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Bubble Teams Eye RPI

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Middle Tennessee coach Rick Insell says he checks the new RPI rankings every Monday.

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By KATHERINE SMITH | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 4, 2008

One of the first things Middle Tennessee coach Rick Insell did Monday was check out his team's RPI ranking. It will become a weekly routine for Insell as the NCAA Tournament draws closer.

Insell was pleasantly surprised to see his team moved off the bubble, from No. 64 to 60.

"I think it's important to keep up with that RPI number," Insell said. "The selection committee looks at that number and it can mean the difference between getting in and staying home."

Insell and his Blue Raiders team aren't the only ones keeping a close eye on the RPI rankings. Unless you're a conference champion, which guarantees a spot in the tournament, teams vying for at-large bids will be doing all they can to boost their ranking.

It helps if you can beat a ranked team. Strength of schedule also counts. And a little momentum heading into March certainly doesn't hurt.

Some of the bubble teams at the end of January included Kentucky (No. 62), Texas Tech (No. 63) and Charlotte (No. 64). Teams on the outside looking in after the recent RPI rankings included Arkansas (No. 65) and Virginia Tech (No. 66).

Middle Tennessee, playing one of the toughest schedules, is enjoying a five-game winning streak. The team is doing it with a lot of young talent, including a core group of sophomores and freshmen.

The Blue Raiders have made it to the past four consecutive NCAA Tournaments and would like to make it five straight. Three years ago, when Insell took the Middle Tennessee job, he promised he'd help lead the team to a Final Four.

"I think right now, we have some momentum," Insell said. "Our kids are playing with a lot of confidence. This time of the year is when you want it to come together. As you get closer to the end of the season and closer to the tournament is when you want your team to peak."

PROJECTED REGIONAL SEEDS

Staff writer Katherine Smith takes an early look at how the NCAA Tournament field might develop and which teams could wind up in Tampa:

Greensboro
1. UConn (21-0)
2. LSU (18-3)
3. Duke (16-5)
4. Pittsburgh (17-4)
Pittsburgh hanging on by a thread after losing 64-60 to Rutgers.

New Orleans
1. Tennessee (20-1)
2. Baylor (20-1)
3. Stanford (19-3)
4. Old Dominion (18-3)
Old Dominion has won 12 in a row. Their last loss was two months ago to then-No. 1-ranked Tennessee.

Spokane
1. UNC (19-2)
2. California (19-3)
3. Wyoming (18-3)
4. West Virginia (18-3)
Starting with its Jan. 13 upset win against Notre Dame, West Virginia has reeled off seven consecutive victories.

Oklahoma City
1. Rutgers (18-3)
2. Maryland (23-2)
3. Oklahoma (15-4)
4. G. Washington (18-4)
The Scarlet Knights face the toughest part of their schedule with No.1-ranked UConn on Tuesday night and No. 2-ranked Tennessee on Feb. 11.

COURTSIDE

Last week, North Carolina's LaToya Pringle was honored as the ACC Player of the Week, thanks in part to her performance in the third-ranked Tar Heels' 97-86 double-overtime victory against fourth-ranked Maryland. Pringle scored 12 of her career-high 31 points in the second overtime to cap the victory. The senior from Fayetteville, N.C., talked to The Tampa Tribune about her performance and how she would like her team to end its season in Tampa.

With so many dominating players in the ACC, what does it mean to you to get this award?

It feels good to finally play well against top competition in the ACC. I really wanted to attack and get into a defensive mode, but also score, so it was nice to be able to do both.

Is North Carolina the team to beat in the ACC?

I would think so, since we're at the top of the ACC. I think everyone wants to play their best against us.

How tough is this conference right now with three teams ranked in the top 10, including two in the top five?

I think it's actually the toughest conference. I know Tennessee and Connecticut are the top teams in the nation right now, but I think for a conference to be the best, you can't just have one team. We have so many teams that are ranked and ones that could be ranked.

How has your game evolved at the collegiate level?

I think I've extended my range. In high school, I was usually only 3 feet away from the basket. Now in college, with my height and size, I really had to extend my game.

What's it like playing in the basketball Mecca of the world?

I knew North Carolina was a good school and had good basketball teams. You can't really go anywhere without somebody coming up to you and saying, ''I saw your game on TV'' or ''I came to the game.'' I think it's the Triangle area in general, with us, Duke and N.C. State. I think it's a huge basketball town.

