"Clinging on to life" could be the theme of today's RPI WATCH — only instead of life, it's more like "RPI Top 100 status."

The subjects of this soliloquy are, of course, Alabama and Washington State, who both currently reside in the 95-99 range after pathetic defeats Thursday night.

The former lost at home by one point to Florida, falling to 3-5 in SEC play, while the latter continued to redefine mediocrity by losing at home by 11 points to equally mediocre Arizona State.

I was completely wrong about Wazzu. I thought having a dynamic scorer such as Klay Thompson would make the Cougars a factor in the Pac-10 race. Instead, they're 4-6 in what has turned out to be perhaps the ninth-best conference in the country.

Thank God we won that game, because losing it would have been a millstone around our neck come Selection Sunday.

Speaking of the Pac-10, does anyone want to win that conference? Arizona and Cal were tied for the lead, until the Wildcats lost last night at underachieving Washington by six points and the Golden Bears lost at ineligible-for-the-postseason USC by three.

Current K-State AP Ranking = T-10

Current K-State ESPN/USA Today Ranking = 11

Current K-State Record = 18-4

Current K-State Big 12 Record = 5-3

Current K-State RPI = 7

Current K-State SOS = 2

Great Wins (RPI 1-50*) = Dayton, Xavier, UNLV, Texas A&M, Texas, Baylor

Solid Wins (RPI 51-100) = IUPUI, Washington State, Alabama

Bad Losses (RPI 101 or greater) = none

• Loyola (13-9, 4-8) | RPI = 161: Win over Youngstown State (92-85 in overtime)
  
• Western Illinois (9-13, 2-9) | RPI = 318
  
• Boston (12-11, 7-4) | RPI = 163: Win over New Hampshire (69-47)
  
• No. 25 Ole Miss (16-6, 4-4) | RPI = 46
  
• Dayton (15-6, 4-3) | RPI = 41
  
• IUPUI (16-8, 9-2) | RPI = 91
  
• No. 3** FHSU (16-3)
  
• Washington State (14-8, 4-6) | RPI = 98: Loss to Arizona State (81-70)
  
• Xavier (16-6, 8-1) | RPI = 20
  
• UNLV (18-4, 6-2) | RPI = 38
  
• Alabama (13-9, 3-5) | RPI = 95: Loss to Florida (66-65)
  
• UAPB (6-14, 6-3) | RPI = 239
  
• Cleveland State (11-12, 7-4) | RPI = 148: Win at Illinois-Chicago (74-63)
  
• South Dakota (12-9) | RPI = 241
  
• Missouri (16-6, 4-3) | RPI = 49
  
• Texas A&M (16-6, 5-3) | RPI = 27
  
• Colorado (11-11, 2-6) | RPI = 140
  
• No. 9 Texas (19-3, 5-2) | RPI = 15
  
• Oklahoma State (16-6, 4-4) | RPI = 32
  
• No. 20 Baylor (17-4, 4-3) | RPI = 24
  
• No. 1 Kansas (21-1, 7-0) | RPI = 1
  
• Nebraska (13-9, 1-6) | RPI = 126
  
• Iowa State (13-9, 2-5) | RPI = 111
  
• Oklahoma (12-9, 3-4) | RPI = 84
  
• Texas Tech (14-7, 2-5) | RPI = 37
  

*RPI 1-25 are in bold

**Division II Top 25