) and show well in the ACC tourney, they could make a late run to the Dance. The problem is, their nonconference schedule has next to nothing in it, other than losses to very good (and a couple of OK) teams.

Miami (FL) [17-12 (7-10), RPI: 65, SOS: 35] The Canes were huge movers this week, running their winning streak to four after beating Georgia Tech, Duke and Maryland. Suddenly, the Canes' computer profile doesn't seem as out of line with what they have done on the court. Miami had a few credible wins in nonconference play, including victories over Mississippi State and VCU.

Should be in:

Pittsburgh [27-4 (15-4), RPI: 2, SOS: 8] A two-point home loss to Louisville following the drop at Notre Dame puts a lot of pressure on the Panthers on Wednesday night against Cincinnati. Given consideration for its injuries, Pitt probably needs only to get to 9-9 to get in, but given that road trips to Syracuse and West Virginia remain, the Panthers might want to make sure of the two left at home. Getting the win in Morgantown, though, would be doubly sweet as they would sweep their rival and enhance their status against West Virginia for at-large purposes. Their nonconference win over Duke is great. A victory at Washington probably is the next-best thing out of conference.

Work left to do:

Syracuse [25-9 (14-8), RPI: 12, SOS: 7] The Orange got shot down on Sunday by Kyle McAlarney's nine 3s and continue to sit on the edge of the bubble. They probably need to win two of their last three (Pitt, at Seton Hall, Marquette) to feel decent about their chances heading into the Big East tourney, and none will be easy. In nonconference play, their wins over Saint Joseph's at home and at Virginia are the best on an OK slate, and the Cavaliers aren't helping matters by their standing in the ACC. Home losses to UMass and Rhode Island are no disgrace, but certainly don't help, especially with both of those teams heavily in the bubble mix, as well.

Villanova [26-7 (14-6), RPI: 13, SOS: 30] The Wildcats have all week to stew about losing to Marquette at home Monday night ahead of a very important game at Louisville. Back under .500 in league play, the Cats would be well-served by at least handling South Florida and a trip to Provy in their last two to ensure at least a 9-9 mark. If they are close, will there be any weight given to the questionable last-second foul calls against NC State and Georgetown that helped decide those games? Nova's best nonconference win was over George Mason and the Wildcats were routed by bubble and city rival Saint Joseph's earlier in February.

West Virginia [23-11 (12-9), RPI: 21, SOS: 14] The Mountaineers ripped Providence to take a nice step toward a bid. They're currently in sixth place in a league that looks primed to get more bids than that and the RPI and SOS look solid. Now three of their last four are on the road, though, where they have struggled, although games with DePaul and St. John's are there for the taking. Given that the best thing WVU did in nonconference play was probably the two-point loss to Tennessee, the Mountaineers should want to get at least 10 league wins to feel solid about their chances.

Cincinnati [17-14 (8-11), RPI: 84, SOS: 49] The Bearcats' case remains extremely slim, but there are a couple of big wins available down the stretch, and they still could finish 12-6 in the league. Would that be enough with a decent conference tournament run? It's not impossible, even though it is hard to recall the last at-large team that had a five-game nonconference losing streak. Cincinnati also lost to Belmont and Bowling Green.

Seton Hall [16-15 (8-12), RPI: 101, SOS: 66] The Pirates slipped past South Florida on the road to stay in the picture for now. Their last three games all are very winnable, and they probably need to get all three to have a legit chance. As with Syracuse, their best nonconference win was over Virginia, although the Pirates won that one on a neutral court at the Palestra in Philly.

Work left to do:

Ohio State [22-10 (12-9), RPI: 32, SOS: 29] The Buckeyes have a dangerously empty profile despite an above-.500 record in the Big Ten. After falling at Indiana Tuesday night, the Buckeyes are now 1-9 against the RPI Top 50 and probably need to win two of their last three (at Minnesota, Purdue, Michigan State) and get to the Big Ten semis to have any kind of legit at-large claim. Wins over Syracuse at Madison Square Garden and over Florida in Columbus were the nonconference bright spots, but both are losing oomph. OSU also lost to Tennessee, Texas A&M, North Carolina and Butler.

