Today we’ll get an honest assessment from the selection committee as to whether they feel the road-rage RPI really is better than the old version. If most of the bracketologists are correct, at least one of [Missouri State, Hofstra, George Mason] will not get a bid. All three are in the RPI top 30 and their omission would represent the first time in at least a while, and possibly since the RPI was first used in 1981, that a team ranked that high got snubbed. So that would speak volumes about the committee’s opinion of the current formula. Fans of those teams should not despair, however. Tony Mejia of CBS Sportsline, one of the few to nail the entire field last season, has the CAA getting three bids and the MVC getting five.

There is a hidden story here about the trouble the NCAA has had in getting correct data into the RPI. It’s very possible that the rankings you see on my page are different from what the NCAA is looking at. Every week since the NCAA began publishing the RPI, they have had an error in their games database. And seeing how it takes them at least 24 hours to post the RPI, I doubt they are looking at accurate information today. 

The committee has probably already made the decision on who gets the #1 seeds, and it’s a close call between Memphis and Ohio State for the last one. As many people have pointed out, it matters little which one gets the top seed, as both will probably be placed in the same bracket. However, it’s not an irrelevant distinction as the 2-seed more than likely will get a tougher opponent in the sweet sixteen than the 1-seed. The strong finish by UAB – they’ve only had one non-Memphis loss since the middle of December – really helps the Tigers’ case for a 1.

Speaking of the Buckeyes, how about the slump Je’Kel Foster is going through? He’s made just one of his last 25 three point attempts and 7 of his last 52, yet still carries a respectable 41.4% accuracy on three pointers for the season. Ohio State may well be seeded as the toughest 2-seed, but without a productive Foster, they’ll be the first to lose.

Thursday

                           FG    3pt  FT   Reb
                      Min  M-A   M-A  M-A  O-T  A F  S TO BLK Pts
Leon Powe              31  5-11  0-0 12-17 5-20 0 3  0  0  0   22
Result: Win. Cal 82, USC 67.    

           

Friday

                           FG    3pt  FT   Reb
                      Min  M-A   M-A  M-A  O-T  A F  S TO BLK Pts
Justin Williams        37  4-5   0-0  2-6  3-15 1 3  1  2 12   10
Result: Win. Wyoming 60, Utah 47.  

         

Saturday

                           FG    3pt  FT   Reb
                      Min  M-A   M-A  M-A  O-T  A F  S TO BLK Pts
Christian Maraker      40  9-11  3-5  2-4  1-11 3 1  2  3  2   23
Result: Win. Pacific 78, Long Beach State 70.