Now Or Never?
Do you believe USC really must win the rest of its Pac-10 regular-season games to have a chance at the NCAA Tournament?
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Do you believe USC really must win the rest of its Pac-10 regular-season games to have a chance at the NCAA Tournament?
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Yes, because the NCAA is not going to take 6-teams out of the Pac-10 this year.
Chris Penrose says we just need to finish 10-8 and win a game in the tourney. According to Penrose, a Pac-10 team has never missed the tourney at 10-8 and 20 wins or more. But, our non-conference was weak with no good wins and a few bad losses. I think 10-8 and 2 tourney wins would get us in...barely. Regardless, 11-7 is a lock for an invite. BEAT CAL!
No, because if USC wins the Pac-10 tournament (a longshot to be sure), then it would automatically qualify, even if it actually lost the rest of the regular season games.
If USC does not win the Pac-10 tourney (which is the likely scenario), then USC needs to win the four regular season games and at least two games in the Pac-10 tourney (thus, making the tourney final) to even be considered a bubble team.
As noted by LJ, the NCAA is only going to take 4-5 Pac-10 teams (Wash, ASU, UCLA, and perhaps Arizona and/or Cal). USC needs to rise above Cal and Az in the conference standings. If USC starts the Pac-10 tourney at 7th place, then USC is doomed unless it wins that tourney.
Alas, I think it is the NIT or go home.
They must "Leave NO DOUBT" HAHAHAHAHA.
Not only do they need to win out, they need to win at least 2 Pac-10 tourney games. In my opinion.
LJ is dead on, because of a.) the NCAA is not taking six teams out of the Pac-10, and b.) the importance of RPI and the improvement of mid-major conferences.
11-7 will not be a "lock", but it will be highly probable, depending on how conference tournaments end. 11-7 also means a road win over Cal, it would finally be a quality road win. in conference we are, what, 2-5 on the road with wins over oregon and WSU. And did we have any decent road wins in the non-conference schedule.