The Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball team (13-7, 4-3) might have backed themselves into a corner with their most recent loss over the weekend but at least now they know what has to be done if they want to go dancing in March.
Saturday’s 63-64 loss to Colorado all but guaranteed the Wildcats will need to win the conference tournament if they want to get an invitation to the NCAA Tournament.
With a 77-51 blowout win against the Utes in Utah days before, Arizona still sits in the upper portion of the Pac-12 but not by much.
On the outside chance that the Wildcats do have the fortune of being considered a bubble team a month from now, Arizona will have to finish no worse than runner-up in the conference standings to make it into the madness.
The most recent ESPN Bracketology projections have the Pac-12 sending only two teams to the tournament of 68.
The Wildcats are not one of them.
They have however reappeared on the list of teams just barely on the outside looking in.
No it’s not the prestigious “first four out” Arizona found itself on earlier in the year but the top spot in the “next four out” means the Wildcats have rejoined the conversation.
Being back on the radar with just over a month to go before Selection Sunday means Arizona could be just one win streak shy of regaining the selection committee’s attention for good.
With Washington, Cal and Stanford coming up in the next 10 days to round out the first and only full round of conference play, the Wildcats are going to get one last chance to impress...even if they are 0-2 against teams ahead of them in the standings...which all three teams are.
The Wildcats will face many hurdles in thier attempt to run the Pac-12 gauntlet against three of the better teams in a desperate conference.
Arizona will be hosting the Huskies along with ESPN College GameDay as part of the “White Out” game less than 48 hours after tonight game (8:30 p.m.) against Washington State.
The Following week the Wildcats will have to travel to NorCal to play arguably the conference top two contenders in Cal and Stanford.
With the uneven scheduling, Arizona only gets one shot at them this year.
AP Poll: NR
ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll: NR
Kenpom: 52nd = .804 (54th = .804 LW)
Sagarin: 54th = 81.49 (64th = 80.94 LW)
RPI: High 70s (Mid 60s LW)
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