This week marks the first attempt at picking the field should the tournament committee have looked at only games through Sunday night. There is still over a month to go before the real selection so the teams on the outside looking in still have a chance, but the road only gets steeper as we move along. When the tournament projection is posted later today, I am sure you will notice some notable absences, such as the current Big East leader, West Virginia. You are probably asking how the #1 team in the #3 conference could be left out, especially when they are undefeated?

Well, look at the schedule and then get back to me. They finished their non-conference slate at 8-4. And where were the marquis wins on that list? They certainly weren't when they were beating up on the likes of Wofford, St. Bonaventure, or Md.-Baltimore Co. No, right now, the best win on the non-conference list is a 24 point win over Oklahoma, who at the time was 6-1 and ranked 7th. They barely survived against a UCLA team a week ago, and then followed that performance by dropping a game to in-state rival Marshall. Hardly anything to impress in there. Yes, they have some "good losses" to Texas and LSU, but they are still losses. And at the time, LSU didn't look like they should be beating anybody like West Virginia. Their loss to Kentucky is still one that we have to watch to determine what side of the ledger it falls on, but more on the Cats in a bit.

So, then what about the conference record for the Mountaineers? They have run the slate so far but what kind of slate has that been? Two of the wins have come against teams which are currently in the bottom four in the league and at this point, won't even make the trip to New York for the Big East tournament. Saturday's win against St. John's was a lesson in how not to win a game. West Virginia squandered an 18 point lead and needed a last second steal by Mike Gansey to secure the victory. As has been the theme this season, free throw shooting down the stretch almost cost them that win. They have close wins against Villanova and Georgetown, both teams that look like they will be dancing, and they have an extra large win against Marquette, still the only team this season to knock off Connecticut. Not the toughest of Big East schedules so far, but remember that West Virginia wasn't picked as one of the media darlings this season and therefore doesn't get the high profile Connecticuts and Syracuses more than once.

The end of the West Virginia schedule is definitely going to tell the tale of this team and right now, it looks like that tale may be headed in the southern direction. They finish up with two games against Pittsburgh, the rematch at Georgetown, and Connecticut marking the true tests in the final 10 games for the Mountaineers. And don't forget the traps with Syracuse, Louisville, and two against Cincinnati still to come also. Yes, West Virginia may still be dancing come March, but February is going to be a tournament in its own right to see where the Mountaineers will be playing. And that place may just be the NIT.

Quick Hits for the Week:

• Someone find out what is wrong with the Orange in a hurry. Syracuse has lost four in a row, though granted against a brutal schedule, including 3 teams in the top 10. Things don't get any easier for the Orange who find themselves in 8th in the Big East and falling fast from the 3-0 start. The rematch against Connecticut in Storrs will be a true gut check for this team. They fought back in the first game to avoid the massive blow-out but looked unhealthy doing it. They still have a week and half to prepare for the Huskies and they will need every minute of it. Here's hoping they don't look past Rutgers this week and drop their 5th straight.
• Just two weeks ago, I wondered about the fates of Kentucky and Kansas. And to prove me crazy, they have both made little runs. Kentucky though is doing just what I thought they might. Looking at the schedule that week, I figured them for 3-3 in the SEC at this point, including in there a loss to either Georgia or Arkansas. They won both and now sit at 4-2. That doesn't mean they are out of the deep water yet. I still have them pegged at 6-6, six games from now. Maybe Tubby Smith made a good move in hiring the sports psychologist to help the team prior to the Georgia game. It has spawned a four game win streak and has them tied for second in their Division of the SEC. Games against Florida and Tennessee over the next two weeks will show whether this Wildcat team truly has things turned around. Kansas on the other hand seems to have matured overnight. Despite losing the game right after my article to Missouri, and almost having me believing that the Jay Hawks were destined for a three letter tournament, they have since righted the ship against the bottom of the Big 12. They are getting contributions from different players in every game and are now finally playing as a team and recognizing the hot man on the floor. They have a test this evening against Texas Tech and finish on Sunday against Oklahoma, a team on a roll of their own. Is this week a bump in the road for Kansas or is it the beginning of another trip down the tank?
• Don't look now, but Boston College has figured out how to win in the ACC. Four straight victories in the league have the Eagles soaring out of last in conference and into a tie for fourth. Over the past four games, Craig Smith and Jared Dudley have led the way. Smith netted his 2000th point of his career in a non-conference game against Holy Cross in the middle of this ACC run and is finally showing the form that gained him pre-season All-Conference honors. Playing the shadows of the big due at Duke, Smith has quietly gone about his business this season and is finally getting the respect that guys like JJ Redick and Shelden Williams get from the referees in the league. Smith and BC get a chance to prove that they are for real in the ACC when they take on Duke, Wednesday night, at home.