Southwest Region Team Profiles: 02/08/2011

1. Texas Longhorns (Big 12 auto)
Record: 20-3 overall; 8-0 conference; 8-2 vs. RPI Top 50; 0-1 vs. RPI 51-100; 10-0 vs. RPI 150+; 7-2 Road/Neutral
Average RPI win: 132 Loss: 34
RPI: 7
SOS: 18
Last Week: def. Texas Tech 76-60
This Week: at Oklahoma (Wed.), Baylor (Sat.)
The Longhorns continue to roll, handling Texas Tech in their only game last week. This week, Texas visits an improving Oklahoma team and hosts Baylor, a squad that's in need of another big win to boost their profile.

16. Hampton Pirates (MEAC auto)
Record: 17-5 overall; 8-2 conference; 1-0 vs. RPI Top 50; 0-0 vs. RPI 51-100; 15-3 vs. RPI 150+; 8-4 Road/Neutral
Average RPI win: 217 Loss: 214
RPI: 134
SOS: 332
Last Week: def. South Carolina State 64-53
This Week: at Norfolk State (Sat.), at North Carolina A&T (Mon.)
The Pirates jumped back into a first-place tie when Bethune-Cookman lost to Coppin State in OT on Saturday. Hampton owns the MEAC's auto bid for this week, thanks to a better overall record.

8. St. Mary's Gaels (West Coast auto)
Last Week: 10
Record: 18-4 overall; 8-1 conference; 1-3 vs. RPI Top 50; 1-1 vs. RPI 51-100; 12-0 vs. RPI 150+; 7-4 Road/Neutral
Average RPI win: 176 Loss: 26
RPI: 35
SOS: 129
Last Week: def. Pepperdine 79-71, def. Loyola Marymount 79-70
This Week: at Santa Clara (Thu.), at San Francisco (Sat.)
The Gaels picked up two more WCC wins at home, but will have their work cut out for them this week, when they visit their Bay Area rivalws.

9. Cincinnati Bearcats (Big East at-large)
Record: 18-5 overall; 5-5 conference; 2-5 vs. RPI Top 50; 4-0 vs. RPI 51-100; 9-0 vs. RPI 150+; 4-4 Road/Neutral
Average RPI win: 176 Loss: 12
RPI: 37
SOS: 93
Last Week: lost at Pittsburgh 71-59
This Week: at DePaul (Tue.), St. John's (Sun.)
Yancey Gates was suspended indefinitely by Coach Mick Cronin before Saturday's loss at Pitt, not that his presence probably would have helped. This week's slate could be highly meaningful to the Bearcats' chances, as DePaul is due for a Big East win and Sunday's game with St. John's has significant bubble implications.

5. Kentucky Wildcats (SEC at-large)
Last Week: 3
Record: 16-6 overall; 4-4 conference; 4-4 vs. RPI Top 50; 1-2 vs. RPI 51-100; 8-0 vs. RPI 150+; 6-6 Road/Neutral
Average RPI win: 135 Loss: 38
RPI: 12
SOS: 10
Last Week: lost at Mississippi 71-69, lost at Florida 70-68
This Week: Tennessee (Tue.), at Vanderbilt (Sat.)
The Wildcats continue to look like a completely different team on the road, as they dropped a pair of close ones in Oxford and Gainesville this week. They'll return home for a big game against Tennessee (in Bruce Pearl's return) and then hit the road again, to visit a tough Vandy team at Memorial Gym.

12A. Baylor Bears (Big 12 at-large)
New Entrant
Record: 15-7 overall; 5-4 conference; 2-2 vs. RPI Top 50; 1-3 vs. RPI 51-100; 10-0 vs. RPI 150+; 3-6 Road/Neutral
Average RPI win: 182 Loss: 71
RPI: 76
SOS: 80
Last Week: lost at Oklahoma 73-66, won at Texas A&M 76-74 (OT)
This Week: Nebraska (Wed.), at Texas (Sat.)
The Bears followed up a bad loss at Oklahoma, delayed to Wednesday afternoon because of the Storm of the Century of the Week, picked up a huge road win at Texas A&M. Thanks to some unconvincing non-conference results, the Bears still find themselves out and with a lot to do in the Big 12. They can really bolster their case by sweeping this week' pair of games, which includes a game in Austin.

