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Both UCLA and Stanford will enter the postseason with a big boost in the potential tight race for the two NCAA Tournament at-large bids.
The Bruins and Cardinal each moved up the latest strength of schedule rankings and are now the highest ranked team among schools projected to be under NCAA Tournament consideration.
UCLA jumped three spots to No. 2 in the latest rankings that the NCAA released earlier this week. The Bruins have now moved up nine spots in the rankings during the last two weeks.
The Cardinal also improved three spots to No. 4 in the strength of schedule rankings. In addition, the Stanford surpassed both Long Beach State at No. 7 and BYU at No. 8 in the final rankings during the regular season.
The MPSF regular season champions BYU and Long Beach State are both projected to be teams under NCAA Tournament consideration, according to the latest Off the Block bracketology.
UC Irvine along with earning a postseason berth during the weekend maintained its No. 1 strength of schedule ranking and moved to No. 1 in the non-conference strength of schedule rankings.
Strength of schedule is used to help determine a team’s RPI ranking and is among the various pieces of criteria the selection committee can use to create the NCAA Tournament field.
The strength of schedule rankings will continue to be updated throughout the postseason and through Selection Sunday on April 24.
Strength of schedule (as of April 10)
1. UC Irvine
2. UCLA
3. Pepperdine
4. Stanford
5. USC
6. Hawai’i
7. Long Beach State
8. BYU
9. Lindenwood
10. UC Santa Barbara
11. Ohio State
12. Ball State
13. Loyola
14. Lewis
15. Quincy
16. Penn State
17. CSUN
18. IPFW
19. Mount Olive
20. Princeton
21. UC San Diego
22. Erskine
23. Cal Baptist
24. Pfeiffer
25. Limestone
26. McKendree
27. King
28. Emmanuel
29. Lees-McRae
30. Barton
31. Sacred Heart
32. St. Francis
33. NJIT
34. Grand Canyon
35. Coker
36. Belmont Abbey
37. George Mason
38. North Greenville
39. Harvard
40. Alderson Broaddus
41. Concorida-Irvine
42. Charleston
43. Holy Names
Non-conference strength of schedule (as of April 10)
1. UC Irvine
2. Mount Olive
3. Pfeiffer
4. Penn State
5. Erskine
6. Princeton
7. UCLA
8. Ohio State
9. Loyola
10. Limestone
11. Ball State
12. Lindenwood
13. Stanford
14. Lewis
15. George Mason
16. Hawai’i
17. Long Beach State
18. St. Francis
19. Quincy
20. Barton
21. USC
22. NJIT
23. Sacred Heart
24. BYU
25. Emmanuel
26. IPFW
27. UC Santa Barbara
28. Coker
29. King
30. Lees-McRae
31. Concordia-Irvine
32. Alderson Broaddus
33. Harvard
34. Pepperdine
35. Charleston
36. CSUN
37. Holy Names
38. McKendree
39. Grand Canyon
40. Belmont Abbey
41. Cal Baptist
42. North Greenville
43. UC San Diego