Work left to do:

Oklahoma [27-5 (13-4), RPI: 5, SOS: 25] Stealing the overtime win against Baylor on Tuesday might look huge in three weeks. That finished off a sweep of the bubble-rival Bears and, with the loss that followed at Texas on Saturday, allowed the Sooners to stay at .500 in the league. Their three-game skid in league play earlier this month came when Longar Longar was out, so they should get some consideration there. As far as nonconference play, early losses to Memphis and USC were understandable. The home loss to Stephen F. Austin was less so, even with the excellent season SFA is having. The Sooners did beat Gonzaga and West Virginia on neutral floors for some heft and some good tiebreaking chips if things fall a certain way.

Texas A&M [22-9 (9-8), RPI: 36, SOS: 51] What seemed like a blip (losing to Oklahoma State on Feb. 16 at home) now has become a full-fledged problem, after the Aggies got destroyed at Texas last Monday and lost at home to Nebraska on Saturday. The Aggies have themselves in a bit of a mess. The Wednesday home game against Texas Tech is huge, as are the last three (at Oklahoma, at Baylor, Kansas). It's not certain that their nonconference profile can help them enough to overcome a 7-9 league mark. The Aggies did rout Ohio State early in the season, which could help in a comparison with the equally bubbly Buckeyes. The other wins -- over UTEP, Washington, Alabama and LSU -- were decent but not great. Having blown a big lead and lost at Arizona might prove costly, as well.

Baylor [19-14 (8-12), RPI: 55, SOS: 10] The Bears rebounded from the crushing last-second loss to Oklahoma by taking out Kansas State on Saturday, which is a huge win at this stage. Now back to .500 in the league and with a manageable last four (at Colorado, Mizzou, A&M, at Texas Tech), the Bears are in position to overcome the skid that saw them drop six of seven league games after their five-overtime win at Texas A&M on Jan. 23. Baylor beat Notre Dame and Winthrop on its way to the Paradise Jam title in the Virgin Islands, and it won at South Carolina. The Bears' nonconference losses were by three to Washington State at home and to Arkansas in Dallas.

Kansas State [20-11 (9-8), RPI: 81, SOS: 112] K-State couldn't get it done at home against Texas on Monday night and now is staring down the barrel of an irritated Kansas team this weekend. If the Wildcats can't win in Lawrence, there is an enormous amount of pressure on the last two (Colorado, at Iowa State). Even at 10-6, K-State may need to win a game in the Big 12 tourney to make sure it avoids a fate similar to last season's, when that league mark wasn't good enough. It will depend on the landscape around the Wildcats come Championship Week. Right now, they are being helped by their league standing and not helped by the number of losses they have to teams that probably won't make the NCAAs. Having a win over Kansas never hurts, but a win over Cal is the best thing on a nonconference résumé that includes losses to George Mason, Notre Dame, Oregon and Xavier.

Texas Tech [13-19 (4-14), RPI: 119, SOS: 13] Still a fringe contender, the Red Raiders have at least given themselves a chance with their recent push to get back to .500 in the league and with huge chances down the stretch against A&M, Texas, Kansas and Baylor. Given the already strong SOS that will be supported further by the last four games, would a split of those four give the Red Raiders hope entering the Big 12 tourney? Three of four seems too much to ask, but would clearly put them in the mix.

Should be in:

Arizona [19-13 (9-10), RPI: 62, SOS: 36] While it's hard to believe the No. 1 SOS team would be left out, Wildcats fans have to feel a bit better after the win at Washington State on Saturday. If the Cats finish at .500 in the league, which they have a good shot of doing, they should be fine. Even 8-10 might be good enough, given some of the injury issues, but why risk it? The Cats were swept by Arizona State, but it doesn't look likely that those two teams will be on the same evaluation tier come Selection Sunday. Their best nonconference win was over Texas A&M, which is looking dicier by the day. They also won at UNLV and Houston, which are solid road victories.

Washington State [17-15 (9-11), RPI: 92, SOS: 60] Despite yet another home loss (the latest was on Saturday to Arizona) and a horrid SOS, the Cougars still look to be in pretty solid shape. Weirdly, they are 5-2 on the road in league play and just 4-4 at home. Still, they swept both Oregon and USC, which is a nice comparison boost. Nonconference wins at Baylor and Gonzaga also should be helpful, if needed.

