Bracket matrix: 11.7, 84 out of 95 brackets (same as yesterday)

Kenpom: 56 (same as yesterday)

RPI: 46 (same as yesterday)

Sagarin: 53 (same as yesterday)

Big Ten standings: Seventh, first-round opponent Minnesota (same as yesterday)

In or out, consensus: In, for now

Feeling: Pumped for tonight. Some decent things happened yesterday - UCF losing, hopefully bumping them further from the bracket, Xavier and UConn losing, hopefully knocking them nearly off the bracket - but the key is Northwestern's ability to win games. And tonight they have a biggie. I mean, the way I see it, if Northwestern wins tonight, they make the NCAA Tournament, even with a loss to Iowa, and even then possibly with a loss in the Big Ten Tournament. Right? Does that seem right? So we're all excited, although we acknowledge it wouldn't be the end of the world if Northwestern lost.

Bracketology roundup: Jerry Palm's latest projections came out yesterday, and he had one of the higher placements of NU yet, putting the Wildcats in at 11. (There's actually one site that has NU at No. 9, but it's just a blogspot, and I haven't been using the predictions of random blogspot accounts just due to the sheer amount.)

UPDATE: Palm re-upped, and now has NU in as a ten seed. !!!