Opponent speculation

Whether Penn gets a 13 or a 14 seed in about three hours, there are only a handful of teams that the Quakers could draw. Here's a quick rundown, with record, CBS Sportsline RPI and strength of schedule.

Penn vs. Southern Illinois (26-6, RPI 6, SOS 37) I only got the chance to watch one Salukis game this year, their loss to MVC champ Creighton in the conference finals. But they are about defense, defense and defense. The key to beating Southern Illinois is to force them to score on three-pointers, because even the talented starting five can't always shoot well enough to win the game on their own. Center Randal Falker has played poorly as of late, but forward Matt Shaw could pose matchup problems as a good outside shooter.

Penn vs. Texas A&M (25-6, RPI 15, SOS 54) The Aggies play a low-scoring style, but with athletes like Acie Law -- a great choice for national player of the year -- this matchup wouldn't bode well for Penn. The Aggies struggle on the road, which could be big come Tourney time. But I like A&M as a No. 2 seed anyway.

Penn vs. Oregon (26-7, RPI 23, SOS 72) The Ducks worry me more than most. Oregon looked great in beating Southern California to win the Pac-10 title. Tajuan Porter already has the conference record for three-pointers by a freshman and enters the Tournament on a hot streak. The Ducks' injury concerns also appeared to be overblown, considering their performance in the past two weeks. Throw in Aaron Brooks as an athletic scorer, and Penn would have little hope.

Penn vs. Pittsburgh (27-7, RPI 5, SOS 6) I didn't think Pitt would be a possibility until that embarassing loss to Georgetown in the Big East finals. The Panthers will still be no worse than a No. 3. Optimist point out that Georgetown's Roy Hibbert completely shut down Pitt star center Aaron Gray in that game. I point out that Stephen Danley is not 7-foot-2.

Penn vs. UNLV (27-6, RPI 10, SOS 42) Kevin Kruger, Wink Adams and Wendell White lead the Rebels' attack, and the offense flows almost entirely through them. Kruger, the son of Rebels coach Lon Kruger, is a solid point guard who doesn't give up the rock. And if you think Penn could turn this one into a defensive struggle, think again. UNLV is 17-2 this season when holding opponents under 70 points.

Penn vs. Washington State (25-7, RPI 29, SOS 91) The Cougars are having their best season in over 60 years, and I don't feel good about Penn playing such a feel-good story. Aside from that, I'd worry about shooter Derrick Low and center Aron Baynes. Neither is terribly consistent, but only one would need a good day to knock Penn out. On the flip side, Washington State's overall inside game is nothing to marvel at.

There are other possibilities too -- Notre Dame or Marquette come to mind -- but I'm done speculating for now. We'll just have to manage without knowing for sure for just a few more hours.