Top-16 in sight for Cardinal

After the Colorado game on Sunday, Tara said that the team's focus is now on winning through to an NCAA top-16 seed and more games in Maples Pavilion (in addition to the scheduled game against Cal on Thursday).

Although the Cardinal has won its last six games, its RPI slipped from 10 to 14 last week because the Mountain schools are among the least successful. Its RPI will likely slip again the last week of the season with games against the Washington Schools, whose RPIs are currently 85 and 167.

So the games against Cal (RPI currently 36) next week are critical, as is the Cardinal's performance in the Pac-12 tourney.

In spite of the RPI decrease, the Cardinal has moved up from #17 to #14 in the AP Top 25, and to a #4 seed (a top 16) in Charlie Creme's bracket.

Here are Creme's current bracket and bracketology report: Bracketology's biggest challenge: Which teams will get to host early-round games?

Of Stanford, he says:

Interestingly, Stanford — a team the Buckeyes beat twice earlier this season — is the chief beneficiary of Ohio State's fall (as well as stumbles by Michigan and Texas A&M). The Cardinal went from a 6-6 team to the co-leaders of the Pac-12 and now in the top 16 (No. 4 seed). With four games left in the regular season (Stanford should be considered a solid favorite in each) and a good run in the Pac-12 tournament, the Cardinal have the potential to climb as high as a No. 3 seed should teams in front of them stumble at all.