Illinois is one of several teams on the tournament bubble. (Getty)
With just over a week remaining until Selection Sunday, the race is tightening for at-large bids in the tournament. Before we get into the larger tournament picture, here is a rundown of yesterday’s game that have an impact on the bubble.
Houston hurt their tournament chances after suffering an 18-point loss to Cincinnati. Middle Tennessee barely squeaked out a three-point victory against a bad FIU team. Colorado got a dominant 19-point victory over Stanford. Cal was destroyed 74-44 by Utah.
CBS bracketologist Jerry Palm has the following teams (with projected seed) on the tournament bubble: Rhode Island (11), Marquette (11), Wake Forest (11), Illinois (11), Seton Hall (9), Nevada (12), Illinois State (12), Providence (11), VCU (10), Cal (10), Michigan State (9), UT-Arlington (12), Middle Tennessee (11), Xavier (10) and Arkansas (10).
Palm’s last four teams to make the tournament are Rhode Island, Marquette, Wake Forest and Illinois. The first four teams on the outside looking in are Kansas State, Syracuse, Georgia and Wichita State.
Here is a list of some of the bubble teams that ESPN’s Joe Lunardi currently has making the tournament: Michigan State (9), Illinois State (12), Marquette (11), USC (11), Xavier (11), Seton Hall (10), Arkansas (10), VCU (9), UT-Arlington (12), Nevada (12), Providence (11), Cal (11), Wake Forest (11), Syracuse (10), Wichita State (7) and Middle Tennessee (10).
In USA Today’s latest projections they have Seton Hall, Vanderbilt, Wichita State and USC as the last four teams to make the tournament. USA Today’s top four teams not currently in the tournament are Iowa, Wake Forest, Georgia and Ohio State. They have the following bubble teams not making the tournament: Rhode Island, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Houston, Ole Miss, TCU, Kansas State, Alabama, Indiana, Pitt and Cal.
Today’s slate is short on games with big tournament implications. Wichita State hosts Bradley in a game that cannot help their resume but can hurt it. After a quiet night, college basketball fans get rewarded with a number of games on Saturday with tournament implications.
Here are some of the Saturday, March 4 games that feature teams on the bubble:
Illinois vs. Rutgers 12 p.m. Eastern ESPNU
Indiana vs. Ohio State 12 p.m. ESPN
Pitt vs. 23 Virginia 12 p.m. ACC Network
Texas Tech vs. Kansas State 1 p.m. ESPNEWS
Georgia vs. Arkansas 2 p.m. ESPN 2
12 Florida vs. Vanderbilt 2 p.m. ESPN
Michigan State vs. Maryland 2 p.m. Big Ten Network
Cal vs. Colorado 1 p.m. Pac-12 Network
George Mason vs. VCU 2 p.m.
Xavier vs. DePaul 2 p.m.
Seton Hall at Butler 2:30 p.m.
Creighton vs. Marquette 2:30 p.m.
Georgia Tech vs. Syracuse 4 p.m. ACC Network
Boston College at Clemson 4 p.m. ACC Network
Wake Forest vs. Virginia Tech 4:30 p.m. ACC Network
Florida Atlantic vs. Middle Tennessee 6 p.m. ESPN 3
Washington at USC 6:30 p.m. Pac-12 Network
Colorado State vs. Nevada 8 p.m. ESPN 3
UT-Arlington vs. Louisiana Lafayette 8:15 ESPN 3
