So how’s your team doing?
If you’re a Syracuse fan, a lot better. But before the Orange’s Feb. 18 game against visiting Louisville – the start of a two-game, and possibly NCAA Tournament-saving, win streak – this is what Jim Boeheim, then the coach of a floundering Syracuse team that had lost six of eight, said when I asked how the Orange could right the ship.
“We have to play better defense,” Boeheim said. “Our field-goal percentage defense is the worst it’s been since I’ve been here. That’s probably the biggest concern. We could be a little bit better on the offensive end, but we’ve got to play better on the defensive end the rest of the way. There’s still a lot of time. A lot can happen.”
For a 2 1/2-week span in February, when the losses piled up like calories in a Big Mac, the Orange looked like a team about to have its NCAA Tournament bubble burst.
But then the Orange started playing better defense, and with it came big wins. Syracuse (19-8, 7-6 Big East) now is in a much better position to make the NCAA Tournament field. But its performance in its last three games before the Big East Tournament – Saturday at Georgetown, March 2 at DePaul and March 5 vs. Villanova – will have a lot to say about the Orange’s destination.
But the Orange isn’t even close to the only team scrambling for victories. Who needs them most? A primer for who to keep an eye on the remainder of the season.
Colorado (17-7, 7-6 Big 12): The Buffs pretty much undid a victory at home over Oklahoma with losses at Kansas State and Nebraska. And what could be worse than being blown out in Lincoln with an NCAA selection committee member watching?
The RPI rating of the Big 12 won’t be a big help to the Buffs. That means they need wins, and they need them now. Bad signs: In the final 10 games – a factor when the selection committee judges a team – CU is 3-4 so far, and its strength of schedule ranks 112th. CU might be the only Big 12 team left with a real shot at the NCAA Tournament besides Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma. But it’s beginning to look like a three-bid conference.
Air Force (22-5, 10-4 Mountain West): The Falcons’ record is flashy. But their wins aren’t, and that is keeping the Falcons on the bubble. Two of the AFA wins have come against non-Division I teams, and the Falcons’ strength of schedule ranks 172nd. The Falcons are kicking themselves over a close loss at Washington. And their win over Georgia Tech isn’t helping much because of the Yellow Jackets’ collapse. Still, the Falcons are heating up at the right time. They have a four-game win streak, all in the MWC, and stand 5-2 against the RPI top 100.
Arizona (16-10, 9-6 Pacific 10): No team will extol the virtues of the RPI more than the Wildcats. And they need to because their RPI is good. Really good. It’s 17, and about the only thing keeping Arizona afloat. Wins in the last three games – Arizona State, Washington State and Washington – before the Pac-10 Tournament would do wonders.
Arkansas (18-8, 7-6 SEC): We’ll know a great deal more about the Hogs come Saturday, when they play at 10th-ranked Tennessee. But with home wins over Florida and Alabama in their last two games, the Hogs have played their way into the conversation. Not helping is a soft RPI (56) and strength- of-schedule ranking (97). Helping the Hogs are four wins in their past six games.
Michigan (18-7, 8-6 Big Ten): The Wolverines’ win over Illinois on Tuesday will go a long way. Their RPI (31) is good. So is their strength-of-schedule ranking (44). The Wolverines are on the right side of the bubble. If they beat Ohio State and Indiana before the Big Ten Tournament, they’re a lock.
Indiana (14-10, 6-7 Big Ten): Only four straight wins before the Big Ten Tournament can help the Hoosiers. On their side is a solid strength-of-schedule ranking (20). But their RPI (44) is bubbly. Sunday at home against Michigan State would be a great game for the Hoosiers to make a statement.
Seton Hall (16-9, 7-6 Big East): Losing at St. John’s on Tuesday really hurt. But there’s time to get two quick wins (Saturday at De- Paul, Feb. 28 vs. Cincinnati) before trying for a statement win against Pittsburgh on the road. Strength-of-schedule ranking (38) is good. RPI is 43. Wins at North Carolina State, at Syracuse and home against West Virginia put gloss on the Pirates’ résumé.
Virginia (14-10, 7-6 ACC): The Cavaliers just won’t fade away. But they probably need to run the table against Clemson, North Carolina and Maryland to put themselves in strong consideration. Virginia has a good strength-of-schedule ranking (41) going for it. But the RPI (71) is damaging.
Footnotes
Count the benching of star guard Rajon Rondo by Kentucky’s Tubby Smith among the gutsiest moves any coach has made this season. It didn’t sit well with Rondo, a preseason all-SEC selection, but it worked in wins over Georgia, South Carolina and Mississippi. Rondo’s benching came as a result of a new grading system in which Rondo’s low marks warranted the move. The system also sent starters Randolph Morris and Joe Crawford to the bench. … Northern Colorado guard Sean Taibi broke his school’s season record for 3-pointers made this week. The record was 75. Taibi has 81. The sophomore from Pueblo East is arguably one of the top five college shooters in the state, and will get more recognition as UNC moves further into full-fledged Division I status. … It took a 72-58 loss to Virginia for anyone to notice Boston College quietly had won 10 of 11 to eclipse the 20-win mark for the season. … North Carolina State will be hard to eliminate in the 65-team NCAA Tournament, but you have to wonder how long the Wolfpack can survive taking 26 of its 51 shots from 3-point range, as the team did Saturday during a win against Virginia Tech.
Staff writer Chris Dempsey can be reached at 303-820-5455 or cdempsey@denverpost.com.
