In this segment, we'll take a look at what the national media thinks of the UTEP men's basketball team and what the week ahead will hold.
The bracket
NCAA tournament bracket projections from various national outlets:
ESPN: Getting closer to home. Joe Lunardi has UTEP as a No. 9 seed in the Midwest regional facing former WAC foe and No. 8 seed UNLV. This game would take place in Oklahoma City, an easy drive for many UTEP alums in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and a Southwest flight away for those in El Paso, San Antonio, Austin and Houston and all the points in between.
CBS: Jerry Palm pits UTEP against Gonzaga in what would be an intriguing 6-11 contest. This one would be in San Jose, Calif., as part of the Midwest regional.
Rivals: This Web site doesn't offer up bracket, but Mike Huguenin has promoted UTEP from a No. 12 to a No. 11 seed.
Another week, another accolade
UTEP junior guard Randy Culpepper was named the Conference USA Player of the Week for the second week in a row, UTEP athletics officials announced Monday.
Culpepper scored 29 points in 30 minutes in UTEP's 78-70 victory Saturday at Tulsa. The win was UTEP's 10th straight conference win, a school record.
UTEP has had the Conference USA Player of the Week in four of the last five weeks. Derrick Caracter was selected Feb. 1, and Culpepper was honored previously on Jan. 25 and Feb. 15.
Rankings
In the biggest shaft of the week, the Miners received 86 votes in the Associated Press top 25 to fall just one spot out of the poll. UTEP steady rise makes it deserving of being ranked among the nation’s best. For shame, national writers.
At least UTEP cracked the ESPN/USA Today poll, where the Miners are ranked No. 25. It is their first national ranking in 18 years.
Plan your sick days
March 16: Opening-round game in Dayton, Ohio.
First and second rounds
March 18 and 20: New Orleans; Providence, R.I.; San Jose, Calif.; Oklahoma City.
March 19 and 21: Buffalo, N.Y.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Milwaukee; Spokane, Wash.
Regional semifinals and final
March 25 and 27: Syracuse, N.Y.; Salt Lake City.
March 26 and 28: St. Louis; Houston.
Final Four
April 3 and 5: Indianapolis.
This week
The Miners go for 11 consecutive wins this Wednesday on the road against Southern Miss at 6 p.m. El Paso time at the in Hattiesburg, Miss. The game will be televised on Time Warner’s MetroSports Channel 24. On Saturday, UTEP returns to the Don Haskins Center for the first time since Feb. 13 to host Rice. Tipoff is at 7:05 p.m. Only one home game will remain after this week.
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