As it gets closer to tournament time, do you feel like your team is peaking at the right moment?

After our loss to Connecticut, I think we really elevated our game to another level. I think that helped us beat Maryland and hopefully we can keep it going.

FINAL FOUR MOMENT

Tampa plays host to the Women's Final Four on April 6 and 8. General tickets are sold out for the games at the St. Pete Times Forum, but there will be plenty of other activities surrounding the event for basketball fans to enjoy.

This week's Final Four memory:

Texas 97, USC 81
March 30, 1986 (Lexington, Ky.)

The Longhorns held All-American Cheryl Miller, in her last game for the Trojans, to 16 points on 2-for-11 shooting from the field before fouling out. Freshman Clarissa Davis earned MVP honors for her 24 points and 14 rebounds. The victory capped a 34-0 season, the first women's perfect record in the tournament era. Three other teams have since posted perfect records, including two from Connecticut.

AIR BALL

Georgia's freefall continues. The Bulldogs lost back-to-back games last week, first to No.11 Oklahoma (65-57) and then to unranked Kentucky (47-44).

The Wildcats upset Georgia on Thursday night with help from Amber Smith's 12 points, including two free throws with 5.6 seconds remaining. The Bulldogs shot only 28 percent from the field.

It was the first time Kentucky had won in Athens since 1994.

SLAM DUNK

The regular-season meeting between Tennessee and Connecticut may be a thing of the past, but that didn't stop Lady Vols coach Pat Head Summitt and UConn coach Geno Auriemma from joining forces for a good cause.

The two legendary coaches will appear in an ESPN-produced public service announcement for the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund airing this month. Teams have been encouraged to "Think Pink" in support of Yow, the N.C. State coach who was diagnosed with stage-four cancer in November.

Teams including N.C. State, Rutgers, Georgia and LSU are expected to wear pink uniforms and shooting shirts to help promote breast cancer awareness. The Tampa Bay area can show its support during Final Four festivities, which will include a 4Kay run/walk on April 5.

BY THE NUMBERS

12: Rutgers' winning streak before it was snapped by West Virginia in a 63-54 upset victory Tuesday night.

19: Number of turnovers Rutgers committed in the loss to West Virginia. In their previous two games, the Scarlet Knights committed a combined 18.

1,322: Career rebounds for Oklahoma's Courtney Paris after the Sooners' 65-57 victory against Georgia on Jan. 27. That number surpassed the previous Big 12 record of 1,316 set by Baylor's Sophia Young. Paris scored 18 points and collected 14 rebounds in that victory for her 78th consecutive double-double.

2,000: Career points reached by Crystal Langhorne in Maryland's 90-50 victory against Miami on Thursday night. Langhorne's 19 points made her the first to reach 2,000 points for the Terrapins women.

GAME OF THE WEEK

North Carolina at Duke
ESPN2, 7 tonight

Playing arguably the toughest schedule, No.9 Duke (16-5) faces its eighth ranked team, including its second in the past week. Against No.2 Tennessee on Jan. 28, the Blue Devils gave the Lady Vols a brief scare in their 67-64 loss. Though it never led in the second half, Duke tied the game four times and forced 23 turnovers.

The Blue Devils need that same aggressiveness against a punishing North Carolina (19-2) team that is still riding high after their win against rival Maryland. The No.3-ranked Tar Heels needed two overtimes to put away the then-ranked No.4 Terrapins.

North Carolina leads the series 41-30, but Duke swept the series last season.

THEY SAID IT

I could sit here and say it's just another game. But it's a big win. It's a big, big win for us. — West Virginia coach Mike Carey following his team's 63-54 victory against No.4-ranked Rutgers on Tuesday night.

I turned and faced [the basket] to see if there was a double team coming, and they didn't come. — Tennessee's Candace Parker on her game-winning leaner with 22 seconds remaining in the No. 2-ranked Lady Vols' 67-64 victory against No. 9 Duke on Jan. 28.

It wasn't really on my mind until I was walking by the side where the people were sitting and there was a little poster, '2,216 and counting.' I was hoping all these people don't leave for home unhappy. — Stanford's Candace Wiggins, who became her school's all-time leading scorer (2,222 career points) with her 18-points performance in the Cardinal's 77-51 victory against USC on Thursday night.

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