Absolutely, that will be a factor.

I think ultimately, with six weeks to go before conference tournament week, a lot of these seeming inequities will even out. The Valley is more likely to get three than four. They are more likely to go down than they are to go up. The Big XII can only go up. The Pac-10 is probably going to get three, because frankly they're not that good, so they'll have to get over it.

I think the winner of this game clearly establishes itself as No. 2 in the Valley. To me, Northern Iowa is the best team and I think that will be clear at the end of the race.

Recent history suggests they're in. When you win the championship of a top-10 RPI conference like the Mountain West, you're in.

He said, from a public relations perspective, all of the things you would script if you had a chance to script it -- and they didn't have a chance to script it.

It's up to Seton Hall, and it's not really up to Seton Hall. They're done playing. It's up to the ones chasing them. (The Big East) will either get in eight or nine, depending on Seton Hall.