USA TODAY Sports bracketology: How one game ruined Rhode … – USA TODAY

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Gonzaga will spend another week atop the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll.
USA TODAY Sports

You want to learn how to go from the First Four Out range to virtually no shot at an at-large in only one game?

Enter Rhode Island.

The Rams’ profile wasn’t all that great to begin with, but then they lost at home to lowly Fordham, a flat out horrible team (sub-200 RPI before Wednesday night) destined to ruin a rèsumè.

And, sadly, there’s not a lot of make-up room in the Atlantic 10. Rhode Island nearly beat Dayton this past weekend, falling by one point in what would have been a big profile boost. And before Wednesday, a win over VCU coming up on Feb. 25 would have been nice but not really all that big, but now, it probably won’t hardly register. Their other remaining games are against teams outside the top-100. They simply could not afford a bad loss, and they took the worst one they could on their remaining schedule. Stick a fork in them.

Also Wednesday: Arkansas, Providence, Maryland, Iowa State, Miami, Seton Hall, Duke and Oklahoma State all got rèsumè-building wins last night. Those that hurt themselves, besides Rhode Island, include Northwestern, South Carolina, Kansas State, Georgia Tech and TCU — some worse than others.

► No. 1 seeds: Villanova, Gonzaga, Kansas, Baylor

► Last four in: Tennessee, Clemson, Georgetown, Georgia Tech

► First four out: Miami, Kansas State, Wake Forest, Providence

Moving In: Georgetown

Moving out: Kansas State

► Others considered for at-large bids (in no particular order): Vanderbilt, Marquette, Indiana, Wichita State, Georgia, Ole Miss, Illinois, Alabama, Houston, Ohio State, Penn State, Texas Tech, Utah

► On life support: Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, Iowa, Memphis, Auburn, Rhode Island

► No longer considered: UConn, Texas, UTA, Charleston, New Mexico, Boise State, LaSalle, Davidson, Chattanooga, Saint Bonaventure, Saint Joseph’s, BYU, Oklahoma, Charleston, Nebraska, Temple, North Carolina State, Stanford, Nevada.

► Multi-bid conferences: ACC (10), Big Ten (7), Big 12 (6), Big East (6), Pac-12 (5), SEC (5), A-10 (2), AAC (2), WCC (2).

Conference Leaders

► Or highest RPI from projected one-bid conferences – (23 total): Vermont (America East), Florida Gulf Coast (Atlantic Sun), Weber State (Big Sky), UNC-Asheville (Big South), UC Davis (Big West), UNC-Wilmington (CAA), Middle Tennessee State (Conference USA), Valparaiso (Horizon), Yale (Ivy League), Monmouth (MAAC), Akron (MAC), N.C. Central (MEAC), Illinois State (Missouri Valley), Nevada (Mountain West), Mount Saint Mary’s (Northeast), Belmont (Ohio Valley), Bucknell (Patriot), Furman (Southern), New Orleans (Southland), Texas Southern (SWAC), North Dakota State (Summit), Arkansas State (Sun Belt), New Mexico State (WAC).

• Banned from participating: Hawaii, Southern Mississippi, Alcorn State, Savannah State, Northern Colorado
• Transition Schools, ineligible for the tourney: Abilene Christian (Southland), Grand Canyon (WAC), Incarnate Word (Southland), Massachusetts-Lowell (American East)    

***

Note: All RPI and statistical data is used from WarrenNolan.com.

About our bracketologist: Shelby Mast has been projecting the field since 2005 and has finished as one of the top 5 national bracketologists for his website, Bracket W.A.G. He’s predicted for The Indianapolis Star, collegeinsider.com and is an inaugural member of the Super 10 Selection Committee. Follow him on Twitter @BracketWag.

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