NCAA Tournament Bubble Before Championship Week: Seven Teams For Three Spots
By Jason McIntyre
Nine days to selection Sunday! We already gave you a look at what NCAA Tournament seeding could look like – Virginia a 1, Michigan a 3, Kentucky a 5 – and now we examine the bubble as the regular season winds down. The bubble has thinned considerably, and it could see a big change if Wichita State loses in the MVC tournament this weekend. Right now, the feeling here is 43 teams are in the tournament, with three spots available. Here’s who we have for those last three spots, in order of best to worst:
Last Three In:
Xavier (RPI: 46, SOS: 30, 2-4 vs. RPI Top 50)
Minnesota (RPI: 50, SOS: 3, 3-9 vs. RPI Top 50)
Stanford (RPI: 48, SOS: 16, 4-8 vs. RPI Top 50)
Last Four Out:
Georgetown (RPI: 57, SOS: 14, 5-5 vs. RPI Top 50)
Nebraska (RPI: 41, SOS: 45, 3-7 vs. RPI Top 50)
Dayton (RPI: 45, SOS 43, 4-5 vs. RPI Top 50)
California (RPI: 54, SOS: 40, 4-9 vs. RPI Top 50)
Next Five Out:
Florida State (RPI: 59, SOS: 61, 3-7 vs. RPI Top 50)
Missouri (RPI: 55, SOS: 93, 3-2 vs. RPI Top 50)
Providence (RPI: 52, SOS: 85, 2-5 vs. RPI Top 50)
NC State (RPI: 60, SOS: 17, 1-7 vs. RPI Top 50)
Richmond (RPI: 64, SOS: 67, 3-7 vs RPI Top 50)
Ten Power Conferences – 46 Bids (42 in, 4 spots up for grabs among 14 bubble teams)
Big 12 (7)
In: Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Baylor
Bubble: None.
Big 10 (5)
In: Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa
Bubble: Minnesota (RPI: 50, SOS: 3, 3-9 vs. RPI Top 50), Nebraska (RPI: 41, SOS: 45, 3-7 vs. RPI Top 50)
Pac 12 (5)
In: Arizona, UCLA, Arizona State, Colorado, Oregon
Bubble: Stanford (RPI: 48, SOS: 16, 4-8 vs. RPI Top 50), California (RPI: 54, SOS: 40, 4-9 vs. RPI Top 50)
ACC (5)
In: Syracuse, Virginia, Duke, North Carolina, Pittsburgh
Bubble: Florida State (RPI: 59, SOS: 61, 3-7 vs. RPI Top 50), NC State (RPI: 60, SOS: 17, 1-7 vs. RPI Top 50)
American (5)
In: Cincinnati, Louisville, Connecticut, SMU, Memphis
Bubble: None
SEC (4)
In: Florida, Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee
Bubble: Missouri (RPI: 55, SOS: 93, 3-2 vs. RPI Top 50)
Big East (2)
In Villanova, Creighton
Bubble: Georgetown (RPI: 57, SOS: 14, 5-5 vs. RPI Top 50), Xavier (RPI: 46, SOS: 30, 2-4 vs. RPI Top 50), Providence (RPI: 52, SOS: 85, 2-5 vs. RPI Top 50)
Atlantic 10 (5)
In: Saint Louis, Massachusetts, Virginia Commonwealth, George Washington, Saint Joseph’s
Bubble: Dayton (RPI: 45, SOS 43, 4-5 vs. RPI Top 50), Richmond (RPI: 64, SOS: 67, 3-7 vs RPI Top 50)
Mountain West (2)
In: San Diego State, New Mexico
Bubble: None.
West Coast (2)
In: Gonzaga, BYU
Bubble: None.
Auto Bids (22 teams from 22 leagues)
America East – Vermont
Atlantic Sun – Mercer
Big Sky – Weber State
Big South – Winthrop
Big West – UC Irvine
Colonial – Delaware
Conference USA – Southern Miss
Horizon – Green Bay
Ivy- Harvard
MAAC – Iona
Mid-American – Buffalo
MEAC – North Carolina Central
Missouri Valley – Wichita State
Northeast – Robert Morris
Ohio Valley – Belmont
Patriot League – Boston University
Southern – Davidson
Southland – Stephen F. Austin
SWAC – Southern University
Summit League – North Dakota State
Sun Belt – Georgia State
WAC – Utah Valley