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BYU Tournament Résumé: Cougars slip-sliding away

BYU lost to a team with < 150 RPI with San Diego playing Cougar kryptonite again. The bracketology outlook adjusted accordingly, and now the NIT is even in question.

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

I'd bemoan the regularity of this situation, but perhaps we should be consigned to it as a fact of BYU life. At least until all those top-100 recruits are on the floor together. You can afford to lose any game to Gonzaga and even on the road at Saint Mary's, but Pepperdine at home and not being able to grab close games against Utah and San Diego State? This feels all too familiar.

I've compiled a profile of data from bracketologists and records to take a look at where the Cougars stand relative to qualifying for the NCAA tournament.

BYU'S PROFILE

Record: 15-7
Home: 8-3
Road: 5-2 | Neutral: 2-2 | Combined: 7-4

RATINGS
RPI: 61 (-14 from last week)
KenPom: 39 (even)
Sagarin: 43 (+2)

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
KenPom: 35 (+3)
Sagarin: 52 (-5)

RPI W-L PROFILE

Top 50: 1-3
51-100: 2-1
101-150: 1-1
151-200: 5-2
200+: 4-0

BRACKETOLOGY

Joe LunardiESPN
STATUS: OUT
Not Listed. Worth noting Saint Mary's is 8th team out.
(Last week: First Four Out)

Jerry PalmCBS
STATUS: OUT
Not in First Four Out

Chris DobberteanSB Nation
STATUS: OUT
Not in First Four Out OR Next Four Out
Listed under "also considered"

Dave OmmenNBC
STATUS: OUT
Next Five Out
10th overall team out - posted Friday before San Diego loss

Bracket Matrix
STATUS: OUT
Next Four Out, appearing in 10 of 73 brackets
7th overall team out

Trending like this, it will be good to keep an eye on John Templon's NIT Bracketology. He hasn't posted one since December 29, but it will heat up as the season progresses.

John TemplonNIT Bracketology
STATUS: OUT
In his initial NIT bracket, he had BYU as a 2-seed hosting (7) Alabama.

* * *

The door isn't 100% closed on an NCAA Tournament berth, but it would take quite an unlikely run to even get close (read: win out until WCC title game) and lots of bubble help. Or, of course, the unlikely shocker of beating Gonzaga in the WCC title game.

As it is, it will be work enough just for BYU to get back on the NIT radar. I can't believe I'm even typing that.