March Madness may still be a little more than two months away, but that will not stop the tournament projections from coming in over the course of the next few weeks. While Los Angeles features multiple teams eligible for the NCAA Tournament, just one program is currently projected to have a chance to dance, according to ESPN's Joe Lunard. The Long Beach State 49ers are that team.
The 49ers played a daunting schedule in non-conference play (including five teams that were ranked in the top-15 at the time, including wins over Pittsburgh and Xavier) and have been rewarded for their braveness. According to Lunardi, LBSU is among the teams that just missed the cut of 68. A strong performance in conference play -- or an automatic bid from winning the Big West Conference -- would have the 49ers dancing in March.
As for the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans, neither have much of a chance at the NCAA Tournament unless they win the Pac-12 tournament. After both programs got off to an 0-2 start in conference play, neither has much of a chance going forward. With the conference being so weak, though, either program could make a late run in the season.