On Sunday, we will officially have a bracket in hand, but plenty of basketball will still determine the fate of teams on the bubble.
Welcome to the final edition of Mid-Major Basketball Bubble Watch. Below is everything you need to know about where teams stand and who needs to perform well in the upcoming conference tournaments leading up to Selection Sunday.
(NET rankings are based on Tuesday’s standings.)
American
Locks: Memphis
Should be In:Â None
Work to Do: None
Memphis has been a lock for a while now, but bubble teams will want to look out for a bid stealer in UAB or North Texas.
Atlantic 10
Locks: None
Should be In:Â None
Work to Do: VCU
At this point, VCU is the lone team with a realistic chance of securing an at-large bid. A NET ranking in the top 35 and a strength of record in the top 50 help, but the Rams will want to eliminate any doubt by winning the A-10 Tournament in Washington, D.C.
Missouri Valley
Locks: Drake
Should be In: None
Work to Do: None
Ben McCollum and the Drake Bulldogs removed any Selection Sunday suspense by defeating Bradley in the MVC Tournament championship game. It marks the third consecutive tournament appearance for the squad from Des Moines, Iowa, which will soon find out its first NCAA Tournament matchup of the post-Darian DeVries era.
Mountain West
Locks: Utah State, New Mexico
Should be In:Â None
Work to Do: San Diego State, Boise State, Colorado
Is there a better conference tournament than the Mountain West? I’ll wait.
As the teams head to Las Vegas once again, three programs — San Diego State, Boise State and Colorado State — find themselves in high-stakes situations.
Arguably, the bubble matchup of the week features the Aztecs and the Broncos going head-to-head on Thursday afternoon. A win for either team could swing the pendulum in its favor for an NCAA Tournament berth.
Also, keep an eye on the Rams, who are playing their best basketball down the stretch — winning seven straight and locking up the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament.
Buckle up, folks! It’s sure to be a wild race to the finish line in Las Vegas.
West Coast
Locks: Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s
Should be In: None
Work to Do:Â None
After Santa Clara bowed out to a Pepperdine team that made a surprise run to the semifinals, San Francisco suffered the same fate — falling to eventual champion Gonzaga with a spot in the finals on the line. That ensured the WCC is a two-bid conference once again, making bubble teams everywhere breathe a little easier.
Other Conferences
Locks: SIUE, Omaha, Lipscomb, High Point, Wofford, UNC Wilmington, Robert Morris, Saint Francis, Troy
Should be In: None
Work to Do: UC San Diego
When Bubble Watch started back in February, I assured you this section would be filled with teams that won their conference championships at the low mid-major level. As promised, we now have multiple teams officially locked into the field, including three first-timers: Omaha, High Point and SIUE.
Looking ahead to the continuation of championship week, the team to watch is UC San Diego. The Tritons have excelled all season and must win two consecutive games in the Big West Championship to qualify for the first time — eliminating any reliance on the committee.
