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When the Sooners play in the Big 12 Tournament they may be playing for more than just the tournament title. They may also be playing for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

OU, most likely, has secured at least a No. 4 seed. This will allow them to host the first two rounds of the tournament.

OU senior guard Sunny Hardeman said playing at home will be a big advantage for the team.

"It's huge when you talk about going through our routine and sleeping in our own beds," Hardeman said. "It's big because we're going to be able to play where we are comfortable."

OU junior forward Jamie Talbert said she thinks a No. 1 seed could happen.

"It seems pretty real," Talbert said. "As long as we stay together and keep at the task at hand, it can be a reality."

Talbert's not the only one who thinks OU could be No. 1.

ESPN women's basketball expert Beth Mowins wrote that OU has a chance to land the Midwest Regional's top seed.

"The Sooners already have secured the Big 12 regular-season title and have a good RPI with wins against solid opposition. Plus, Oklahoma might be the favorite to win the Big 12 tourney title, which will be no easy task." Mowins told ESPN.com.

The RPI might be one of the Sooners' best assets. The RPI is a ratings system that combines wining percentage, strength of schedule, and opponent's strength of schedule.

The official RPI is not released to the public; however, many publications release an unofficial RPI. Collegiate Basketball News has the Sooners ranked No. 4.

It's widely debated this time of year on how much the RPI affects seeding in the NCAA Tournament. But it is no secret that it's a poll the NCAA selection committee uses at least to some degree in selecting seeding.

Another factor in the Sooners' corner may be their winning streak. The selection committee has been known to give higher seeds to hotter teams.

OU is on a 15-game winning streak and with a possible Big 12 tournament title the Sooners may be able to extend that streak to 18 games.

Also, the conference tournaments have already supplied some upsets to top-rated teams.

No. 1 Tennessee lost in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament earlier this week to No. 15 Vanderbilt 77-74.

No. 7 Purdue was another school that was bit by the upset bug. The Boilermakers lost in the Big 10 championship game to unranked Iowa 75-70.

In the Big East No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 3 Connecticut will play for their conference's tournament championship. One of those ranked teams will fall.

OU women's basketball head coach Sherri Coale said she thinks the No. 1 seed is a possibility.


To learn more about the NCAA visit www.ncaa.org.
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