The eight competing schools for the 2009 Big West Men's Basketball Tournament have been determined.  However, none of the seeds are known.  The results of this week's games will decode that mystery as a highly competitive Big West regular season comes to a close.   
   
Seeding position is vital based on the Big West Tournament format.  The top two seeds receive automatic byes to the semifinals and need to win two games to become tournament champion and clinch the Big West's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.  Seeds three and four earn an automatic bye to the quarterfinals and require three victories to punch their NCAA Tournament ticket.  The bottom four seeds face the daunting challenge of playing four games in four nights to reach the Big Dance.
   
The Big West Basketball Tournament takes place at the Anaheim Convention Center Mar. 11-14.  Tickets may be purchased by calling the Anaheim Convention Center Box Office at (714) 765-8980.
   
The number of variables and potential tiebreaker scenarios that affect seeding are too numerous to mention in this space.  
   
Two things are known.  Cal State Northridge controls its own destiny to win the outright regular season crown and claim the tournament No. 1 seed.  In addition, Cal Poly has been eliminated from the tournament field.  
   
The Matadors (14-12, 10-4) need to beat UC Davis and Pacific on the road to ensure the title and No. 1 seed.  CSUN can afford one loss and still achieve both goals.  But two losses could drop them to the No. 2 or No. 3 seeds.  The Matadors were a tri-champion last season with Cal State Fullerton and UC Santa Barbara.  This is an opportunity for CSUN to win its first outright Big West championship.
   
Long Beach State is in the hunt for the No. 1 seed.  The 49ers also can fall as far as No. 4 in the seeding range. The 49ers need to win at least one of their two final games at Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara to potentially earn the No. 1 seed.  Two wins could earn the outright title for the 49ers should CSUN falter twice.  Two LBSU losses and a CSUN loss to UC Davis would open the door for Pacific, which in that scenario earns the No. 1 seed with a win over the Matadors on Saturday.  The Tigers can fall no lower than No. 4.
   
In a three-way tie at 9-7 with Long Beach State and Pacific, UC Riverside would rise to the No. 2 seed provided the Highlanders defeat UCSB and CP.  The Highlanders could also play themselves out of even a quarterfinal bye though with one or two losses.
   
Seed numbers five through eight read like a traffic jam on the 405 Freeway.  Three teams - Cal State Fullerton, UC Davis and UC Irvine - are tied for fifth place at 7-8.  UC Santa Barbara is in the eighth spot at 6-8.  Two losses for the Gauchos keep them stationed at No. 8, but it's conceivable that they could rise as high as fourth with two victories.