Gophers still on the bubble in updated NCAA women's bracketology

After getting swept in Los Angeles by Big Ten juggernauts UCLA and USC, the Minnesota Gophers women's basketball team is still in a fairly good position en route to Selection Sunday.

Charlie Creme's updated bracketology for ESPN has Minnesota included in the group of teams receiving the last four byes in the NCAA Tournament. That's one tier above the "Last Four In" and two tiers above the dreaded "First Four Out."

As it stands now, Creme projects Minnesota as a No. 10 seed against No. 7 Oklahoma State.

There are 12 teams from the Big Ten in Creme's 68-team bracket: UCLA (1), USC (1), Ohio State (3), Maryland (5), Michigan State (5), Michigan (8), Illinois (9), Oregon (9), Nebraska (10), Iowa (10), Indiana (10), and Minnesota (10).

The Gophers are 18-5 overall and all five losses are against ranked opponents (Nebraska, Maryland, Michigan, USC and UCLA).

Minnesota gave USC a pretty good run for their money last Thursday before losing by 13 points, and they were tight with undefeated UCLA before the Bruins blew them away in the fourth quarter and won 79-53.

With seven games left in the regular season, the Gophers still don't have a marquee win but they are 6-5 in the loaded Big Ten and still have two games against ranks teams ahead — Feb. 13 at No. 8 Ohio State and March 1 at No. 20 Michigan State.