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Championship Week. The time of the year when the teams we've been watching all season finally get to share the spotlight with the marquee names of college basketball.
It's also the time of season when those Cinderellas we choose to spotlight could just as easily see the clock strike midnight. Just ask Vermont, which saw its NCAA Tournament dreams shattered Sunday in overtime. Another frequent member of the Watch this season was Butler, which also could be NIT bound after losing in the first round of the Horizon tournament as the No. 1 seed.
So with that in mind, we continue our search for teams who could be dangerous come the NCAA Tournament. And, as you can see, it's not always an exact science. But we think we've found at least eight teams who'll be dancing. But first, they must get through Championship Week.
To view last week's vote results and read e-mails sent in last week in support of teams not on the Watch this week, click here. For those still new to the Watch, where have you been? But, here is how it works: ESPN.com picks eight teams each week leading up to the NCAA Tournament. Teams can move off the Watch for three reasons:
1. Promotion: The team moves from being a Cinderella story to a favorite. Call it the "Gonzaga Rule."
2. Demotion: The team plays so poorly its status of making the tourney is in jeopardy. You can't be a Cinderella if you don't go to the dance.
3. The poll: In the spirit of democracy, the lowest vote-getter each week is removed from the Watch, no questions asked.
But be sure to follow along each week, these lists tend to change quite frequently. And, as always, we want your thoughts, compliments or gripes about this week's Watch. Click here to submit an e-mail. We'll post the best user responses with each week's Cinderella Watch.
Here is this week's list of teams we're watching. The RPI rankings are from March 2 and team records are through March 3 games.
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CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE
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 Record
26-4 Overall
19-1 NEC
RPI
No. 61
Marquee Wins
None |
How can you keep a team with the nation's longest winning streak and now just one win from the NCAA Tournament off the Watch? Well, we can't. Central will host the NEC title game on Wednesday night against fellow Nutmeg State squad Quinnipiac -- the No. 7 NEC seed. The Blue Devils take a 18-game winning streak into the title game and have beaten Quinnipiac twice by double-digits this season. The NEC tournament hasn't been without its share of tense moment, however, as Central has trailed in both its tournament wins heading into the title game.
The Rainbow Warriors have their bags packed for a long stay on the mainland, which started last week with a split at Nevada (loss) and a win in its season finale at Fresno State. Good news and bad news, however, came out of the win over the Bulldogs. Hawaii proved it could win a tough game on the road without leading scorer Predrag Savovic, who sat out with back spasms. But it also means the Rainbows may be without the forward to start the WAC tournament. Either way, the Rainbows have done enough to get an at-large bid into the NCAAs. They shared the WAC regular-season title with Tulsa, but swept the Golden Hurricane to earn the No. 1 seed in the WAC.
What makes Kent State different from the rest of the MAC mess this season. Well, a 17-1 regular season record, obviously stands out. So too does the 15-game winning streak to end the regular season. It's also nice to know winning the conference tournament isn't necessarily a must to get into the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Flashes have one of the strongest mid-major profiles for an at-large bid. They'll open the MAC tournament on Thursday night against the winner of the Marshall-Northern Illinois winner.
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PENNSYLVANIA
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Record
23-6 Overall
10-3 Ivy
RPI
No. 41
Marquee Wins
Georgia Tech, 79-74
Villanova, 75-74
Temple, 68-62
Saint Joseph's, 62-60 |
Everything is in place for the Quakers to win the Ivy League. Yes, they replaced Yale on this week's Watch. And why not? All Penn did was beat the Bulldogs as part of an eight-game winning streak. If Penn beats Princeton at home on Tuesday, it'll play the winner of a playoff game between the Tigers and Yale for the automatic bid to the NCAAs. If it loses Tuesday, it's at-large chances take a major hit as the third-place team in the Ivy. A win in the regular season finale, and loss in the playoff game, however, could still mean an at-large bid with a solid RPI and some nice early wins.
One down, two to go for the Waves at the WCC tournament. Pepperdine opened with a 13-point victory over Portland on Saturday and faced St. Mary's on Sunday night with the winner advancing to the championship game Monday night. The Waves would like nothing more than another shot at the Zags on a neutral court. That chance could come in the title game. But win or lose in the next 48 hours, the Waves should get an at-large bid with a profile that includes seven losses -- but five to teams in the top 30 of the RPI -- and wins over USC, UCLA and Gonzaga.
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SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
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 Record
26-6 Overall
12-4 MVC
RPI
No. 52
Marquee Win
Indiana, 72-60
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So far, so good for the Salukis. Monday night, however, comes the moment of truth -- 40 minutes of truth, actually, in the MVC title game. Southern Illinois will play (surprise!) Creighton for the automatic ticket to the dance. SIU looked on its game Sunday in routing SMS by 23 in the semifinals. It's also proven it can beat the Bluejays, sweeping the regular season series. But those two wins came by a combined five points, and you know what they say about beating a team three times in a single season.
The Golden Hurricane took care of business on the road last week, winning at San Jose State and Rice. Now, if they can take care of business at home as the hosts of the WAC tournament, they'll find themselves back in the NCAA Tournament. Tulsa opens with either Boise State or UTEP on Thursday night as the No. 2 seed. Tulsa swept both during the regular season. Like the Rainbow Warriors, who they mirror in just about every RPI category, the Golden Hurricane should get an at-large bid. But nothing is certain in the land of the WAC.
The Hilltoppers are in the NCAAs, no matter what happens the restof the way in the Sun Belt tournament. But WKU got off to a nice start Saturday with a 14-point win over North Texas. Western Kentucky led by 17 at halftime, and the Hilltoppers are still poised to take quite a streak into the NCAA Tournament. WKU has won a 16 straight games and could be riding an 18-gamer when it matches up with its first potential "victim" in the dance.
Ron Buck is the college basketball editor at ESPN.com.
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