Oklahoma State Basketball Bracketology

February has arrived, which means it's time to start keeping tabs on where this Oklahoma State team is projected in this year's NCAA Basketball Tournament. Each week we will examine where some of the top bracketology sites have the Pokes seeded, as well as look ahead to games that could have the biggest impact on both reaching the tournament and improving their seed come March.

*RPI and SOS stats courtesy CBS.com

OSU took a hit in the RPI rankings after losing to OU on Saturday, falling 9 spots from 33 to 42. The Pokes are in fairly good shape though with wins over three top 50 opponents in the RPI. However, the resume is lacking a quality win on the road, and getting one would go a long way in solidifying their place in the tournament. The loss to South Carolina remains the only major blemish on the resume, and the Pokes need to take care of business against Texas Tech and TCU later in the year to keep it that way.

Here's a quick look at where the Cowboys are currently slotted in some of he latest bracket projections:

*All Projections as of 2/1

The Cowboys are still considered by most to be safely in the field, but they are probably one or two bad loses away from being squarely on the bubble. If the Cowboys can go 9-9 or even 8-10 in conference play and maybe win a game or two in the Big 12 Tournament, they should have nothing to worry about given the strength of the Big 12.

BracketMatrix.com is a site dedicated to ranking the field based on the average of 76 bracket projections as a effort to paint an overall picture of where each team stands. Here is a snippet of where the Cowboys stand in that ranking, along with the teams around them.

*Last Updated 2/1 at 10:47

While being in the 8-10 seed range is a good sign, it certainly doesn't bode well for their chances to get out of the first round. There is still plenty of time for OSU to improve their seed, with several key games remaining on the schedule.

Key Upcoming Games

2/4 Oklahoma State @ #19 Texas

OSU already picked up a big win over Texas at home, but their road woes have been pretty consistent this season. Getting a win in Austin and sweeping the series will have an immediate impact on the RPI.

2/7 Oklahoma State vs. #9 Kansas

The Pokes lost a very sloppy but close game in Lawrence, and OSU has had success against KU at home in recent years.

2/7 Oklahoma State @ #20 Baylor

Beating Baylor at home was a great boost to the RPI, but beating a win in Waco would carry more weight.

2/18 Oklahoma State vs. #15 Iowa State

For whatever reason, these two teams seem to always play each other tight. Other than the remaining road games against top 50 opponents, beating ISU at home would go a long way come selection time.

Check back each week to see where the Pokes stand as we get closer to March Madness.