NCAA rankings - Feb 28

Only one week left in the regular season... some conference tournaments starting already tomorrow... and the tournament selection show is already all set up in my DVR. March is here!!!

1. Pittsburgh (1) - I remain unwavering in my commitment to Pitt, and an overtime loss in Lville isn't going to change that too much, if anything help it.
2. Ohio St (2) - Still two very valid losses, but other than the win against Purdue and at Florida, there still isn't a whole lot else there. Chance to beat Wisconsin this week and nail down a 1 seed even if they lose in the B10 tourney.
3. Kansas (3) - Like OSU, not a ton on the resume still but just continuing to roll in a strong conference.
4. BYU (5) - This is looking like a pretty strong top 4 right now to me, and it's looking more and more realistic that BYU could be a likely 1 seed out West where you have to think they'd be hard to beat. Every bit of a 1 seed that Memphis was a few years ago.
5. Notre Dame (9) - Never too excited to rank the Irish this high. No bad losses but only one even sort of good road win (though the best - at Pitt) makes me pretty leery of this team.

6. Syracuse (15) - I've come full circle on this squad apparently. What I really like is the fact that home-away doesnt seem to matter a whole lot. You dont want to lose at home, but I get excited about four road victories at St Johns, UConn, Nova, and Gtown for sure.
7. Purdue (13) - Another team I've really come around on. Purdue is winning and winning big. Only one questionable loss and a lot of good really solid wins, though not much on the road.
8. St. John's (10) - There are 8 losses including those two awful ones early on. But there are also an astonishing 9 wins against teams solidly in my top 22, including three on the road which is the usual knock on this team. No one wants to play them right now, and the bad early losses could keep the seed down and sleeper status alive. Unless of course they use that great home court advantage and win the Big East tourney...
9. Duke (7) - Come to think of it, the resume isn't much different from my #2 or #3 team, they just don't pass the eye test as well. They're not winning big and they haven't beat a top 20 team yet. Show me what you can do at UNC Saturday and you'll have my respect. Very shoddy 1 seed candidacy unless they beat UNC two more times and look convincing.
10. Texas (5) - I smelled the dropoff coming. You can smell the Rick Barnes stinkbomb coming a mile away. Still the best road win in the country but you really have to worry about a team that talented losing to three very mediocre teams like USC, Nebraska, and Colorado.

11. Wisconsin (14) - They were ridiculous for a half against Ohio St. Let's see if they can take the show on the road this week.
12. Lousiville (17) - Really this team isn't a whole lot different from Notre Dame, until you factor in the losses to Providence and Drexel. I'm starting to see the talent there but I still worry when a team is THAT much better at home.
13. UConn (12) - Big win in Cincy especially without Kemba starring, but I still don't see a lot else there.
14. San Diego St (6) - I'm really not on board with this squad as a star contender. They should be something like a 4 or 5 seed I think. But they still have a chance to add a 3rd victory over UNLV basically on the road plus finally a win against BYU.
15. Georgetown (11) - The injury to Chris Wright is an absolute killer. The news about his injury and how long it may take mean everything to the Hoyas.

16. Cincinnati (19) - Still not sure how the Bearcats are a bubble team. They've only lost to top 20 teams, and they have three wins over top 20 squads too. Great chance to sweep Gtown this week.
17. West Virginia (20) - Still not in love with the questionable early losses to teams like Miami and Marshall, but there are five really good wins against top 25 teams as well including a pair of Notre Dame and Purdue.
18. Villanova (16) - Another Big East team that has a lot of big home wins, but a lot of home losses too. Underwhelming resume but always a good tourney team with all those guards.
19. UCLA (25) - The Bruins get my top Pac 10 spot this week after just destroying Arizona. They add that to wins over BYU and St. John's... but also confusing losses to VCU, USC, Cal, and inexplicably to Montana. Does the Pac 10 just totally suck this year?

20. Florida (18)
21. Kentucky (23) - Still not sure what to do with the SEC either. Obviously.
22. Marquette (21) - Still losing a bunch of good losable games, and they finally finished off that marquee victory at UConn this week and make it look like a real 11 Big East teams in the tourney this year.
23. Arizona (8) - Wow. What an absolutely awfully terribly disappointing week. I was ready to pick this team as a sleeper Final Four squad too. Yikes.
24. Vanderbilt (24) - Blah.
25. UNC (22) - I like this team a lot more than 25th best, but the resume doesn't show it yet. Definite Final Four potential there if they play up to it. Let's see them do it against Duke this week first.

Weird, no one dropped out of my top 25 this week. Very odd. I think Kansas St was my closest addition, which is also very odd. Big games this week...

M - KSt @ 10 Tex, 18 Nova @ 5 ND
T - 24 Van @ 21 UK
W - 12 UConn @ 17 WVa, 25 UNC @ FSU, 16 Cin @ 22 Marq
R - 19 UCLA @ Wash
S - 9 Duke @ 25 UNC, 2 KU @ Mizz, 10 Tex @ Bay, 19 Nova @ 1 Pitt, 5 ND @ 12 UConn, 15 Gtown @ 16 Cin, 20 Fla @ 24 Van, 11 Lville @ 17 WVa
S - 11 Wisc @ 3 OhSt, 21 UK @ Tenn

We also have our first bids ready to go out this week. I like Coastal Carolina in a big way out of the Big South. I think it will come down to an exciting one game playoff between Harvard and Princeton in the Ivy. And I'm excited for the Horizon tourney. I'll go with Butler over Milwaukee in the final.