Northwestern's Tournament Resume (as of 3/3/17)

[ColumbusCatFan1]

With only a few games left, I'll do separate threads after every match until selection Sunday arrives.

W/L: 21*-9 (10-7)
RPI: 46 (Non Con: 38)
SOS: 64 (Non Con: 137)
Vs Top 25: 1-5
Vs Top 50: 4-6
Vs Top 100: 10-9
Last 10: 5-5

Best Win: Dayton (#21)
Bad Losses (100+): None

*School Record

CHANGES SINCE 2/27:

Wednesday's win over Michigan was the 'Cats fourth win over a tournament quality opponent and should keep NU's RPI in the 50s barring a March 8th meltdown in DC.

Elsewhere in conference play, Wisconsin continues to crash and burn. With a RPI of 43, it's hard to imagine the Badgers finding a path back into the top 25. In fact, it's important for Gard and Co. to beat Minnesota this weekend as Wisconsin is slowly becoming at risk of dropping outside the top 50. Fortunately, there is a silver lining. Iowa's win at the Kohl Center bolted them up to #73 and as a result improves the 'Cats top 100 record to an impressive 10-9. Don't forget to cheer for Penn State and Indiana this weekend. Both squads could potentially fall out of the top 100 with the Hoosiers becoming NU's first "bad loss" if such an event were to occur.

Outside of the BIG, Wake Forest's victory over Louisville was huge. The Demon Deacons (#39) are now comfortably inside the top 50. Pull for them and Dayton the rest of the way.

 

[Fitz51]

For all those wondering what our rooting interests should be every day, here you go, as Jerry Palm's system tracks the RPI effect of games for any team in the country.

 

[Alaskawildkat]

With only a few games left, I'll do separate threads after every match until selection Sunday arrives.

Elsewhere in conference play, Wisconsin continues to crash and burn. With a RPI of 43, it's hard to imagine the Badgers finding a path back into the top 25. In fact, it's important for Gard and Co. to beat Minnesota this weekend as Wisconsin is slowly becoming at risk of dropping outside the top 50

Outside of the BIG, Wake Forest's victory over Louisville was huge. The Demon Deacons (#39) are now comfortably inside the top 50. Pull for them and Dayton the rest of the way.

On the other hand Minnesota beating Wisconsin well give NU a double bye in the BTT, assuming the Cats beat Purdue Sunday. Sort of a win-win situation either way. However, if we lose to Purdue I assume we want Wisconsin to win as we would not have the double bye in the BTT anyway. Am I missing anything?

 

[TheC]

Is there any chance we still not might make it? I mean.. an RPI of 46 seems like we'd be on the edge still. If we lose to Purdue and say... get upset by Rutgers in the BTT... could that doom us?

(Tell me "no". Please tell me "no".)

 

[Alaskawildkat]

Is there any chance we still not might make it? I mean.. an RPI of 46 seems like we'd be on the edge still. If we lose to Purdue and say... get upset by Rutgers in the BTT... could that doom us?

(Tell me "no". Please tell me "no".)

Stop being so Northwestern!

OK, "No."

 

[ColumbusCatFan1]

Is there any chance we still not might make it? I mean.. an RPI of 46 seems like we'd be on the edge still. If we lose to Purdue and say... get upset by Rutgers in the BTT... could that doom us?

(Tell me "no". Please tell me "no".)

Heh, yeah that scenario seems like the only way the 'Cats could miss the tournament. Even if that were to happen (remember there's no guarantee NU would even face Rutgers in DC), you would need a ton of other things break the wrong way. Including:

1) Dayton falling out of the top 25.
2) Michigan, Wake Forest, Wisconsin falling out of the top 50.
3) Indiana falling out of the top 100 (creating NU's second bad loss - the Rutgers hypothetical being the first).
4) Some bubble/fringe teams from high major conferences winning their respective conference tournaments (bid thieves) and a few bubble squads notching top 25/50 victories while advancing a few rounds.
5) Nearly all the mid/low major squads capable of landing "at large" berths losing in their respective conference tournaments (thus creating more bid thieves).

Basically, the 'Cats are in barring an unprecedented level of chaos from now until selection Sunday. What a beautifully weak bubble we currently have!

 

[thewildcat2011]

According to ESPN Bubble Watch, Northwestern is a lock.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/bubblewatch/_/id/201

 

[NJCat]

According to ESPN Bubble Watch, Northwestern is a lock.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/bubblewatch/_/id/201

Fake news.

 

[SmellyCat]

I'm confident, but I still need March 12 to know for sure. Nine more days!

 

[WildcatfanChris17]

Is there any chance we still not might make it? I mean.. an RPI of 46 seems like we'd be on the edge still. If we lose to Purdue and say... get upset by Rutgers in the BTT... could that doom us?

(Tell me "no". Please tell me "no".)

No

 

[NJCat]

With only a few games left, I'll do separate threads after every match until selection Sunday arrives.

W/L: 21*-9 (10-7)
RPI: 46 (Non Con: 38)
SOS: 64 (Non Con: 137)
Vs Top 25: 1-5
Vs Top 50: 4-6
Vs Top 100: 10-9
Last 10: 5-5

Best Win: Dayton (#21)
Bad Losses (100+): None

*School Record

CHANGES SINCE 2/27:

Wednesday's win over Michigan was the 'Cats fourth win over a tournament quality opponent and should keep NU's RPI in the 50s barring a March 8th meltdown in DC.

Elsewhere in conference play, Wisconsin continues to crash and burn. With a RPI of 43, it's hard to imagine the Badgers finding a path back into the top 25. In fact, it's important for Gard and Co. to beat Minnesota this weekend as Wisconsin is slowly becoming at risk of dropping outside the top 50. Fortunately, there is a silver lining. Iowa's win at the Kohl Center bolted them up to #73 and as a result improves the 'Cats top 100 record to an impressive 10-9. Don't forget to cheer for Penn State and Indiana this weekend. Both squads could potentially fall out of the top 100 with the Hoosiers becoming NU's first "bad loss" if such an event were to occur.

Outside of the BIG, Wake Forest's victory over Louisville was huge. The Demon Deacons (#39) are now comfortably inside the top 50. Pull for them and Dayton the rest of the way.

ESPN shows NU as a Lock.....

"Northwestern is a lock. Northwestern is a lock. Northwestern is a -- what's that? Oh, sorry. We were just, you know, breaking it in. Complex as the English language can be, it's not often you get to use four words that have never once been written in sequence before. It's daunting, right? We just wanted to make sure we had them all lined up and ready to go: Northwestern is a lock. The Wildcats are not going to be a high seed, and they're not going to win the national title; they're nothing more than a solid, average power conference college basketball team. Yet because they've never managed to clear that modest threshold before, the fact that they are certain to go to the NCAA tournament, even at this late date, carries a significance no Bubble Watch lock has ever carried before. History has its eyes on the Watch. One more time: Northwestern is a lock."

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/bubblewatch

 

[ColumbusCatFan1]

ESPN shows NU as a Lock.....

Like I said in my subsequent post ("barring unprecedented chaos from now until Sunday"), NU is in.

There's certainly enough lead way for Lunardi to declare the 'Cats a lock.