This is a worrisome juncture for many college basketball coaches, as they try to position their programs for favorable seeds in the NCAA tournament. But for others, dreams of postseason participation died a long time ago.
These coaches are simply trying to keep their jobs.
Wyoming didn't wait until the conclusion of the season to get rid of Heath Schroyer, firing him last week following an 8-15 start to the season.
The following coaches might need miracles to avoid the same fate. And if they manage to stick around, major improvements will be expected next season.
1. Pat Knight, Texas Tech: His father, Bob, passed the gig to him when he resigned during the 2007-08 season. But he also left behind grand expectations that his son hasn't met. Pat Knight has amassed a 44-50 record over the past three seasons with the Red Raiders. His team is riding a four-game losing streak. Not a good situation. Prediction: gone.
2. Sidney Lowe, North Carolina State: It seemed like a perfect fit. In 2006, Lowe left a job as an assistant with the Pistons to lead the program that he helped to the 1983 national title. After four lukewarm years that ended without an NCAA tournament bid, Lowe entered this season with one of the nation's top recruiting classes. But his team has underachieved again; the Wolfpack is tied for eighth place in the ACC. Prediction: gone.
3. Jeff Bzdelik, Wake Forest: Wake Forest fired Dino Gaudio after last season and hired the former Colorado coach. But it can't get much worse for Bzdelik in his first season. The Demon Deacons are 1-10 in the ACC and also lost nonconference games to Presbyterian and North Carolina-Wilmington. A few years ago, this team competed with conference powerhouses Duke and North Carolina. Now, it's one of the league's worst. That all said, few coaches get tossed after one season. Prediction: safe.
4. Bill Carmody, Northwestern: Just last month, he signed a two-year contract extension. Now, some of the program's supporters are calling for his ouster after his team's struggles in the Big Ten. They are 5-9 in conference play, a long way from the program's first NCAA tournament berth that many anticipated before the season started. Prediction: safe.
5. Paul Hewitt, Georgia Tech: It's been a downhill ride for the Yellow Jackets since they lost to Connecticut in the 2004 NCAA championship game. They endured three losing seasons in a row, and after an NCAA tournament berth last year, this year they are 3-8 in the ACC. Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Mark Bradley called for Hewitt's firing on Valentine's Day. "It's time for Tech to make it stop," he wrote. Prediction: gone.
6. John Pelphrey, Arkansas: Consecutive 14-win seasons didn't sit well with Razorbacks supporters. And the program hasn't reached the Big Dance since the 2007-08 season. This year the Razorbacks are 5-6 in a weak SEC. The good news for Pelphrey, however, is that his team just ended a three-game losing skid with back-to-back victories. But another tailspin might seal his fate. Prediction: safe.
7. Herb Sendek, Arizona State: The former N.C. State coach led the Sun Devils to the NCAA tournament in 2009 and went to the NIT in 2010. But this year has been a disaster. They are 9-16 and have lost nine games in a row, putting Sendek in a tough spot with the year winding down. Prediction: safe.
