Time is running out for teams to boost their resumes ahead of the NCAA Tournament
3 min read
It was a huge day for the teams fighting to get or stay in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday. Bigger for none other than Florida, which got a hard-fought victory over No. 2 Auburn. The Tigers were the second overall seed of the selection committee in the bracket reveal show earlier Saturday. That makes the win the Gators’ most significant of the season — by far. Their best victory prior to that was against Ohio State.
Speaking of the No. 18 Buckeyes, they fell in Columbus, Ohio, to Iowa in a game that had originally been postponed due to weather issues. Prior to that, the Hawkeyes’ best win had been a home victory over fellow bubbler Indiana.
Wake Forest, which has numerous problems with its tournament resume, picked up a win at home over Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are one of just three ACC teams currently in the bracket and the only one that the Demon Deacons have defeated to date.
On the other side of the ledgers, West Virginia fell off the bubble entirely with a loss at home to No. 6 Kansas. It looks like the climb to the bracket is too steep for the Mountaineers. Oregon just missed out on what would have been one of those big wins we talked about earlier, but the Ducks came up a point short at No. 3 Arizona. They still have home games left with No. 13 UCLA and No. 17 USC, each of which Oregon beat on the road.
Loyola lost at home to Drake, giving the Bulldogs a season sweep. That is the Ramblers first Quadrant 3 loss of the season, and it puts them in danger of needing to win the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament to qualify for March Madness. Loyola is now in a three-way tie with Missouri State and Northern Iowa atop the MVC.
There are some big games again Sunday for teams right around the cutline, headlined by Rutgers trying to extend its winning streak against ranked opposition at Big Ten leader Purdue. All times Eastern
Check out all the teams on Palm’s Bubble Watch, the field of the 68 and the entire bracket on the CBS Sports Bracketology hub.
Sunday’s ‘double bubble’ game
Memphis at SMU
3 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free): This game features two teams currently among the last four into my bracket, and the winner will have a leg up on the loser. Memphis has been playing well of late, winning six in a row, including one at Houston. There’s still several losses hurting Memphis’ resume, keeping the Tigers from feeling more comfortable about their status. SMU also beat Houston recently and won the first game between these two teams in Memphis one month ago today. The Mustangs resume would not be much of a problem except for a Quadrant 3 loss to Missouri and a Quadrant 4 loss to Loyola Marymount.
