Editor’s note: This article is part of a Bracket Central series that provides an in-depth look at the lead-up to the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments, as well as analysis and draft picks during the tournament.
Team Bubble is officially in desperation mode. With just one week left in the regular season and the conference tournament looming, chances for a win to fuel the recovery are running low. But all hope is not lost — Clemson and Virginia proved that over the weekend.
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Here’s who’s in, who’s out, and who needs to work their March magic before voting arrives on Sunday:
|
Goodbye for the last four times |
last four games |
Top four eliminated |
The next four are out. |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Villanova |
nebraska |
richmond |
Carl |
|
mississippi |
Princeton University |
Virginia Tech |
Stanford University |
|
virginia |
Clemson |
Utah |
south dakota |
|
colorado |
Syracuse |
Arizona |
kansas |
Two ACC disrupts the impact bubble
It’s a big weekend for the ACC. After winning 17 consecutive games (15 of which were conference games), Duke finally suffered a defeat. The same goes for Louisville, the second-place team in the conference behind the Blue Devils. The losses won’t affect Duke and Louisville in the long run when it comes to seeding, but the teams on the other side of those upsets get a huge boost.
Clemson beat Duke 53-51 on junior Hannah Kohn’s 3-pointer, and Virginia easily surpassed Louisville on senior Romi Levy’s 3-pointer with 13 seconds left.
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Similar endings for teams with similar resumes will produce similar results. In other words, both Clemson and Virginia are on the right side of the bubble. Not only was their win classified as a Quad 1 victory, it came at the perfect time. With only one week left in the regular season, a win means even more. The committee wants to see teams in the championship now succeed. Clemson and Virginia will be top of mind when selection comes Sunday.
Mississippi gets help from SEC
Mississippi State ranks 11th in the SEC with an 18-10 record. At first glance, the Bulldogs don’t look like a March Madness team. But fortunately, the committee won’t base its decision on one glance.
Playing in the SEC has provided a major boost to Mississippi State’s recovery in several ways. First, it helps improve network rankings and schedule strength. It also provides the opportunity for quality to win. Mississippi State has two Quad 1 wins and one Quad 2 win, beating Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia. The Bulldogs lost to Florida State and Missouri State in the conference, but the big wins more than made up for those misses.
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Nebraska ends up winning Quad 1
Last week we talked about Nebraska’s weird resume, which was missing one big thing: a quarterfinal win. Now, with the Nets ranked 28th and the 12th best strength on the schedule, Nebraska finally gets a signature win. The Huskers defeated Washington 66-65 on the road on Sunday, also ending a six-game losing streak. As things stand, Nebraska will sneak into the field as one of the final four teams. A win or two in the Big Ten Tournament would secure a bid, but a loss to Rutgers in its last regular-season game would almost certainly destroy Nebraska’s chances.
Princeton University maintains lead among mid-majors
The closer we get to tournament time, the more likely it is that the Ivy League will be the only mid-level conference with two bids. Princeton is in second place in the Ivy League after two losses to Columbia, but the two teams will likely meet in the conference championship. Considering their overall strong resume, that should be enough to win them the bid.
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As for the other mid-majors in contention, Richmond lost back-to-back losses to George Mason and George Washington (the latter a four-game losing streak), lowering its chances of landing a big-money bid. The same goes for South Dakota State, which needs to avenge previous losses to North Dakota State and South Dakota State in its final two games to advance in March Madness.
The Bracket Central series is sponsored by Morgan Stanley’s E*Trade. The Athletic maintains complete editorial independence. Sponsors have no control or involvement in the reporting or editorial process and do not review stories prior to publication.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Columbia Lions, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Virginia Cavaliers, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Clemson Tigers, Princeton Tigers, Women’s College Basketball, Bracket Central
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