Bubble watch: Nail-biting week for men's college basketball teams hoping for shot at NCAA tournament

Membership in one of men’s basketball’s power conferences has its privileges, but also its hazards. Teams in multi-bid leagues are provided with plenty of chances for helpful wins over the course of the season. On the flip side, such teams are also targets of opportunity for just about every opponent.

As the regular season enters its final week, time is running short for bubble-dwellers to finish compiling a safe resume heading into conference tournaments. While there is an extra at-large spot available in the 68-team NCAA field this season with just 31 automatic bids going out, there still isn’t room for everyone. We’ll take a look at the most important contests each day this week, with tonight’s spotlight game happening in the bubble-heavy ACC.

North Carolina at Syracuse

7 p.m. ET, ESPN

The Tar Heels got exactly what they needed Saturday as they found a way to get past league leader Florida State. What they can’t afford now is to offset the value of that win with a loss to a mid-pack team, even on the road. The Orange will almost certainly have to win the ACC tournament after Saturday’s loss at Georgia Tech knocked them back to .500 in conference play. But the signature Syracuse zone could prove troublesome for UNC’s lineup that can struggle to generate points from the perimeter.