Teams on high alert for March Madness
February is a key month for college basketball teams in determining their fate in the field of 68 for the NCAA tournament. Here’s a look at five teams that spiraled in January during the first half of conference play, and now have something to prove in February – on high alert as March Madness nears. (Seeds are based on USA TODAY Sports’ tournament bracketology as of Feb. 6.)
1. Seton Hall (projected No. 11 seed):
The Pirates (13-9, 4-6) beat Kentucky in an overtime thriller and have another quality road win over Maryland. But they haven’t fared well in Big East action, having lost their last six of eight – including two against perennial bottom feeder DePaul.
2. Indiana (projected No. 10 seed):
The Hoosiers (13-9, 4-7) snapped a seven-game losing streak that nearly foiled their Big Dance hopes by taking down a projected No. 3 seed, Michigan State, on the road last Saturday. But one huge win won’t revive a stained résumé. Indiana has its work cut out in February, with every Big Ten matchup against an NCAA tourney-caliber team, starting with Iowa on Thursday. If freshman star Romeo Langford can start connecting from beyond the arc, Indiana is a different team (currently ranking 321st nationally in made three-pointers).
3. Ohio State (projected No. 9 seed):
Coach Chris Holtmann had this team in the top 25 with only one loss at the end of December. Then the New Year saw OSU (14-7, 4-6) take a turn for the worse as it lost five in a row in January. Ohio State’s February schedule will be tough with road tests at Indiana, Michigan State, and Maryland.
4. Ole Miss (projected No. 7 seed):
Four consecutive losses have pushed the Rebels (14-7, 4-4) back on the seeding line – and they’ve yet to face the SEC’s top teams in projected No. 1 seeds Tennessee and Kentucky. Ole Miss can’t afford to lose to lower-tier teams if they want to avoid the NCAA tournament bubble.
5. Oklahoma (projected No. 7 seed):
The Sooners (15-8, 3-7) have lost five of their last seven and seven of their last 11. But thanks to a non-conference slate that only featured one loss – to a respectable Wisconsin team – there’s enough on the résumé to keep OU in the safe zone, for now.