NEW YORK – The University of South Florida men’s basketball team may have bailed out early from the BIG EAST tournament in the second round against Georgetown, but the Bulls will be playing in the postseason for the first time since the 2001-02 season. After such a turnaround season, the disappointment for Bulls fans is that the first postseason game in eight years just may be held at the Sun Dome, instead of a neutral site in the NCAA tournament.

The question for USF is which postseason tournament will it be: the NCAA or the NIT? That answer won’t come until Sunday when the NCAA tournament bracket is revealed to the nation. The NIT isn't such a bad consolation, but the Bulls are still hoping for more.

USF is still an extreme long shot to make the premier tournament in the country. There is some history in favor of the Bulls, of the last 123 teams to win 20-plus games as a BIG EAST conference member, only three of them did not make the NCAA tournament.

Whether the Bulls are lucky enough to sneak in the backdoor to the NCAA tournament is yet to be determined. The NIT seems like the likely scenario for USF, but comparing them with some other bubble teams is interesting. Some of these teams will either be dancing in the main tournament next week instead of the Bulls, or competing with them in the NIT.

These are the tournament resumes for some bubble teams of 2010. Are the Bulls really that far out of the question for the NCAA tournament?

RPI and records updated at 5:30 pm on 03/13/2010.

USF: 20-12 (10-10 BIG EAST)

Quality wins: Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Kent St, and Seton Hall
Bad losses: Central Michigan, St. John’s
RPI: 69
SOS: 59
RPI Top 50 record: 3-8
RPI Top 100 record: 6-10
Projection: Host NIT First Round Game.

Florida: 21-12 (10-8 SEC)

Quality wins: Michigan St., Florida St., and Tennessee
Bad losses: South Alabama
RPI: 51
SOS: 33
RPI Top 50 record: 3-8
RPI Top 100 record: 6-10
Projection: 13 seed

Mississippi St: 23-10 (11-7 SEC)

Quality wins: Vanderbilt, Florida, Old Dominion
Bad losses: Western Kentucky, Rider, Auburn, Arkansas
RPI: 68
SOS: 111
RPI Top 50 record: 1-4
RPI Top 100 record: 5-7
Projection: 12 seed

Mississippi: 21-10 (9-8 SEC)

Quality wins: Kansas St., UTEP
Bad losses: Arkansas
RPI: 63
SOS: 104
RPI Top 50 record: 2-6
RPI Top 100 record: 5-9
Projection: Host NIT First Round Game.

Minnesota: 20-12 (11-9 BIG TEN)

Quality wins: Michigan St., Wisconsin, Butler, Ohio St.
Bad losses: Michigan (Twice), Indiana
RPI: 65
SOS: 54
RPI Top 50 record: 4-6
RPI Top 100 record: 5-8
Projection: 11 seed

Rhode Island: 23-9 (11-8 A-10)

Quality wins: Oklahoma St.
Bad losses: St. Bonaventure, UMass
RPI: 38
SOS: 87
RPI Top 50 record: 1-5
RPI Top 100 record: 7-7
Projection: Host NIT First Round Game

Washington: 23-9 (13-7 PAC TEN)

Quality wins: Texas A&M, California
Bad losses: Oregon, California, UCLA, USC
RPI: 48
SOS: 69
RPI Top 50 record: 2-2
RPI Top 100 record: 7-5
Projection: 13 seed

Seton Hall: 19-12 (10-10 BIG EAST)

Quality wins: Cornell, Pittsburgh, and Louisville
Bad losses: Connecticut
RPI: 61
SOS: 32
RPI Top 50 record: 3-7
RPI Top 100 record: 6-12
Projection: Host NIT First Round Game

Illinois: 19-14 (11-9 BIG TEN)

Quality wins: Michigan St., Wisconsin (Twice), Clemson and Vanderbilt
Bad losses: Utah, Bradley
RPI: 72
SOS: 39
RPI Top 50 record: 5-9
RPI Top 100 record: 6-11
Projection: Host NIT First Round Game

Georgia Tech: 21-11 (9-9 ACC)

Quality wins: Siena, Duke, Maryland and Clemson
Bad losses: Virginia, Miami
RPI: 34
SOS: 16
RPI Top 50 record: 5-7
RPI Top 100 record: 8-8
Projection: 11 seed

Arizona State: 22-10 (12-7 PAC TEN)

Quality wins: San Diego St., Washington
Bad losses: UCLA, USC
RPI: 62
SOS: 80
RPI Top 50 record: 2-6
RPI Top 100 record: 3-7
Projection: Host NIT First Round Game.

San Diego St: 24-8 (13-5 Mountain West)

Quality wins: New Mexico (Twice), UNLV
Bad losses: Wyoming, Pacific
RPI: 24
SOS: 57
RPI Top 50 record: 3-5
RPI Top 100 record: 5-5
Projection: 11 seed

Memphis: 23-9 (13-4 CUSA)

Quality wins: Oakland, UAB (twice)
Bad losses: SMU, UMass, Houston
RPI: 54
SOS: 83
RPI Top 50 record: 2-5
RPI Top 100 record: 7-5
Projection: Host NIT First Round Game

Bulls Radio NCAA Tournament Projections:

Notes:

The New Mexico St and Houston wins on Saturday stole two spots from these bubble teams. The two losers of those games: UTEP and Utah St. are most likely in.

With the win over California in the PAC 10 tournament, bubble team Washington punched their ticket to the dance without the help of the selection committee.

Last Four In:

1. California
2. Utah St.
3. Virginia Tech
4. Minnesota

First Four Out:

1. Mississippi St.
2. Illinois
3. Florida
4. South Florida

Next Four Out:

1. Rhode Island
2. Seton Hall
3. Memphis
4. Arizona St.

Photo Courtesy - Tyler Crane

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 03/11/2010 - 8:34pm.