ESPN.com - ncb - That popping sound will come from Big East

Five Big East teams already should have clinched tournament bids: Boston College, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Georgetown and Providence (which has the worst resume of the five, but still has a 19-7 record and the No. 22 RPI rating).

How many more Big East teams can get in? Especially in a season with as many as eight teams from the Big 10, seven from the Big 12 and six from the ACC also clamoring for bids?


	The 'Canes just may rise above Villanova and the rest of the Big East bubble teams.

"I don't know the answer to that," says Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun.

Along with the seemingly sure things mentioned above, the Big East has another six teams that could make a case for inclusion, depending on what happens the next three weeks. Pity the NCAA tournament selection committee for trying to make sense of it all.

Of the six, only Seton Hall (13-10, 4-8) has more than two victories against NCAA Tournament locks. And while the Pirates have beaten Syracuse, Providence and Notre Dame (twice), they have lost to everyone else in the conference and beaten no one of note outside it. The selection committee will also frown on the Pirates' low RPI (No. 78) and recent skid (seven losses in nine games).

However, with games remaining against Rutgers, West Virginia, Villanova and Connecticut, the opportunity is there for Seton Hall to run the table entering the Big East tournament.

"It's not over yet," Pirates point guard Andre Barrett said after the victory Sunday at Notre Dame. "We feel like we still have a chance this year."

Best NCAA chance of the bunch? Before Tuesday's 107-100, double-overtime loss to West Virginia, it probably belonged to Villanova (15-10, 6-7). The 'Cats entered that game with a solid RPI (No. 41), plus victories against St. Joseph's and Georgetown, plus three wins in its last four games, and a relatively soft schedule the rest of the way: home against St. John's and Seton Hall, then at Miami.

Now, though, the Big East's best shot at a sixth bid could ride on Connecticut (17-9, 6-7). After a five-game losing streak landed them on the bubble, the Huskies (No. 52 RPI) have won four of six, and their NCAA resume is bolstered by wins against Arizona and Providence.

Still, Calhoun knows his team is in trouble. Games remain against Miami, Notre Dame and Seton Hall.

"We're running out of time," Calhoun says.

Time may already be up for St. John's (13-11, 7-5), which has the best conference record of any Big East bubble team but has lost four of its last five -- including a 91-59 blowout at home against Duke -- and earlier this season suffered resume-hurting losses to George Washington, Fordham and Hofstra. Mike Jarvis sounds like a coach pinning his NCAA hopes to an automatic bid. Not a bad idea for a team ranked No. 47 in the RPI.

"We've basically decided," Jarvis says, "that everything we'll do (the rest of the season) will be about getting ready for our defense of the Big East tournament championship."

West Virginia (16-8, 7-6; No. 66 RPI) and Miami (15-10, 6-7; No. 76 RPI) had better start aiming for the same path. Neither team has even one good non-conference win to speak of.

	Games of the Week
	Oklahoma at Maryland Saturday A win against the No. 16 Sooners would be the Terps' most impressive victory of the season, and coming this late, could be enough to clinch an NCAA tournament bid. Dayton at Temple Saturday The bubble almost definitely bursts for the loser of this game. St. John's at Villanova Sunday See Dayton-Temple.

ACC's Six Pack
Georgia Tech players walked into the locker room before their game Saturday against N.C. State and saw the future handwritten on a grease board: "Win -- NCAA. Lose -- NIT."

The author, senior center Alvin Jones, has never been to the NCAA tournament. Maybe this season he will. Thanks to his double-double, the Jackets beat the Wolf Pack to improve to 15-9 (7-6 ACC) and strengthen a case that hasn't made much of a dent with Top 25 voters but ought to grab the attention of the NCAA selection committee.

Georgia Tech has no bad losses, but it does have victories against four NCAA tournament locks (UCLA, Kentucky and Virginia twice) and two other bubble teams (Wake Forest and Maryland). With an RPI of No. 33, the Jackets should be secure.

Same with Wake Forest (17-8, 6-7), though the Deacons' 5-8 record after their 12-0 start could offset their high RPI (No. 25). Wake Forest beat NCAA Tournament teams Kansas and Virginia by a combined 55 points, but other than that, a win against Georgia Tech is the Deacons' only other victory of note. Just to be safe, they better win two of the final three games (at Clemson, vs. Duke, at N.C. State).

Maryland has a fat reputation, but a relatively thin NCAA resume. The Terps (17-9, 8-6) don't have one -- not one! -- win against an NCAA Tournament lock, as evidenced by their mediocre RPI (No. 49). They also had lost five of six before beating Wake Forest and N.C. State, both impressively. The Terps have three remaining chances to win over the selection committee: games against Oklahoma, Duke and Virginia. Winning one of three might be enough.

"We deserve it," says Terps guard Juan Dixon. "But we've got to keep proving it, too."

A-10's X Factor
As a league, the Atlantic 10 has a poor RPI ranking. So as teams, anyone but St. Joseph's (21-4, 11-1; No. 29 RPI) and/or the winner of the conference tournament will be at the mercy of the selection committee.

Xavier (19-5, 10-3) looks good, but its RPI (No. 38) is just "iffy" enough that a strong finish could be needed. Fordham coach Bob Hill doesn't think so, though.

"Xavier's an awfully good basketball team," Hill says. "Definitely they should get in. We just played St. Joe's, and Xavier's a lot better than them."

The A-10's next-best overall records belong to Dayton (16-9) and St. Bonaventure (15-9), but neither has an impressive league record or an RPI better than No. 77. Temple's RPI is a healthier 51st, and its league record is 9-4, but at 15-12 overall the Owls have almost no chance.

"I'm not an expert, I don't study the RPI, but it's disconcerting when I see our league is down in RPI behind the Mountain West and, I think, the WAC," says Dayton coach Oliver Purnell. "I really don't understand that. I hope someone is checking the checking guys."

Around the East

America East and the Patriot League have an outside chance at sneaking an at-large bid away from some of the bigger conferences, but only if the prohibitive favorite in each fails to win the conference tournament. And even then, neither Hofstra (America East) nor Holy Cross (Patriot) could feel terribly good about their NCAA tournament chances.

Hofstra has a great record (22-4) but a middling RPI (No. 72). Holy Cross is slightly worse in both categories (20-5 record, No. 85 RPI).

Iona is dominating the MAAC at 19-8 (12-4 in the conference), but with an RPI of 110, the Gaels surely have to win their tournament to get into the NCAA show.

Who's Hot

Pretty soon, Duquesne guard Jamal Hunter will score 40 points. Or maybe not. Still, the 6-4 senior was averaging 2.7 points through 20 games when he caught fire: 10 against St. Bonaventure, 12 against George Washington, 15 against Fordham, then 22 against St. Bonaventure. All four were career bests at Duquesne for Hunter, a transfer from Loyola (Md.).

Who's Not

St. John's guard Willie Shaw is 6-for-29 (6-for-26 on 3-pointers) in the last three games after his 0-for-8 nightmare in the 91-59 loss Sunday to Duke.

Quote to Note
"He's entitled to miss one of those -- just one -- this year. That's his one."
-- North Carolina coach Matt Doherty on normally clutch guard Joseph Forte, whose missed 8-footer in the final minute against Clemson, with UNC trailing 66-62, probably was the Tar Heels' last chance to avoid a 75-65 loss.

Gregg Doyel covers the ACC for The Charlotte Observer and is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.

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