Miami (Ohio) (28-0)
It’s hard to understand how the only undefeated team in college basketball could end up on the bubble, but if the Redhawks lose one or more of their final three regular-season games and don’t win the MAC Tournament, we’re not willing to let anything go by committee.
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Yes, Miami hasn’t been great in its non-conference schedule. Yes, the MAC is not one of the best conferences in the country. But going 28-0 and being the last undefeated team in the country should mean something. If the Redhawks end up being a double-digit seed, there will be a lot of power conference teams in the sixth- to seventh-seed range looking to avoid them in Sunday’s Selection Game.
remaining games
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February 27: Western Michigan (10-18)
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March 3: vs. Toledo (15-13)
Missouri (19-9)
The Tigers are on the bubble due to a porous non-conference schedule. Missouri’s best non-conference win came against Minnesota, and the Tigers lost to Notre Dame and were eliminated by Kansas State and Illinois.
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But Missouri got healthy before SEC play began and was on track to get a bye in the conference tournament. The Tigers, who had wins over Florida State, Kentucky, Vanderbilt State and Tennessee State on Tuesday night, now sit at 9-6 in conference play with games against Mississippi State, Oklahoma State and Arkansas remaining. A 2-1 score should guarantee Missouri will not play in Dayton’s First Four games.
remaining games
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February 28: Mississippi State (13-15)
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March 3: Oklahoma State (14-14)
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March 7: vs. No. 20 Arkansas (21-7)
Auburn(15-13)
Don’t be too sure about the Tigers’ chances of making the NCAA tournament. Yes, Auburn lost to Houston by one point in nonconference play and beat St. John’s, but after Tuesday’s 91-79 loss to Oklahoma, Auburn is now 6-9 in the SEC.
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Auburn has lost six of its last seven games – its lone win coming at Kentucky, and Mark Pope said he felt his team was shortchanged by the officials. The highlight for Auburn is that they have games against Mississippi State and LSU before Alabama completes the regular season. The Rebels and Baton Rouge Tigers have a combined league record of 5-23. But given the way the Auburn Tigers are playing right now, are these two games for me?
remaining games
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February 28: vs. Ole Miss (11-17)
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March 7: No. 17 Alabama (21-7)
Texas(17-11)
The Longhorns lost 84-71 at home to No. 7 Florida on Wednesday night; an upset victory would be a huge boon to their tournament hopes. Instead, Texas is now 8-7 in the SEC and needs a win in its next three games to secure a .500 mark in the league.
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The loss to Florida State was preceded by a loss to Georgia State. Prior to this, Texas had won five games in a row. However, four of those wins came against the bottom four teams in the SEC standings. Another victory? Missouri won on the road. Considering the way the Tigers are playing, this could be Texas’ championship win.
remaining games
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February 28: Texas A&M (19-9)
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March 4: No. 20 Arkansas (21-7)
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March 7: vs. Oklahoma State (14-14)
TCU (18-10)
The Horned Frogs are above .500 in Big 12 play after a 90-78 home win over Arizona State on Tuesday. It was TCU’s fifth win in the past six games, and the Frogs have climbed back into NCAA tournament contention after suffering a four-game losing streak to start conference play.
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Granted, three of those losses came when Rich Sanders was healthy, to Kansas State, Arizona State and BYU. Now, TCU has a real chance to go 10-8 in Big 12 play and earn a bye in the Big 12 Tournament. The conference record plus the Big 12 Tournament win should be enough to get into the field.
remaining games
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February 28: Kansas State (11-17)
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March 3: No. 16 Texas Tech (21-7)
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March 7: vs. Cincinnati (15-13)
Ohio State University (17-11)
Are the Buckeyes’ championship hopes fading fast? Ohio State fell to 9-8 in the Big Ten with a 74-57 loss to Iowa on Wednesday night. It was Ohio State’s third loss in the past four games, and the Buckeyes have not won back-to-back games since starting the season 6-0.
Ohio State does have an advantage, ranking No. 39 in KenPom’s rankings, making it into the top 40. That’s eight spots behind Texas and two spots behind Auburn. Additionally, it leads Missouri by 12 spots. But the Buckeyes may need a few wins in the Big Ten Tournament to truly feel comfortable with their chances of advancing to the big dance.
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remaining games
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March 1: vs. No. 8 Purdue (22-5)
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March 4: Penn State (11-17)
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March 7: vs. Indiana (17-11)
University of Southern California(18-10)
The Trojans were literally in the mix when they disappeared from the NCAA tournament scene. USC lost its fourth straight game with an 81-62 loss to UCLA on Tuesday night. That streak includes a loss to bubble team Ohio State, a 36-point home loss to Illinois and a home loss to Oregon State, one of the worst teams in the Big Ten. A win over No. 12 Nebraska on Saturday could be crucial in keeping the Trojans’ hopes alive unless they make a deep run in the Big Ten Tournament.
remaining games
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Feb. 28: vs. No. 12 Nebraska (23-4)
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March 4: Washington (14-14)
Santa Clara(23-7)
The Broncos lost a chance to earn the No. 2 seed in the West Coast Conference tournament with an 86-67 loss to St. Mary’s University on Wednesday night. It was Santa Clara’s second loss to the Gaels, who now trail St. Mary’s by one game and Gonzaga by two with one game remaining.
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Santa Clara might have the easiest path to an automatic bid of any team in this group with a conference tournament win. But going 0-3 in the regular season and beating St. Mary’s and Gonzaga and winning the WCC title (probably) is a big ask. However, a win over the Gaels in the WCC semifinals may be necessary to secure a tournament berth.
remaining games
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February 28: vs. Oregon State