It is the last weekend of the regular season, so time is running out for the teams on the bubble. A win or two could take some of these teams off on the good side. A loss or two could mean dropping out of contention.
Of course, the conference tournaments are also a chance for teams to try to play their way in either in the at-large pool or as an automatic qualifier
Friday’s action features the two lowest-seeded bubble teams in the bracket. Needless to say, these are pretty important games.
College basketball rankings: Michigan State wins outright Big Ten title with help from Jase Richardson
Gary Parrish
College basketball rankings: Michigan State wins outright Big Ten title with help from Jase Richardson
One of those is Boise State from the Mountain West, which could be in for another interesting Selection Sunday. The two top teams in the conference, New Mexico and Utah State, have yet to definitively secure at-large bids although neither is currently on the bubble. They are seeded in the middle of the bracket in my current projection. San Diego State is still on the bubble and is living large off of a win over Houston. This could end up being anywhere from a two-bid league to as many as five.
Check out Palm’s latest bracket, full field of 68 and Bubble Watch at the Bracketology hub
All times ET
Bubble teams in action Friday
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VCU
vs. Dayton, 7 p.m. | ESPN2, fubo (Try for free)
I am not entirely convinced VCU can be an at-large team but it is too high in the metrics to ignore. The Rams are lacking the kind of quality wins that can get the selection committee’s attention, especially when they have to make up for a Quad 4 loss to Seton Hall. Their best win of the season so far came in the first matchup between these two teams. That was a banger at Dayton which the Flyers seemed to have won late before VCU stole it away. The Rams are in a must-win situation every time they take the floor.
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Boise State
vs. Colorado State, 10 p.m. | FS1, fubo (Try for free)
The Broncos should get a good test from one of the hottest teams in the league. Colorado State comes in on a six-game winning streak which includes a victory over Utah State. May feel the Rams could be a bid-stealer. Boise State has done well on its home floor in conference play, but has suffered on the road. It needs to win again and might need a quality victory away from home in the conference tournament as well to start to feel comfortable as an at-large team.
Teams near the cut line
LAST FOUR IN TEAM RECORD NET
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Oklahoma 18-12 50
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San Diego State 20-8 51
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Ohio State 17-13 36
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Boise State 22-8 43
FIRST FOUR OUT TEAM RECORD NET
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Xavier 20-10 47
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North Carolina 20-11 38
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Nebraska 17-13 57
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Wake Forest 20-10 72
NEXT FOUR OUT TEAM RECORD NET
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Texas 17-13 40
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Cincinnati 17-13 45
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SMU 22-8 46
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Dayton 20-9 70
NCAA Tournament locks
Locks based on résumé: 28 | At-large bids in play: 9 | Automatic bids secured: 0 of 31
ACC (3) Duke, Clemson, Louisville
Big East (2) Marquette, St. John’s
Big 12 (5) Arizona, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Texas Tech
Big Ten (8) Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Oregon, Purdue, UCLA, Wisconsin, Illinois
SEC (9) Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas A&M
WCC (1) Saint Mary’s
Note – all references to NCAA Tournament selection records and trends based on NET rankings excludes the 2021 tournament. Due to shortened schedules and a relatively small number of nonconference games, those rankings are not reliable enough to be considered.