5 College Basketball Teams Ranked in Preseason That Might Not Make NCAA Tourney

UCLA Bruins head coach Ben Howland (pictured) is in an unfamiliar position.

His Bruins (currently 11-9) are on the verge of not making the NCAA tournament.

After starting the season ranked 17th in the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll, things were looking positive for the Los Angeles (Calif.) school that has won 11 NCAA championships. However, the 2011-12 season has been totally the opposite.

Suspensions, lack of talent and you name it have turned the Bruins' season into a nightmare. Question is, can they right the ship in time and make a run to make the tournament?

The answer for the Bruins and four other preseason Top 25 schools are answered here in this slideshow.

Enjoy.

5. Texas A&M Aggies

Unless the Texas A&M Aggies win the Big 12 Conference tournament, they will be sitting out on March Madness.

Texas A&M (11-8) started the season ranked No. 20 (Associated Press) and opened the year 8-1. However, the Aggies have gone in the opposite direction since, losing seven of their next 10 games.

Their 11 remaining games are tough. The Aggies will face five ranked teams (Baylor, Kansas, Missouri and Kansas State twice), with losses already to Baylor, Kansas and Missouri. They have not beaten a ranked opponent all season.

The talent is definitely there but the Aggies have not put it together. Now, their streak of six consecutive tournaments is in serious jeopardy.

This will be the last time Texas A&M will play in the Big 12 Conference. The Aggies will move to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) next year.

4. Pittsburgh Panthers

No team in men's college basketball has been more disappointing than the Pitt Panthers.

The Panthers opened the season ranked 10th in the country and won 11 of their first 12 games, but the wheels have fallen off lately. Pitt (12-9 overall, 1-7 Big East) lost eight straight games before recently beating Providence (86-74). The remaining schedule is favorable; only three of the Panthers' final 10 games are against ranked teams (Georgetown, Louisville and defending champion UConn).

Senior guard Ashton Gibbs (pictured) has performed brilliantly (16.7 PPG) this season, but has not gotten any help. Head coach Jamie Dixon has juggled his lineup, but to no avail.

Playing in the always-tough Big East Conference have also not been too kind to Pitt. Four teams are currently ranked in the Top 25 and the upcoming conference tournament will be brutal. The Panthers have not beaten a ranked team all season and will need to close out the year with some quality wins and a deep run in the Big East tourney if they hope to make an 11th straight NCAA tournament.

3. Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Anthony Grant has had a lot to yell at lately.

Grant's Crimson Tide, after starting the year 13-3, have lost four in row (by a combined 22 points). Alabama was picked 19th by the Associated Press to start the season, but the Tide are fading fast.

Alabama (13-7 overall, 2-4 SEC) will need a miracle to make the tournament. Facing only two ranked teams (Florida and Mississippi State) in its 10 remaining games, Alabama has the talent to make a run.

The question is: Will it be enough?

2. Xavier Musketeers

The Xavier Musketeers have not been the same team since Dec. 10.

What happened on that fateful Saturday rocked the team. A game against their crosstown rival, the Cincinnati Bearcats, turned ugly. A fight involving several players from both schools left a black eye over the Musketeers despite a 76-53 win.

Xavier and guard Tu Holloway (pictured) were 8-0 at the time, but the fight left negative energy over the program. The Musketeers lost five of their next six games and turned what was once a dream season into a nightmare.

They were ranked 14th in the preseason and looked like a serious title contender, but now a 13-7 record has the Musketeers on the outside looking in. Xavier (4-3 in the Atlantic 10) will need a big run the rest of the way.

The conference will probably only send two teams to the NCAA tournament. Currently, St. Louis (16-4) and UMass (15-5) look good. Also, Dayton (14-6) has played well, with wins over both Xavier and Alabama.

1. UCLA Bruins

Could the season get any worse for the UCLA Bruins?

The team that has won an NCAA-record 11 titles is on the verge of not making the NCAA tournament. UCLA (11-9) started the season ranked 17th (Associated Press) and had high hopes of injecting life back into a program that has gone south in recent years.

However, UCLA's season has been anything but positive. Last season's leading scorer and rebounder, Reeves Nelson, was dismissed from the team in early December for conduct problems. Nelson's dismissal was warranted but this Bruins team lacks talent. Brothers Travis and Nelson Wear, along with senior Lazeric Jones, have been the only bright spots for UCLA.

The only bright spot for the Bruins is their 4-4 current record in the Pac-12 Conference. With the league not as strong this season, UCLA has managed to stay afloat. The 11 remaining conference games are against un-ranked teams, so the Bruins have a chance.

But, if improvement is not made, UCLA will not receive a bid to the tournament.