Work left to do:

Arizona State [24-9 (13-8), RPI: 31, SOS: 40] The Sun Devils got a really, really big win at Washington on Saturday. They still very well might need to get three of their last four, given the weakness of their nonconference profile, but it's possible. They host the L.A. schools, then travel to the Oregon schools to wrap up things. That March 6 game at Oregon has all the makings of a huge bubble game. Their rout of Xavier is a very good chip, but it's the only game from their nonconference run that will help.

USC [21-12 (12-9), RPI: 38, SOS: 18] The Trojans took care of business against the Oregon schools this past week at home and now are in very solid shape. With a road trip to the Arizona schools and then home games against the Bay Area duo, two wins in the last four seems very reasonable. That should be more than enough to get the Trojans dancing. They also swept Oregon, which can't hurt for comparisons with the Ducks. In addition, USC beat Oklahoma, Miami (Ohio) and Southern Illinois for its best nonconference wins. The season-opening loss to Mercer at home hurt, and the Trojans just missed on big-name chances against Kansas and Memphis with two four-point losses.

California [22-10 (11-8), RPI: 39, SOS: 43] Cal couldn't handle Stanford on the road Sunday night and the Golden Bears may very well need to win out to have a legit chance. At the very least, they need three out of four to have any hope of an at-large and that won't be easy, especially with a road trip to the L.A. schools remaining. Cal beat Missouri and San Diego State in an uninspired nonconference slate, and its RPI is extremely weak for an at-large candidate.

Oregon [8-23 (2-17), RPI: 180, SOS: 12] There is no way to sugarcoat this: The Ducks probably need to win five straight games to make the NCAAs. That would get them to 9-9 and into the Pac-10 semis (including a first-round game as one of the four lowest seeds). The Ducks now are 1-7 against the top four teams in the league, which isn't a great indicator of upside. Kansas State and Utah were their best nonconference wins, but the Ducks also lost at Saint Mary's, Nebraska and Oakland.

Should be in:

Mississippi State [22-12 (13-7), RPI: 63, SOS: 46] The Bulldogs split their road trip at Ole Miss and South Carolina this past week, and with the help of Arkansas, remain strongly positioned to win the SEC West. Even if they take out only Auburn and LSU at home, that will be 11 SEC wins, which should be plenty to overcome a so-so nonconference performance and get to the NCAAs. For whatever it's worth, Missouri is the only decent nonconference win, and it's up against losses to Clemson, Southern Illinois, Miami (Ohio), Miami and South Alabama.

Work left to do:

Florida [23-10 (10-8), RPI: 53, SOS: 96] Their only game this week was a three-point home squeaker over South Carolina, so the Gators are more or less in the same position as last week. Their last four (at Georgia, Mississippi State, Tennessee, at Kentucky) aren't easy, and that trip to Athens looks like a very critical game. Florida's best nonconference win was over Temple, which tells you all you need to know about that part of its schedule. It still could take 10 SEC wins for this club, so there is work left to do, for sure.

Kentucky [20-13 (9-9), RPI: 79, SOS: 61] Make it eight wins in their past nine games for the Wildcats, who remain on track to get maybe 11 or 12 SEC wins and become a legitimate bubble discussion. If they can handle Ole Miss and Florida at home and a trip to South Carolina, they won't even need to win in Knoxville to get to the dozen mark. Who would have thought this was possible after a bad nonconference slate that included crippling home losses to Gardner-Webb and San Diego? Is there any way the ultimate Billy Gillispie irony happens, in which UK makes it and A&M somehow doesn't?

Mississippi [16-15 (7-10), RPI: 82, SOS: 20] Losing by 20 at last-place LSU on Saturday (even with the Tigers playing better lately) could be the blow that ultimately slays the Rebels. That's seven losses in their past 10 games, and their RPI is slipping badly. They very well might need to win their last four league games to have a chance, and that starts Wednesday at Kentucky. A win over Clemson in Puerto Rico was the out-of-league highlight, but their victory over South Alabama was quality, too.

