For bubble teams, spots in the NCAA Tournament aren't clinched in February, but with their 71-63 victory over the New Mexico Lobos, the Colorado State Rams made a strong case on Tuesday night for their inclusion. In his up-to-the-minute projection of the 2012 NCAA Tournament field, ESPN's resident bracketologist Joe Lunardi now projects the Rams as one of the "last four in" the tournament.
Along with their victory over the Lobos, Colorado State received some help on Tuesday night when the Miami Hurricanes fell on the road to the Maryland Terrapins, dropping them from the field, at least for the moment. The good news for the Rams is that although their current inclusion in the field is very much tenuous, they have upcoming games against the San Diego State Aztecs and UNLV Rebels, both of which are ranked.
For more Mountain West basketball, head over to Mountain West Connection. Check out SB Nation NCAA Basketball for more news and notes as we approach March Madness.