12B. Old Dominion Monarchs (CAA at-large)
Last Week: 11
Record: 18-6 overall; 9-4 conference; 2-3 vs. RPI Top 50; 5-2 vs. RPI 51-100; 8-0 vs. RPI 150+; 7-4 Road/Neutral
Average RPI win: 149 Loss: 50
RPI: 29
SOS: 56
Last Week: def. Delaware 67-58, lost at George Mason 62-45
This Week: at William & Mary (Wed.), at VCU (Sat.)
The pressure is on the Monarchs, who currently sit in a tie for third in the CAA behind co-leaders VCU and George Mason. If ODU wants to earn an at-large bid, it can't fall behind Hofstra, who joins them in third. A road trip to Richmond on Saturday is an opportunity Old Dominion has to take advantage of.

4. Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten at-large)
Last Week: 5
Record: 17-5 overall; 7-3 conference; 5-4 vs. RPI Top 50; 3-1 vs. RPI 51-100; 6-0 vs. RPI 150+; 4-5 Road/Neutral
Average RPI win: 141 Loss: 35
RPI: 20
SOS: 44
Last Week: def. Purdue 66-59, def. Michigan State 82-56
This Week: at Iowa (Wed.), Ohio State (Sat.)
The Badgers picked up two big home wins last week, and they'll look for another on Saturday, when they welcome Ohio State to the Kohl Center. But first, Wisconsin can't afford to overlook Iowa.

13. Belmont Bruins (Atlantic Sun auto)
Record: 22-4 overall; 14-1 conference; 0-3 vs. RPI Top 50; 1-0 vs. RPI 51-100; 17-0 vs. RPI 150+; 10-4 Road/Neutral
Average RPI win: 223 Loss: 46
RPI: 66
SOS: 255
Last Week: won at Jacksonville 76-70, won at North Florida 69-67
This Week: at Campbell (Sat.)
The Bruins had to fight to sweep the Jacksonville schools, particularly North Florida, who led by double-digits in the second half on Saturday. Belmont only plays once this week, as they visit 5-8 Campbell, a team in its final season in the Atlantic Sun.

6. Temple Owls (A-10 at-large)
Last Week: 7
Record: 17-5 overall; 7-2 conference; 2-3 vs. RPI Top 50; 3-2 vs. RPI 51-100; 11-0 vs. RPI 150+; 7-5 Road/Neutral
Average RPI win: 167 Loss: 42
RPI: 32
SOS: 85
Last Week: won at La Salle 71-67, def. Rhode Island 80-67
This Week: Fordham (Wed.), at Dayton (Sat.)
The Owls took care of Big Five rival La Salle, then pulled away from Rhode Island to stay a game behind A-10 co-leaders Xavier and Duquesne. Temple's biggest test this week comes at bubble team Dayton on Saturday.

11. Oklahoma State Cowboys (Big 12 at-large)
New Entrant
Record: 16-7 overall; 4-5 conference; 3-2 vs. RPI Top 50; 2-4 vs. RPI 51-100; 7-1 vs. RPI 150+; 4-6 Road/Neutral
Average RPI win: 160 Loss: 71
RPI: 46
SOS: 61
Last Week: def. Missouri 76-70, def. Oklahoma 81-75
This Week: at Nebraska (Sat.)
The Cowboys improved their position by sweeping Missouri and Oklahoma in Stillwater, and can further damage Nebraska's hopes by toppling the Cornhuskers in Lincoln.