Arkansas [14-16 (2-15), RPI: 148, SOS: 65] The rout of LSU on Wednesday at home takes a bit of the sting off three straight road losses, the latest on Saturday at Kentucky. But the Razorbacks don't have the most favorable schedule for the stretch run. Wednesday's game at struggling Alabama now is pretty important, with Vandy on tap Saturday. The Hogs' nonconference win over Baylor still looks pretty good. Victories over VCU and Missouri are decent, too. Losses to Providence and Appalachian State (the latter in Little Rock) are less so.

Work left to do:

Dayton [26-7 (12-6), RPI: 27, SOS: 88] Dayton couldn't topple Xavier at home and now the Flyers, like Rhode Island, are in surprisingly bad shape given where they once were. They should get a lot of consideration for Chris Wright's absence, but they can't finish better than .500 now in league play and currently are 12th in the A-10. There's also no guarantee that they will look as formidable as they once did when he returns. Dayton had two outstanding nonconference wins -- at Louisville and versus Pitt -- and several other solid nonleague wins, which should help if Wright can make it back.

Temple [22-11 (14-5), RPI: 30, SOS: 34] The home loss to Fordham on Saturday more or less eliminated the Owls, who now probably need to win their last four to have any reasonable chance. Their nonconference schedule is littered with seven losses, which could be too many to make up, barring a huge push down the stretch and a strong A-10 tournament.

Rhode Island [22-10 (11-6), RPI: 68, SOS: 134] Ouch. The Rams couldn't rally against Saint Joseph's on Sunday and lost all three games on their big homestand. What looked like a very solid bet for a bid just 10 days ago now looks like a team that is in a ton of trouble. A nonconference win over Syracuse is the best the Rams have to offer in that category, and their RPI rapidly decayed with those home losses. You'd think the Rams now need to win their last three in the regular season -- at GW and La Salle and home to Charlotte.

Saint Joseph's [17-15 (10-8), RPI: 105, SOS: 86] The Hawks nabbed a huge road win at Rhode Island on Sunday and now have three straight home games in which to really solidify their position as the A-10's second-best team. The season sweep of UMass could be a huge chip with the Minutemen jousting with the Hawks as the second and third teams in the A-10 pecking order. Saint Joe's also has one of the toughest collections of nonleague losses in the land. Two were in overtime (Gonzaga, at Creighton), and two were close defeats (at Syracuse, Holy Cross). A 10-6 league mark should put them in pretty good shape, even though the RPI is a little lower than you'd like.

Massachusetts [11-18 (7-10), RPI: 151, SOS: 50] The Minutemen easily handled St. Bonaventure to stay on track. That's three wins in a row now for a team that has a very solid mark against the RPI Top 50. UMass' last three (at Richmond, La Salle, at GW) are soft for this league, even though none is a gimme. UMass was swept by Saint Joseph's and lost to Xavier, but beat Dayton and Charlotte in its only meetings with those teams. Like Rhode Island, it beat Syracuse. But unlike the Rams, the Minutemen also beat BC and Houston in nonconference play, so they have more on which to lean.

Should be in:

Gonzaga [25-5 (16-0), RPI: 26, SOS: 93] The Zags took down Portland to stay tied with Saint Mary's as they eye the head-to-head meeting in Spokane this weekend. The Zags and Gaels should finish 1-2 now in some order, which should mean bids for both. The Zags' nonconference wins at Saint Joe's and over UConn are very solid. Gonzaga also beat Western Kentucky, Virginia Tech and Utah, and all five of its nonconference losses came against good or excellent teams.

Brigham Young [24-7 (13-5), RPI: 29, SOS: 62] The Cougars survived at The Pit, beating New Mexico by a point in overtime to retain a one-game lead over UNLV. They are in very good shape to take the Mountain West regular-season crown, which basically is a golden ticket to the NCAAs. Their RPI remains very solid. The Cougars also have a very good nonconference win over Louisville. They also lost to North Carolina and Michigan State in competitive efforts. Their loss at Wake Forest doesn't look nearly as bad now as it did at the time.

Saint Mary's [24-6 (11-5), RPI: 48, SOS: 158] The Gaels got a very important home win over San Diego on Monday night. Now they look safe to finish in the top two, however the showdown at Gonzaga this weekend ends up, and that probably should be enough with what they have already done. That also would clinch a bye into the WCC semis, although that game could be against San Diego again at the Slim Gym, where the Gaels lost earlier this season. Their solid nonconference slate includes victims like Drake, Oregon, Seton Hall, San Diego State and Ohio.

