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Less than 48 hours away from NCAA Tournament bracket being unveiled and there are still plenty of tight races.
Off the Block crunched the numbers using the same criteria as the selection committee to show how the top teams in the nation fare against each other in the race for the two at-large bids and NCAA Tournament positioning.
Below are all of the criteria categories the selection committee uses to determine the NCAA Tournament field.
— RPI ranking
— Strength of schedule
— Won-lost results
— Head-to-head competition
— Results versus non-conference opponents
— Home and away results
— Results against common opponents
— Results against teams already qualified and other teams under consideration
— Eligibility and availability of student-athletes for NCAA championships.
Some selection committees in previous seasons have placed a greater emphasis on a certain categories. However, there is no requirement that the committee gives additional weight to a certain category.
The seven-team NCAA Tournament will comprised of conference automatic bids from the Big West, ConfCarolinas, EIVA, MIVA, and MPSF along with two at-large bids.
Here’s how the at-large bids and tournament seeding races look right now using the selection committee criteria.
[Editor’s note: Teams projected to qualify or be under consideration are Barton, Hawai’i, Lewis, Long Beach State, Pepperdine, Princeton, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, UCLA and USC. The teams under consideration are subject to change until Sunday when the bracket is made public. Both Long Beach State and Hawai’i were omitted from the Race for the Final At-large Bid section because they are projected to overwhelmingly secure the top-two seeds. With both teams being in the Big West, one is projected to win the conference’s automatic bid and the other will receive the first at-large bid.]
Race for the No. 1 overall seed
Long Beach State vs. Hawai’i
RPI ranking: Long Beach State No. 1; Hawai’i No. 2 Edge: Long Beach State
Strength of schedule: Long Beach State No. 13; Hawai’i No. 11 Edge: Hawai’i
Won-lost results: Long Beach State 25-1; Hawai’i 25-2. Edge: Long Beach State
Head-to-head competition: Long Beach State leads season series 2-0. Edge: Long Beach State
Non-conference record: Long Beach State 15-1; Hawai’i 16-0. Edge: Hawai’i
Home record: Long Beach State 12-0; Hawai’i 14-0. Edge: Push
Road record: Long Beach State 8-1; Hawai’i 8-2. Edge: Long Beach State
Record vs. common opponents: Long Beach State 13-1; Hawai’i 15-0. Edge: Hawai’i
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: Long Beach State 10-1; Hawai’i 7-2. Edge: Long Beach State
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push
Race for the final at-large bid
Pepperdine vs. UC Irvine
RPI ranking: Pepperdine No. 3; UC Irvine No. 5. Edge: Pepperdine
Strength of schedule: Pepperdine No. 6; UC Irvine No. 2. Edge: UC Irvine
Won-lost results: Pepperdine 21-6; UC Irvine 18-10. Edge: Pepperdine
Head-to-head competition: Season series tied at 1-1. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: Pepperdine 11-3; UC Irvine 12-5. Edge: Pepperdine
Home record: Pepperdine 13-0; UC Irvine 6-3. Edge: UC Irvine
Road record: Pepperdine 6-6; UC Irvine 9-7. Edge: UC Irvine
Record vs. common opponents: Pepperdine 19-4; UC Irvine 16-7. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: Pepperdine 6-6; UC Irvine 6-6. Edge: Push
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push
UC Santa Barbara vs. Pepperdine
RPI ranking: UC Santa Barbara No. 4; Pepperdine No. 3 Edge: Pepperdine
Strength of schedule: UC Santa Barbara No. 3; Pepperdine No. 6 Edge: Pepperdine
Won-lost results: UC Santa Barbara 18-9; Pepperdine 21-6. Edge: Pepperdine
Head-to-head competition: Pepperdine won season series 2-0. Edge: Pepperdine
Non-conference record: UC Santa Barbara 13-3; Pepperdine 11-3. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Home record: UC Santa Barbara 11-3; Pepperdine 13-0. Edge: Pepperdine
Road record: UC Santa Barbara 4-6; Pepperdine 6-6. Edge: Pepperdine
Record vs. common opponents: UC Santa Barbara 13-5; Pepperdine 12-5. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: UC Santa Barbara 2-9; Pepperdine 7-4. Edge: Pepperdine
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push
UC Santa Barbara vs. USC
RPI ranking: UC Santa Barbara No. 4; USC No. 6. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Strength of schedule: UC Santa Barbara No. 3; USC No. 7. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Won-lost results: UC Santa Barbara 18-9; USC 18-9. Edge: Push
