Typically, Colorado women’s basketball coach JR Payne hasn’t been one to pay attention to rankings or projections.

This week has been a bit different, though.

CU came into this week having lost four out of five games, placing extra importance on the final week of the regular season.

“I’ve never really cared that much about it until it really matters,” Payne said Wednesday after an 89-54 win against Arizona State. “We did talk about it briefly (before the ASU game). I did look at it a couple days ago because I really wanted the team to know that we’re right there. That our NET ranking is fine; it’s where it needs to be.

“We just have to handle our business as far as playing well, winning games one at a time. So I did look at it to make sure that everybody on the team understands we’re right there. We just have to keep doing what we need to do.”

Firmly on the bubble to make the NCAA Tournament for a fourth consecutive year, CU will wrap up the regular season Saturday at Texas Tech.

Plenty is at stake for the Buffs (18-10, 9-8), currently projected by ESPN as one of the first eight teams outside the 68-team NCAA Tournament field.

In the Big 12 standings, the Buffs are tied with Arizona (18-12, 9-8) for eighth place. CU has the tie-breaker over the Wildcats because of a victory against them Feb. 5 in Boulder. So, if CU can win in Lubbock, it will finish eighth and earn a first-round bye for the Big 12 Tournament, which begins Wednesday in Kansas City, Mo.

As for the NET rankings, CU took a big jump after routing ASU. The Buffs were at No. 65 before the ASU game. Although ASU was No. 130 (now 137), the 35-point margin of victory bumped the Buffs to No. 56.

Beating Texas Tech (No. 84) in Lubbock would give the Buffs a solid Quad 2 win. The win would also set up a possible second-round matchup with Arizona (No. 58) in the Big 12 Tournament next Thursday, offering another chance at a Quad 2 win.

Like the Buffs, Arizona is projected on the outside of the NCAA Tournament, although ESPN has the Wildcats rated higher than CU — despite a lower NET ranking and a loss to the Buffs.

Beat Tech, and then Arizona, and CU could see No. 10 TCU (No. 9 NET) or No. 17 Baylor (No. 16 NET) in next Friday’s quarterfinals.

Take care of business and there certainly is a path for the Buffs to earn their way onto the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble. Payne and her staff likely haven’t taken too deep of a dive into scenarios, but her glance at the NET earlier this week made it clear the Buffs can’t slip up if they are play in March Madness for a fourth straight year.

That means the only concern Wednesday was Arizona State, and the only thing the Buffs worry about today is Texas Tech.

“I think we bottle how hard we played (against ASU), how well we played, how cohesive we were,” Payne said. “There were so many great things that we did. We just take that and pour it all into Texas Tech.”

In Lubbock, CU is likely to be without leading scorer Frida Formann (12.5 points per game) for a ninth straight game and without leading rebounder Sara-Rose Smith (5.8 per game) for a sixth straight game.

Asked if Formann or Smith could be back for the Big 12 tournament, Payne said, “We are certainly hopeful.”