Kent State [18-14 (11-7), RPI: 137, SOS: 161] Thank you. Finally, we found a team that decided to make a positive statement about its at-large candidacy. The Golden Flashes cashed in their BracketBusters chance at Saint Mary's, handing the Gaels their first home loss of the season. That was the kind of high-profile win the Flashes needed out of conference. Wins over Illinois State and George Mason could come in handy, too. Their stretch run isn't easy by MAC standards, and the finale at Akron could be pretty important for the overall profile, but this smells like an at-large team right now and deserves a bump up.

South Alabama [19-13 (13-9), RPI: 145, SOS: 218] The Jags got past Presbyterian in a late-season nonconference meeting to stay on track. Winning at Western Kentucky to sweep the season series last Thursday really bolstered their at-large hopes. If they can take care of business and win out, clinching at least a share of the league crown, a finals appearance in the Sun Belt tourney might be enough, even though they are playing the event at home. South Alabama's three nonconference losses were at Ole Miss by three, at Vandy by three in double overtime and by five to Miami (Ohio) in Anaheim. Its best nonleague win was at home over Mississippi State.

Work left to do:

Creighton [26-7 (15-5), RPI: 40, SOS: 111] The Bluejays' current standing in the Valley, tied for fourth at 9-7, probably isn't enough to get them to at-large land. They have an OK nonconference slate, in which they beat Nebraska and (more importantly, for bubble purposes) Saint Joseph's. They escaped Saturday at Oral Roberts in BracketBusters. Would four wins in a row to end the regular season (88-67 over Missouri State, 65-64 over Oral Roberts, at Illinois State, against Bradley) make things interesting? It's worth keeping half an eye on.

Western Kentucky [23-8 (18-3), RPI: 43, SOS: 117] It's hard to see how the Toppers could get an at-large bid, now that they were swept by South Alabama. Their overall profile is weak and lacks a marquee win. Their best nonconference win was over Nebraska. The Toppers did come close against Gonzaga and Tennessee, but no cigar.

UAB [22-11 (12-6), RPI: 46, SOS: 71] The Blazers got a huge two-point home win over Houston to take the teams' only meeting and pull into a tie for second in the conference with the Cougars. The Blazers' last four aren't easy, starting with a tricky trip to UTEP and ending at Memphis, so there's plenty of work to do, but they still have hope. They beat Cincinnati and Kentucky for their best nonconference wins. It could break that the Blazers will meet Houston in the C-USA semis, which would be a knockout game. They probably need to beat Memphis (once) to have a real chance, though. That would either get them the auto bid or give them the marquee win they lack.

Illinois State [24-9 (13-8), RPI: 47, SOS: 101] The Redbirds beat Wright State in a Sunday BracketBusters game, which was mandatory to keep any at-large hopes alive, but their candidacy depends on how they handle the last two -- vs. Creighton and at Southern Illinois -- in league play. If they can win out and get to 13-5, they will finish second in the Valley by a multiple-game margin, which would look pretty solid to go with a decent RPI. Do that and get to the MVC final and that would be a pretty compelling case at 24-9 overall. Illinois State's best nonconference win was over Cincinnati. It's a shame the Redbirds didn't handle Kent State in early December. That really would have helped.

Virginia Commonwealth [24-9 (17-4), RPI: 50, SOS: 105] The Rams probably are the only at-large hopeful left in the CAA after winning at Akron in BracketBusters. They have two upper-division games left in league play, which will help their RPI some if they can take both. Either way, they look ready to win the league title, which should be worth something. They also beat Houston and Maryland in nonconference play, but a loss to MEAC member Hampton won't help.

George Mason [22-10 (15-6), RPI: 51, SOS: 103] The Patriots almost certainly will need the CAA auto bid after coughing up a 13-point halftime lead and losing at Ohio in BracketBusters. They would need two VCU losses to even have a chance at a piece of the CAA regular-season title. GMU did beat Dayton, Kansas State and South Carolina in nonleague play, so it does have something to work with, but its RPI is very weak for an at-large from any conference.