Head-to-head competition: Will not play each other this season. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: UC Santa Barbara 13-3; USC 8-4. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Home record: UC Santa Barbara 11-3; USC 12-0. Edge: USC
Road record: UC Santa Barbara 4-6; USC 1-8. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Record vs. common opponents: UC Santa Barbara 8-9; USC 14-7. Edge: USC
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: UC Santa Barbara 2-9; USC 6-5. Edge: USC
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push
UC Santa Barbara vs. UC Irvine
RPI ranking: UC Santa Barbara No. 4; UC Irvine No. 5. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Strength of schedule: UC Santa Barbara No. 3; UC Irvine No. 2. Edge: UC Irvine
Won-lost results: UC Santa Barbara 18-9; UC Irvine 18-10. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Head-to-head competition: UC Irvine leads season series 2-0 Edge: UC Irvine
Non-conference record: UC Santa Barbara 13-3; UC Irvine 12-5. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Home record: UC Santa Barbara 11-4; UC Irvine 6-3. Edge: UC Irvine
Road record: UC Santa Barbara 4-6; UC Irvine 9-7. Edge: UC Irvine
Record vs. common opponents: UC Santa Barbara 12-6; UC Irvine 11-8. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: UC Santa Barbara 2-9; UC Irvine 6-6. Edge: UC Irvine
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push
USC vs. UC Irvine
RPI ranking: USC No. 6; UC Irvine No. 5. Edge: UC Irvine
Strength of schedule: USC No. 6; UC Irvine No. 2. Edge: UC Irvine
Won-lost results: USC 18-9; UC Irvine 18-10. Edge: USC
Head-to-head competition: Split season series at 1-1 Edge: Push
Non-conference record: USC 8-4; UC Irvine 12-5. Edge: UC Irvine
Home record: USC 12-0; UC Irvine 6-3. Edge: USC
Road record: USC 1-8; UC Irvine 9-7. Edge: UC Irvine
Record vs. common opponents: USC 10-6; UC Irvine 6-8. Edge: UC Santa Barbara
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: USC 6-5; UC Irvine 6-6. Edge: USC
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push
Race for tournament positioning
Lewis vs. Princeton
RPI ranking: Lewis No. 8; Princeton No. 18. Edge: Lewis
Strength of schedule: Lewis No. 23; Princeton No. 25. Edge: Lewis
Won-lost results: Lewis 23-5; Princeton 15-12. Edge: Lewis
Head-to-head competition: Lewis won season series 1-0. Edge: Lewis
Non-conference record: Lewis 8-4; Princeton 2-11. Edge: Lewis
Home record: Lewis 12-3; Princeton 9-1. Edge: Princeton
Road record: Lewis 11-2; Princeton 6-8. Edge: Lewis
Record vs. common opponents: Lewis 13-4; Princeton 6-7. Edge: Lewis
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: Lewis 1-4; Princeton 0-6. Edge: Lewis
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push
Lewis vs. Barton
RPI ranking: Lewis No. 8; Barton No. 12. Edge: Lewis
Strength of schedule: Lewis No. 23; Barton No. 35. Edge: Lewis
Won-lost results: Lewis 23-5; Barton 25-4. Edge: Barton
Head-to-head competition: Will not play each other this season. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: Lewis 8-4; Barton 8-2. Edge: Barton
Home record: Lewis 12-3; Barton 14-2. Edge: Barton
Road record: Lewis 11-2; Barton 8-2. Edge: Lewis
Record vs. common opponents: Lewis 6-0; Barton 7-2. Edge: Lewis
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: Lewis 1-4; Barton 1-1. Edge: Barton
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push
Princeton vs. Barton
RPI ranking: Princeton No. 18; Barton No. 12. Edge: Barton
Strength of schedule: Princeton No. 25; Barton No. 35. Edge: Princeton
Won-lost results: Princeton 15-12; Barton 25-4. Edge: Barton
Head-to-head competition: Will not play each other this season. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: Princeton 2-11; Barton 8-2. Edge: Barton
Home record: Princeton 9-1; Barton 14-2. Edge: Princeton
Road record: Princeton 6-8; Barton 8-2. Edge: Barton
Record vs. common opponents: Princeton 5-1; Barton 5-0. Edge: Barton
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: Princeton 0-6; Barton 1-1. Edge: Barton
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push
Penn State vs. Barton
RPI ranking: Penn State No. 22; Barton No. 12. Edge: Barton
Strength of schedule: Penn State No. 21; Barton No. 35. Edge: Penn State
Won-lost results: Penn State 15-14; Barton 25-4. Edge: Barton
Head-to-head competition: Will not play each other this season. Edge: Push
Non-conference record: Penn State 4-10; Barton 8-2. Edge: Barton
Home record: Penn State 9-3; Barton 14-2. Edge: Barton
Road record: Penn State 5-9; Barton 8-2. Edge: Barton
Record vs. common opponents: Penn State 4-4; Barton 4-3. Edge: Barton
Record vs. teams qualified or under consideration: Penn State 0-5; Barton 1-1. Edge: Barton
Eligibility and availability of athletes: Neither teams with serious injuries. Edge: Push