RPI WATCH: 2/27/12

Well, you can't spell "West Virginia" without "N-I-T." If the Mountaineers keep on this course, Bob Huggins will become all too familiar with how to spell the name of "the other tournament."

Other weekend lowlights included yet another Virginia Tech heart-breaker, a 1-17 conference finish for woeful Loyola and UTEP magnetically snapping back to .500 by being crushed at UCF. However...

None of that matters, baby, because the Tide are rolling into March. That's right, Alabama's back as a signature win.

Anthony Grant is following the tried-and-true method, patented by Frank Martin, of tearing down his players mid-season so they will destroy everything in their path in late February.

Saturday, it was Mississippi State, which has lost five straight to position itself precariously on the bubble.

Could unbeaten Kentucky follow next week? The Tide did give the Cats a tougher game in Lexington than anyone else...

Overall Record = 19-9

Big 12 Record = 8-8

Top 50 Record = 5-6

RPI = 45

SOS = 42

Signature Wins (RPI 1-30) = Alabama, Missouri (x2), Baylor

Quality Wins (RPI 31-100) = Long Beach State, Texas

Bad Losses (RPI 101 or greater) = Oklahoma (x2)

• Charleston Southern (18-11, 11-7 Big South) | RPI = 170: Win at Radford (65-59)
• Loyola Chicago (7-22, 1-17 Horizon) | RPI = 307: Losses to Green Bay (70-73 in overtime) and Milwaukee (69-78)
  
• UMES (7-20, 4-10 MEAC) | RPI = 310: Win over Morgan State (58-57)
• George Washington (10-18, 7-7 A-10) | RPI = 172: Win over Duquesne (56-51)
• Virginia Tech (15-14, 4-10 ACC) | RPI = 104: Loss at No. 5 Duke (65-70 in overtime)
• West Virginia (17-12, 7-9 Big East) | RPI = 50: Loss to No. 10 Marquette (60-61)
• North Florida (16-15, 10-8 A-Sun) | RPI = 169: Win at Jacksonville (70-64)
• Alabama (19-9, 8-6 SEC) | RPI = 24: Win over Mississippi State (67-50)
• Southern Illinois (8-22, 5-13 MVC) | RPI = 252: Loss to Northern Iowa (61-65)
• UTEP (14-14, 7-7 C-USA) | RPI = 136: Loss at UCF (45-63)
• Long Beach State (21-7, 14-0 Big West) | RPI = 35: Win over UC Riverside (64-40)
• Howard (9-20, 6-10 MEAC) | RPI = 292: Loss at Delaware State (46-63)
• No. 4 Kansas (24-5, 14-2 Big 12) | RPI = 6: Win over No. 3 Missouri (87-86 in overtime)
• No. 3 Missouri (25-4, 12-4 Big 12) | RPI = 16: Loss at No. 4 Kansas (86-87 in overtime)
• No. 13 Baylor (24-5, 11-5 Big 12) | RPI = 9: Win over Oklahoma (70-60)
• Oklahoma (14-14, 4-12 Big 12) | RPI = 118: Loss at No. 13 Baylor (60-70)
• Texas (18-11, 8-8 Big 12) | RPI = 55: Win at Texas Tech (71-67 in overtime)
• Oklahoma State (14-15, 7-9 Big 12) | RPI = 112: Win over Texas A&M (60-42)
• Texas Tech (8-20, 1-15 Big 12) | RPI = 233: Loss to Texas (67-71 in overtime)
• Iowa State (21-8, 11-5 Big 12) | RPI = 31: Win at Kansas State (65-61)
• Texas A&M (13-15, 4-12 Big 12) | RPI = 163: Loss at Oklahoma State (42-60)