Big Ten

- Ohio State, Purdue, and Wisconsin are all in with ease.  I find it interesting that all three are undefeated at home right now. 
- I feel like Michigan State (44 RPI) deserves the benefit of the doubt when it comes to their tourney chances, considering their non-conference schedule (UConn, Washington, Duke, Syracuse, & Texas).  Granted, they didn't win many of those games (they only beat Washington).  I'd feel even better about this team if Durrell Summers would show some signs of life (yet to reach double digits in points this month).  Remaining schedule: at Minn, vs Purdue, vs Iowa, and at Michigan.
- Illinois (40 RPI) has been predictably unpredictable this season.  They have wins over UNC, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan State, but also have a loss to Illinois-Chicago on their resume.  I put much of this on senior guard Demetri McCamey who is a senior, but often plays like a freshman. 
- Minnesota (41 RPI) is clearly a different team without Al Nolen.  Since his foot injury the Gophers have lost five of six with their lone win coming at Iowa.  They should be in with wins over Purdue, UNC, and West Virginia, but they need to find some confidence before the conference tourney starts.  Remaining schedule: vs MSU, vs Michigan, at Northwestern, and vs Penn State. 
- I think Michigan's (57 RPI) has a good shot to make the tourney.  Their only top 50 RPI wins are Harvard at home and at Michigan State, but they have only one bad loss and that's to Indiana.  Remaining schedule: vs Wisc, at Minn, and vs. MSU.
- Penn State (60 RPI) has a much better win (Wisconsin) on their resume than does Michigan, but they also have a much, much worse loss (Maine at home).  I don't like them or Northwestern (sorry Jeff) to make the tourney. 

Big East

- Pitt, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Louisville, St. John's, Syracuse, Villanova, UConn and West Virginia are all in.
- Cincinnati (38 RPI) doesn't have anything remotely close to a bad loss this season.  However, their non-conference schedule was pretty soft… they beat Dayton and Xavier on their way to a 15-0 start.  Their win over Providence in overtime on Saturday was crucial to their chances of getting in.  I feel for Mick Cronin, who might be coaching for his job, and am impressed with how he's handled the Yancy Gates situation.  This feels like a different team than the on that had Lance Stephenson on it a season ago.  Remaining schedule: at Georgetown, vs UConn, at Marquette, and vs Georgetown. 
- I feel like Marquette (68 RPI) is out right now because they haven't beaten a single team worth a (you know what) on the road this season.  They're 7-7 in conference and finish at UConn, vs Providence, vs Cincinnati, and at Seton Hall.  If they can win those those last three game and go 10-8, they put themselves in a spot where one more win in the Big East tourney may be enough to put them over the top.  However if they lose three of those games, they're almost certainly out.

Big 12

- Texas, Kansas, Missouri, and Texas A&M are in, but after that it's anyone's guess.
- Kansas State (31 RPI) has only one win over a top 50 RPI team, Kansas.  Their best road win is Washington State, which doesn't say much.  They beat Gonzaga in a game that was "neutral" in name only as the game was played in Kansas City, Missouri.  I sort of feel like their success is tied to that of Colorado, whom they have two losses to.  The better Colorado does, the more those loses don't look so bad.  If they can win two of their last four games, they should be fine.  Remaining schedule: at Nebraska, vs Missouri, at Texas, and vs Iowa State. 
- Nebraska (64 RPI) got a huge win over Texas on Saturday, but they can't let up now.  I can potentially see them winning out and going 10-6 in conference, but it's not going to be easy.  They play vs Kansas State, at Iowa State, vs Missouri, and at Colorado.  Their resume has close losses to Texas Tech and Davidson, but I feel like once you start adding in close losses, you need to start subtracting close wins as well.
- Colorado (93 RPI) is an interesting case to me in that they have some of the best wins for a team with an RPI as low as theirs.  They have four wins over teams in top 50 RPI, two of which are Kansas State.  They finish at Texas Tech, vs Texas, at Iowa State, and vs Nebraska.  A win at home against Texas would seriously boost their odds of making it and put them in position to perhaps be fighting with Nebraska for one last conference bid. 

ACC

- Duke and North Carolina are in and I can't wait for the rematch in Chapel Hill.
- Florida State (49 RPI) has a fantastic win over Duke, but a disgusting loss at Auburn on their resume.  The loss of Chris Singleton is a big one for this team and could ultimately be their undoing.  They finish at Maryland, vs Miami, at UNC, and at NC State.
- Boston College's (45 RPI) best win of the season is Texas A&M on a neutral site.  Their remaining schedule is vs Miami, at Virginia, at Virginia Tech, and vs Wake Forest.  If they win three of those four, they should be in.
- Virginia Tech (67 RPI) finally scheduled some out of conference opponents this season for a change.  They lost most of those high profile games, but they did come away with wins over Penn State and Oklahoma State.  But with yet another loss to Virginia on Saturday, I feel they're out as of now.  Remaining schedule: at Wake, vs Duke, vs BC, and at Clemson.  I'm rooting for Seth Greenberg's team to make it…
- If you're into close losses, check out Clemson (65 RPI).

SEC

- Florida, Kentucky, and Vandy are in and locks to be in.
- With wins over Pitt, Vandy, Villanova, Memphis, Georgia, Missouri State, and VCU, I feel like Tennessee (36 RPI) has to be in.  Thats just too many good wins for them to be left out. 
- Georgia (39 RPI) doesn't have any losses to teams outside the RPI top 50 and they beat Tennessee on the road.  They finish at Florida, vs South Carolina, vs LSU, and at Alabama.  As long as they don't lost those two home games, they should be in without a doubt to me.
- With wins over Kentucky and Tennessee, Alabama's resume is thin (72 RPI).  They have bad losses too, such as at Arkansas, vs St. Peter's, at Providence, and vs Iowa.  They finish vs Auburn, at Ole Miss, at Florida, vs Georgia.  If they win those first two games, the last two set up a scenario in which they could play themselves into the tournament.  I love their defense and will be pulling for them. 

Pac 10

- Arizona, UCLA, and Washington are in and that's about all the bids they'll get most likely. 
- USC (87 RPI), a team that beat Texas back in December, could spice things up with games against Arizona and Washington still left on the schedule.  I don't expect it to happen, but it could.  I'm certainly rooting for Kevin O'Neill and the Trojans, especially after last season.

Some thoughts from Bracketbuster weekend…

- St. Mary's is reeling right now after their loss to Utah State.  The loss itself isn't that bad, but when you combine it with their loss to San Diego, they're no longer the lock to make the tourney that they once were.
- The Colonial had a great weekend as George Mason beat Northern Iowa, Old Dominion beat Cleveland State, and VCU beat Wichita State.  I wouldn't be surprised to see all three make the tourney.
- The Missouri Valley had a terrible weekend as Wichita State, Missouri State, and Northern Iowa all lost.  It looks like the conference will get only one bid now. 
- UNLV should be solidly in the tourney after a win over Colorado State.
- Duquesne's loss to Dayton most likely means that to now get to the tourney, they'll have to do serious damage in the A-10 conference tourney. 
- Rice's win over Memphis this weekend was a welcomed surprise.  In case you were wondering, I'm a Rice alum and Memphis' chances of the tourney are now officially dead.