Updated Feb. 18

Week in review
All the Utes (No. 14 RPI, No. 34 SOS) do is win. Last week brought solid victories at Wyoming (No. 54 RPI, No. 129 SOS) and over San Diego State (No. 96 RPI, No. 80 SOS) in Salt Lake City. Utah is now alone atop the Mountain West, having bested each of the primary conference contenders head-to-head.

Perhaps most impressive is that Utah's three biggest MWC victories -- UNLV, BYU and Wyoming -- have all come on the road. Utah enters the back end of the Mountain West schedule knowing that it has already completed its most difficult conference travel.

At Wyoming, the Utes posted a convincing win, 69-56, at a place where few others win. Utah then came home to avenge its only MWC loss of the year, taking out San Diego State by 14 points, 76-62, after falling by two in San Diego in mid-January.

Coming up
Big Monday brought another big test, as UNLV (No. 42 RPI, No. 64 SOS) visited the Huntsman Center; Utah won 86-80. The Utes won by three, 66-63, in Las Vegas in January. That was the game that began Utah's current eight-game winning streak. Overall, the Utes have won 15 of their last 16 outings.

The Utes are off until next Monday, when BYU comes to Salt Lake for a game which could be for first place in the Mountain West.

Planting seeds
Utah is No. 18 this week on The Bracketology Report national seeding chart. That makes the Utes a No. 5 seed and a virtual NCAA lock for mid-February.

So far, the RPI has appreciated Utah much more than the pollsters. If anything, the Utes could be looking at an even higher seed.

Games of the Week
Utah fans should root FOR and AGAINST the teams in ALL CAPS.
For Georgia @ ALABAMA (Tues.)Arizona @ ARIZONA STATE (Sat.)
Against PITT @ Georgetown (Tue.)
Michigan @ PURDUE (Wed.)


Inside the Numbers
Additional considerations for the NCAA Selection Committee include:
"Good" wins
(vs. RPI 1-25) @ BYU
(vs. RPI 26-50) Arizona State, Alabama, @ UNLV, UNLV
(vs. RPI 51-100) Weber State, @ Wyoming, SD State "Bad" losses
(vs. RPI 101-150) NONE
(vs. RPI sub-150) NONE
Record vs. projected field (6-2)
Win: Winthrop, Arizona State, Alabama. Weber State, @ Wyoming, S.D. State
Loss: N-Gonzaga, N-Arizona State Record vs. at-large pool (1-1)
Win: @ Wyoming
Loss: @ Utah State
Reason(s) to SEED Utah

No. 14 RPI

Moutain West leader

9-1 in last 10 games
Reason(s) to DROP Utah

non-DI win

non-conference SOS No. 53



Season breakdown (18-4, 7-1)


Date Opponent Result Opp. RPI Opp. SOS
11/22 Southern Utah 61-47 276 287
11/25 N-Gonzaga (L) 52-71 46 120
11/26 N-Massachusetts 69-53 182 123
11/27 N-Arizona St.(L)79-83 OT 30 41

12/3 Winthrop 72-42 202 309
12/7 Arizona State 78-55 30 41
12/14 Northern Iowa 75-53 245 148
12/17 @Utah State (L) 54-59 92 211
12/20 @Pepperdine 77-61 136 140
12/23 @San Diego 64-58 127 135
12/30 Alabama 51-49 27 16

1/3 Weber State 72-58 52 179
1/6 St. Mary's 65-59 140 100
1/11 IPFW 76-59 281 218
1/14 Ripon College 75-59 N/A N/A
1/18 @S.D. State (L) 56-58 96 80
1/20 @UNLV 66-63 42 64
1/25 @BYU 79-75 18 11

2/1 Air Force 45-35 149 153
2/3 New Mexico 78-68 170 61
2/8 @Colorado State 71-66 100 108
2/10 @Wyoming 69-56 54 129
2/15 San Diego State 76-62 96 80
2/17 UNLV 42 64
2/24 BYU 18 11

3/1 @New Mexico 170 61
3/3 @Air Force 149 153
3/6 Colorado State 100 108
3/8 Wyoming 54 129
3/13 MOUNTAIN WEST TOURNAMENT


Bracketology forecast
Chance of NCAA top seed: 5 percent
Chance of NCAA "protected" (1-4) seed: 40 percent
Chance of NCAA bid: 90 percent
Chance of NCAA at-large bid: 70 percent
Chance of NIT bid: 5 percent
Chance of missing post-season: 0 percent