3. Syracuse Orange (Big East at-large)
Last Week: 4
Record: 20-4 overall; 7-4 conference; 5-2 vs. RPI Top 50; 5-2 vs. RPI 51-100; 7-0 vs. RPI 150+; 7-2 Road/Neutral
Average RPI win: 123 Loss: 43
RPI: 18
SOS: 32
Last Week: won at Connecticut 66-58, won at USF 72-49
This Week: Georgetown (Wed.), at Louisville (Sat.),West Virginia (Mon.)
Orange fans can breathe easier now, thanks to a pair of road wins, but a three-game week, which includes a rivalry game with Georgetown and trip to Louisville, a place and opponent the Orange have struggled with, could create more stress in Upstate New York.

14. Kent State Golden Flashes (MAC auto)
New Entrant
Record: 14-7 overall; 6-2 conference; 0-3 vs. RPI Top 50; 1-1 vs. RPI 51-100; 9-1 vs. RPI 150+; 4-6 Road/Neutral
Average RPI win: 194 Loss: 87
RPI: 86
SOS: 137
Last Week: def. Central Michigan 66-53
This Week: Eastern Michigan (Wed.), at Northern Illinois (Sat.)
The Golden Flashes return to the bracket as the only two-loss team in the MAC. No less than five teams are a game behind them (in the loss column) in the conference race, however.

7. Washington Huskies (Pac-10 at-large)
Last Week: 5
Record: 15-7 overall; 7-4 conference; 2-3 vs. RPI Top 50; 3-1 vs. RPI 51-100; 6-1 vs. RPI 150+; 4-7 Road/Neutral
Average RPI win: 133 Loss: 93
RPI: 42
SOS: 59
Last Week: lost at Oregon State 68-56, lost at Oregon 81-76
This Week: California (Thu.), Stanford (Sat.)
The Huskies now sit two games behind Arizona in the Pac-10 race (and a game behind UCLA), thanks to two bad losses in Oregon. Thanks to those setbacks and a lack of good results out of the conference, the Huskies are no longer a lock for the field. Much like Kentucky, a team the Huskies lost to on Maui, Washington looks to be a completely different team in Seattle than they do on their travels.

10. Boston College Eagles (ACC at-large)
Natural 9 seed
Record: 15-8 overall; 5-4 conference; 1-3 vs. RPI Top 50; 4-4 vs. RPI 51-100; 5-1 vs. RPI 150+; 5-5 Road/Neutral
Average RPI win: 137 Loss: 58
RPI: 44
SOS: 24
Last Week: lost to North Carolina 106-74, def. Virginia Tech 58-56
This Week: at Clemson (Tue.), Maryland (Sat.)
The Eagles followed up a truly depressing loss to North Carolina with a gutsy two-point win over Virginia Tech that moves the Eagles ahead of the S-curve. BC can further helps its cause by sweeping a pair of fringe bubble teams in the days ahead.

2. San Diego State Aztecs (MWC auto)
Record: 21-1 overall; 8-1 conference; 4-1 vs. RPI Top 50; 7-0 vs. RPI 51-100; 6-0 vs. RPI 150+; 12-1 Road/Neutral
Average RPI win: 109 Loss: 1
RPI: 4
SOS: 33
Last Week: won at Colorado State 56-54, def. TCU 60-53
This Week: Utah (Tue.), at UNLV (Sat.)
The Aztecs took two more teams best shots, and emerged with a pair of MWC wins. On Saturday, they'll visit UNLV, their biggest test before BYU's visit at the end of the month.

15. Florida Atlantic Owls (Sun Belt auto)
Record: 16-7 overall; 10-1 conference; 0-2 vs. RPI Top 50; 1-1 vs. RPI 51-100; 11-3 vs. RPI 150+; 9-5 Road/Neutral
Average RPI win: 189 Loss: 120
RPI: 89
SOS: 190
Last Week: won at North Texas 72-55, Florida International 73-72
This Week: at Denver (Thu.), Louisiana-Lafayette (Sat.)
The Owls handled preseason favorite North Texas, then struggled to beat archrival FIU at home. This week, they visit Sun Belt West leader Denver in what could be a preview of the conference final.