Lunardi’s responses aren’t really surprising here, given he no longer has PC among the LAST EIGHT OUT.

Joe Lunardi Chat Friday Afternoon

jeremy compton(berkeley springs, WV) [via mobile]: With the obvious dominance of the big east teams (we ‘could’ have 3 #1 seeds but that won’t happen) why not let Providence in? yes, they looked terrible against L’ville (oh that is right L’ville could easily walk away with a national title and may be the #1 team in the country) but I think they dominate or at least handle a Mich, Md, Kan…..should I go on? time to give props and the big east is IT in college basketball! If I am duke and given a #2 seed because I ‘use’ to be good. I am praying to any basketball god that will listen “PLEASE don’t let WVU, SYC, Nova be in my bracket”. because we are not good enough to beat them.

Joe Lunardi: Providence has had plenty of chances to earn an at-large bid. With one or two exceptions it has not gone their way. Doesn’t have anything to do with being in the “it” conference.

Woh, first of all, this guy wrote all that from a mobile device?  Man alive I hope he didn’t use one of those crappy phones without a keypad, where you have to press 1 twice just to get a “B”.  Second of all, nice question!

Jimmy (Chesapeake, VA): Who is the best team who is going to miss out of the NCAA tournament and probably going to the NIT? Rhode Island, Davidson, Temple, or Providence?

Joe Lunardi: None of these, Eric, and certainly not Rhode Island or Providence. How about Arizona? Or Florida? Or UNLV? Or a potentially healthy Saint Mary’s? Or Creighton?

Wait, so are you saying you like Providence? I’m not clear.

Chris (Providence): Any chance Providence gets in like Air Force did a few years ago?

Joe Lunardi: Always a chance, but this committee is smarter than that. Plus, Providence is way more qualified than Air Force in 2006

Ok fine.

As expected, lots of PC talk on ESPN.com regarding the bubble.  Good news is that nobody from ESPN is on the Selection Committee.  Bad news is that the general consensus of the WWL is that the Friars would need to win two games in the BET.

I wouldn’t read too much into these, but here ya go.

Joey Brackets Updated Bracketology

FIRST FOUR OUT

San Diego State Creighton Florida Miami

NEXT FOUR OUT

Davidson Maryland PROVIDENCE Temple

Bubble Watch man Mark Schlabach also fielded some PC related questions

Clifford (CT): Can Providence get in with one win in the big east tourney or do they have to beat Louisville?

Mark Schlabach: I think it would be debated for a long time by the committee if Providence won only once in New York. 10-8 finish in Big East helps, but they basically have wins over Pitt and Syracuse and that’s it. Friars had some bad road losses in the Big East and were recently blown out at home by Notre Dame. I think they’re definitely on the bubble, but it’s debatable which way it might go.
Chris ( Syracuse, NY): How Many Team from the big East will make the NCAA Tourney?

Mark Schlabach: Minimum of seven and possibly eight. Providence has the best chance of becoming the eighth team in the dance, but Georgetown, Notre Dame and Cincinnati could do it by getting to the Big East tourney championship game.
Mike (Boston): I have watched alomst all of Providences games this year and have to say that they are pretty much nothing more than ordinary. With that being said how can the committee overlook them having 10 wins in the best conference in America? Also I wouldnt say that beating Pitt and Syracuse are their only good wins. They beat Cinn 2x and also beat a solid Seton Hall team and Rhode Island.

Mark Schlabach: You give them some credit for finishing 10-6 and beating Pitt and Syracuse, but you have to look a little deeper, too. Did you realize that eight of Providence’s 10 Big East wins came against teams with losing records in Big East play, including six wins over teams that finished in the bottom five? I’m not knocking the Friars — they beat Pitt after all — but you don’t automatically get in for finishing 10-6 in the Big East. It’s also about which teams you beat to do it.

Just win baby.

I can’t argue with Lunardi’s placement of Providence in his latest Bracketology

FIRST FOUR OUT
Arizona
Kentucky
PROVIDENCE
San Diego State

We all know they need to win one or two in the BET.

What bugs me are comments in his Friday Chat

Providence: Will providence make it to the tournament?

Joe Lunardi: Hard to be optimistic after the big loss at Villanova. Looks like an NIT team to me.

Oscar, Buffalo Lick, KY: Joe, I love my Cats but how in the heck can you still have us just barly out of the March Madness after losing to a horrible Ga team?

Joe Lunardi: Look at the teams below them, Oscar. UK is better than most, if not all, and certainly has better wins.

First of all, Buffalo Lick?

Second of all, Providence is below Kentucky.  Even though Kentucky just lost to Georgia (12-18, 3-12) on their own home court!  Not to mention they have lost 7 of their last 10.  Oh, and they are in the SEC.  Which blows.

In KMac’s latest blog post, he talks about an ESPN Conference Call with Joey Brackets.

“The Pitt win is what is giving (Providence) credibility at the moment,” said Lunardi. The unbalanced schedule in the Big East will ultimately keep them out. They played a softer schedule than some other bubble teams and the committee will see that. In my current bracket, Providence and Penn State are the most likely to play their way out.”

Even after it seems like 4 or 5 Bubble teams get popped a night?  Given what has transpired the past two days, I personally feel that a loss versus Nova plus ONE win in the BET would get the Friars in — I am not going to feel completely comfortable come Selection Sunday, but I would think they would get in.

Bracketology has been updated

LAST FOUR IN
Penn State
PROVIDENCE
Creighton
Arizona

Joey B has us as the #12 Seed in the South (Mempis) Bracket, playing #5 LSU in Boise.

(photo http://www.collegehoopsnet.com)

There is goigng to be a lot of different opinions on where PC stands right now…there are going to be people saying they are first FOUR OUT, and first FOUR IN…of course, it’s all going to come down to PC’s next two games, but it’s still fun to project now.

UPDATE: If you don’t like Joey Brackets, check out BaselineStats’ Bracket Projections (PC is second team out)