New Mexico [21-11 (12-5), RPI: 66, SOS: 87] The Lobos suffered a crushing one-point overtime home loss to league leader BYU on Tuesday night which really dampens their at-large hopes. Now the home game against UNLV is a must-win, as catching the Rebels in the standings might be the only way an at-large is reasonable. There is not much in their nonconference profile that will help. You can see that just by looking at the SOS.

UNLV [21-10 (9-8), RPI: 67, SOS: 90] The Rebels are doing what they need to do to stay in the at-large mix, handling San Diego State on Tuesday night to earn their ninth win in 11 games. BYU's one-point win at New Mexico keeps the Rebs a game behind the first-place Cougars, and now UNLV gets a road game against the desperate Lobos. The computer numbers look pretty good, but if UNLV needs a safety net, the Rebels also get the conference tourney on their home court. Their three-point loss to Arizona at home was a big missed opportunity in nonconference play. They also lost to Louisville by 20 and don't have a really good nonconference win.

Davidson [25-7 (19-3), RPI: 69, SOS: 165] The Wildcats got past local rival Winthrop on the road to keep their at-large dream modestly alive. If they end up 20-0 in the SoCon -- and that's no lock, with games remaining against App State and at Georgia Southern -- then lose in the league final, they should be a very hotly debated team on Selection Sunday. Would they be one of the 34 "best" teams available? Probably. Would they have one of the 34 best profiles? Probably not. The Wildcats showed in close early losses to North Carolina, Duke, NC State and UCLA how good they are, but can a SoCon team really overcome a 2-6 record in D-I nonconference games?

Stephen F. Austin [20-7 (16-3), RPI: 74, SOS: 231] The Jacks are back for a look with their spiffy new top-50 RPI. That said, there are several issues: They have four non-DI wins as part of their profile, and they are not even in first place in the Southland. They beat Lamar in the teams' only meeting, but the Cardinals, at 11-1, still are a game ahead. Their last four league games are against teams that are .500 or worse in league play, so SFA could be 24-4 in D-I games should it lose in the Southland final. Would that be enough? Probably not, but a win at Oklahoma showed that this team is pretty decent.

Houston [21-11 (12-7), RPI: 86, SOS: 152] A tough two-point loss at UAB was a missed chance for the Cougars to create some separation and close in on a second-place finish. Those two teams now look to be on their way to a C-USA semifinal showdown that would be an elimination game. After two competitive losses to Memphis, what would the committee do with a Houston team that might not have an RPI top 50 win and could be 26-7 if it loses to Memphis again in the C-USA final? Its nonconference losses were to VCU, UMass and Arizona, so there's no shame in any of those. Houston could be one of the biggest debates come Selection Sunday.

Oral Roberts [15-15 (14-5), RPI: 143, SOS: 150] The home last-second BracketBusters loss to Creighton probably ended this debate. The Golden Eagles still don't have a top-50 win and they're not unbeaten in league play, either. They'd have a very gaudy record if they run the table from here and lose to, say, IUPUI, in a tough final, but there are other teams like Houston and UAB with similar profiles from a better conference. ORU beat Oklahoma State, but whiffed on every big chance in nonconference play (losses to Texas A&M, Arkansas and Texas).

Southern Illinois [12-18 (8-11), RPI: 146, SOS: 67] The Salukis caught a big break Tuesday with Daniel Ruffin's suspension and cashed in the road game at Bradley to stay on course. Now winners of five straight, if the Salukis can beat Illinois State at home in their regular-season finale, they would catch the Redbirds in the standings, which could be very important. In nonconference play, they beat Miss. State, Saint Mary's and Western Kentucky, so there is some good stuff in their profile, which also includes losses to USC, Indiana, Charlotte, Saint Louis, Western Michigan and Butler. How big does A.J. Graves' 30-foot buzzer-beater look now?

Ohio [15-17 (8-10), RPI: 184, SOS: 166] The Bobcats would have to win out until the MAC final, which would include a win over Akron which would at least get them a tie for second in the MAC East. It's a very unlikely at-large candidacy, but the RPI warrants a quick peek. They did beat Maryland in nonconference play.