NCAA Tournament Bubble: 5 Spots for 19 Teams With One Month to Go
By Jason McIntyre
Selection Sunday is nearly a month away (March 16th), and we’re starting to get a good idea of who is on the dreaded NCAA Tournament bubble. Before you dive into this, take a look at the latest RPI conference ratings, via CBS Sports: Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, Big East, ACC, A-10 and then the SEC. Keep that in mind when you take a look at the bubble.
Here’s the Bubble – 19 teams for five spots. The “Top 50” is the RPI Top 50. I’ll put an asterisk by my five:
Oregon (RPI: 42, SOS: 14, 1-6 vs. Top 50) *
Xavier (RPI: 43, SOS: 61, 2-4 vs. Top 50) *
Saint Joseph’s (RPI: 44, SOS: 49, 2-5 vs. Top 50)
Stanford (RPI: 46, SOS: 30, 4-6 vs. Top 50) *
Missouri (RPI: 48, SOS: 74, 1-2 vs. Top 50)
California (RPI: 49, SOS: 62, 3-5 vs. Top 50)*
NC State (RPI: 51, SOS: 39, 1-6 vs. Top 50)
Baylor (RPI: 53, SOS: 12, 3-7 vs. Top 50)*
Providence (RPI: 55, SOS: 58, 2-4 vs. Top 50)
Georgetown (RPI: 57, SOS: 27, 3-5 vs. Top 50)
Dayton (RPI: 58, SOS: 59, 3-4 vs Top 50)
Boise State (RPI: 59, SOS: 28, 1-5 vs Top 50)
St. John’s (RPI: 61, SOS: 34, 1-5 vs. Top 50)
Ole Miss (RPI: 62, SOS: 96, 1-4 vs. Top 50)
Florida State (RPI: 64, SOS: 43, 2-6 vs. Top 50)
LSU (RPI: 65, SOS: 87, 3-3 vs. Top 50)
West Virginia (RPI: 66, SOS: 51, 3-8 vs. Top 50)
Washington (RPI: 71, SOS: 38, 4-6 vs. Top 50)
Indiana (RPI: 91, SOS: 70, 2-5 vs. Top 50)
Power Conferences – 46 Bids (41 in)
Big 12 (6)
In: Kansas, Texas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Iowa State, Oklahoma State (RPI: 35, SOS: 16, Three Top 25 Wins)
Bubble: Baylor (RPI: 53, SOS: 12, Three Top 50 Wins), West Virginia (RPI: 66, SOS: 51, Three Top 50 Wins)
Big 10 (6)
In: Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Minnesota
Bubble: Indiana (RPI: 91, SOS: 70, Two Top 25 wins)
Pac 12 (4)
In: Arizona, UCLA, Arizona State, Colorado
Bubble: California (RPI: 49, SOS: 62, Three Top 50 wins), Stanford (RPI: 46, SOS: 30, Four Top 50 wins), Oregon (RPI: 42, SOS: 14, 1 Top 50 Win) Washington (RPI: 71, SOS: 38, Four Top 50 wins)
ACC (5):
In: Syracuse, Virginia, Duke, Pittsburgh, North Carolina
Bubble: NC State (RPI: 51, SOS: 39, 1 Top 50 win), Florida State (RPI: 64, SOS: 43, Two Top 25 wins)
American (5)
In: Cincinnati, Louisville, SMU, Memphis, UConn
Bubble: None
SEC (3)
In: Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee (RPI: 50, SOS: 8, Two Top 50 wins)
Bubble: Ole Miss, (RPI: 62, SOS: 96, 1 Top 50 win), LSU (RPI: 65, SOS: 87, Three Top 50 wins), Missouri (RPI: 48, SOS: 74, 1 Top 50 win),
Big East (2)
In: Villanova, Creighton
Bubble: Xavier (RPI: 43, SOS: 61, Two Top 50 wins), St. John’s (RPI: 61, SOS: 34, 1 Top 50 win), Georgetown (RPI: 57, SOS: 27, Two Top 25 wins), Providence (RPI: 55, SOS: 58, Two Top 50 wins)
Atlantic 10 (5)
In: Saint Louis, VCU, Massachusetts (RPI: 20, SOS: 69, Three Top 50 wins), Richmond (RPI: 41, SOS: 36, Two Top 50 Wins), George Washington (RPI: 26, SOS: 98, 2-2 vs. Top 50)
Bubble: Saint Joseph’s (RPI: 44, SOS: 49, Two Top 25 wins), Dayton (RPI: 58, SOS: 59, Three Top 50 wins)
Mountain West (3)
In: San Diego State, New Mexico, UNLV
Bubble: Boise State (RPI: 59, SOS: 28, 1 Top 50 win)
West Coast (2)
In: Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s BYU (RPI: 45, SOS: 23, Two Top 50 wins)
Bubble: BYU Saint Mary’s (RPI: 56, SOS: 92, One Top 50 win)
Auto Bids (22 teams from 22 leagues)
America East – Vermont
Atlantic Sun – Mercer
Big Sky – Weber State
Big South – Coastal Carolina
Big West – UC Irvine
Colonial – Delaware
Conference USA – Southern Miss
Horizon – Green Bay
Ivy – Harvard
MAAC – Iona
Mid-American – Toledo
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