Weekly MBB polls and brackets

by Barca Blog

National Rankings

With two big conference road wins last week, Vanderbilt's men's basketball team inched closer to returning to the Top 25 today. The Commodores (14-3, 3-0 SEC) moved up in the Others Receiving Votes category of the Associated Press (26th) and ESPN/USA Today (t-27th) polls.

Vanderbilt has appeared in the Top 25 twice this year, but dropped out the following week after losing to Cincinnati (Nov. 23) and Illinois (Dec. 8).

Click Here to view the complete rankings

NCAA Bracket Predictions

The experts have released their latest projections for the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

ESPN's Joe Lunardi has Vanderbilt jumping from an 11th seed to a 6th seed.

CNNSI's Andy Glockner also has the 'Dores as a 6th seed, rising from a 9th seed. Notice who he lists as VU's first round opponent. Glockner had this to say in his Bubble Watch:

Very quietly, Vanderbilt (14-3, 3-0, RPI: 22, SOS: 29) has won eight straight after a road sweep at Alabama and South Carolina. Beating Auburn at home on Saturday should be a priority, as the next two-game trip after that is at Tennessee and Kentucky. We'll find out everything we need to know there. Nonleague was a mixed bag, with losses to Western Kentucky and Illinois and wins over Missouri and at Saint Mary's.

Also worth mentioning... ESPN's Andy Katz wrote about the 'Dores in his Weekly Watch:

The Commodores are quietly putting together a run for an NCAA bid. Beating Alabama and South Carolina on the road is just two more steps.