Stock Watch

UCLA

The Bruins should be the No. 1 seed in the West after knocking off eighth-ranked Arizona on Saturday night to run their win streak to 10. Their four losses — to Arizona, USC, Baylor and Illinois — have all come to projected tournament teams. They have elite seniors in Tyger Campbell and Jaime Jacquez Jr., the nation’s second-ranked defense by efficiency and are peaking at the right time. UCLA wound up winning the Pac-12 by four games — the largest margin since Stanford in 2004.

Providence

It has been an extended stretch of mediocrity for Ed Cooley’s 20th-ranked Friars. It’s not just the two home losses this week to No. 19 Xavier and shorthanded Seton Hall. Dating back to the start of February, they have lost five of nine games. Most concerning, Providence hasn’t shown to be capable of beating anyone of note on the road — it is 6-8 away from the Amica Mutual Pavilion — and all of its games the rest of the way will be in relatively unfamiliar arenas. This doesn’t feel like a team ready for a big March.

Penn State

A week ago, after blowing a 19-point, second-half lead at home to Rutgers, the NCAA Tournament seemed like a long shot. But the Nittany Lions responded by winning at Northwestern and rallying from 16 points down to stun No. 21 Maryland, giving Penn State its fifth Quad 1 win. It now has won five of its last six games under impressive second-year coach Micah Shrewsberry, and can realistically dream of reaching the tournament for the first time in 12 years.

Hubert Davis

Barring an ACC Tournament title, North Carolina will become the first Associated Press No. 1 not to reach the NCAA Tournament since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. That falls squarely on the coach. With four returning starters from last year’s national runner-up, along with key transfer addition Pete Nance of Northwestern, the basement should’ve been the Sweet 16. Not the NIT. Not a seventh-place finish in the woeful ACC. Not a disastrous 1-9 record in Quad 1 games. Davis has to answer for this massive disappointment that will be forever on his résumé.