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In our weekly series look at the top 10 NCAA Tournament resumes, we're still waiting for a team or even a small group of teams to separate from the pack as the home stretch approaches. This list figures to remain pretty fluid, and don't be surprised if we have at least one more chaotic week like the final week of January before the season ends.

When the NCAA selection committee evaluates teams, they want to answer key questions about each team:

  • Who did they play?
  • Where did they play them?
  • Who did they beat?
  • And who beat them?

It's a subjective process guided by objective data (RPI). There are five more computer ranking systems averaged together to help inform the committee, but no team gets in or seeded based on any individual or collective computer ranking alone. The rankings will tend to converge as the season goes on, but there will still be disagreements and anomalies.

For those of you who follow the football selection committee, note that head-to-head is not necessarily a decisive criterion in basketball. It is not unusual to see a team selected or seeded ahead of a team it lost to during the season. Here is how things stand as of games through Feb. 7.

10. Louisville Cardinals (19-5, 7-4 ACC -- RPI rank: 5)

Last week: No. 7

Best wins: Kentucky, Duke, Purdue

Losses: vs. Baylor, at Florida State, at Notre Dame, Virginia twice

The Cards have a few pretty good wins, all at home. They also beat Indiana in Indianapolis, a neutral-site game. There isn't anything resembling a bad loss, and they were competitive in most of their losses, but Virginia gives them fits. Louisville also has played one of the toughest overall schedules.

9. Virginia Cavaliers (18-5, 8-3 ACC -- RPI: 14)

Last week: No. 9

Best wins: Louisville twice, at Notre Dame

Losses: at Florida State, at Pitt, at Syracuse, at Villanova, vs. West Virginia

The Cavaliers' overall record and ability to beat very good teams on the road is why they are here. They also seen to have Louisville's number. Virginia also has three other wins over other bracket teams (Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, California). The line between the Cavs and the Cardinals is pretty thin. Both have good profiles in different ways. For now, the sweep is the difference.

8. Arizona Wildcats (21-3, 10-1 Pac-12 -- RPI: 12)

Last week: No. 5

Best wins: at UCLA, at USC

Losses: vs. Butler, vs. Gonzaga, at Oregon

The Wildcats have been good away from home, and they have had to be. At least they were until they went to Oregon. Ouch. They took a 27-point beatdown that cost them a shot at a No. 1 seed and dropped them to a three in Monday's bracket. Louisville's most recent loss has allowed Arizona to creep back up a little, but their margin for error for getting back to the top line of the bracket got smaller.

7. Oregon Ducks (21-3, 10-1 Pac-12 -- RPI: 10)

Last week: Not ranked

Best wins: vs. Arizona, vs. UCLA, vs. USC

Losses: at Baylor, vs. Georgetown, at Colorado

The Ducks had to deal with star Dillon Brooks' early injury issues, but are looking very good. Oregon has beaten all four of the other Pac-12 teams that are currently in the bracket (Arizona, California, UCLA, USC), including that 85-58 blowout of Arizona last Saturday. However, the Ducks are a high-level home-court hero. All their best wins were in Eugene. They do not have to make the return trip to Arizona, but the L.A. trip is this week.

6. North Carolina Tar Heels (21-4, 9-2 ACC -- RPI: 4)

Last week: No. 8

Best wins: vs. Florida State, vs. Wisconsin, Notre Dame

Losses: at Georgia Tech, at Indiana, vs Kentucky, at Miami

The Tar Heels are making a push to the top of the bracket. They're already atop the ACC standings and have won 9 of 10. UNC has eight top 50 wins (Florida State, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Wake Forest, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Monmouth), which is very good, although two are against non-tournament teams (Wake and Tennessee). Five of UNC's final seven games are against top 25 teams, including home and home dates opposite Duke and Virginia.

5. Florida State Seminoles (20-4, 8-3 ACC -- RPI: 6)

Last week: No. 6

Best wins: vs. Duke, vs. Florida, vs. Louisville, vs. Notre Dame, at Virginia

Losses: at Georgia Tech, at North Carolina, at Syracuse, vs. Temple

The Seminoles still lead the pack with five RPI top 25 wins (Louisville, Florida, Virginia, Duke, Minnesota), and they have a win over No. 27 (Notre Dame) as well. That is part of eight top 50 wins overall. Most of the wins have come at home. To win the ACC and compete for a No. 1 seed, Florida State needs to beat better teams away from Tallahassee.

4. Kansas Jayhawks (21-3, 9-2 Big 12 -- RPI: 3)

Last week: No. 4

Best wins: Baylor, vs. Duke, at Kentucky

Losses: vs. Indiana, at West Virginia, vs. Iowa State

Kansas had to fight tooth and nail to beat Baylor to extend its home-court winning streak to 54 games, and it must have taken some of the starch out of the Jayhawks. They streak ended vs. Iowa State the next time out. Despite the head-to-head result, Baylor's profile is slightly better, in large part due to KU's loss to Indiana.

3. Baylor Bears (20-3, 7-3 Big 12 -- RPI: 1)

Last week: No. 1

Best wins: vs. Louisville, vs. Xavier, vs. Oregon

Losses: at Kansas, at West Virginia, vs. Kansas State

The Bears' nine RPI top 50 wins lead the nation, and all over teams in the current bracket (Louisville, Oregon, Xavier, VCU, Oklahoma State, TCU, Kansas State, Iowa State, Michigan State). The loss at West Virginia was sizable (89-68), but the Mountaineers did the same thing to Kansas (85-69). Kansas beat the Bears by five at home in a back and forth game. From a tournament perspective, that is not necessarily a decisive thing.

2. Villanova Wildcats (23-2, 10-2 Big East -- RPI: 2)

Last week: No. 3

Best wins: at Creighton, at Purdue, vs. Notre Dame, vs. Virginia, vs. Xavier

Losses: at Butler, at Marquette

The defending national champions have four RPI top 25 wins (Xavier, Virginia, Creighton, Purdue), second to Florida State, including a thrilling 61-59 win over Virginia last weekend. While the Wildcats have shown road strength, winning at Creighton and Purdue, they could regret losing 74-72 at Marquette if the Golden Eagles fade out of tournament contention, but that is not a problem at the moment.

1. Gonzaga Bulldogs (24-0, 12-0 WCC -- RPI: 9)

Last week: No. 2

Best wins: vs. Florida, vs. Arizona, vs. St Mary's

Losses: None

The No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 has played a decent schedule and hasn't lost, but strength of schedule is hurt considerably by playing in the West Coast Conference. The Zags' prospects rely largely on how Florida and Arizona finish. They also have a win over Iowa State, which is currently in the bracket near the bottom of the at-large list, so a strong finish by the Cyclones also would help. Gonzaga is also dependent on St. Mary's. They need to beat the Gaels three times, but also need St. Mary's to avoid bad losses in WCC play to enhance the Zags' win quality.