Conference Tournaments, Bubble Beaters & The Precursor to Selection Sunday
Here. We. Go. College basketball’s Champ Week is off and running with men’s tournaments hooping non-stop across the country between now and Sunday afternoon. The NCAA Tournament Selection Show (Sun. 6:00 pm ET, CBS/TNT) will reveal the 68-team bracket, but there’s still much to be decided.
The Bubble-Chasers: Last night brought more drama into the mix as we watched multiple bubble teams seal their fates, or cling to life. The difference between "in" and "out" is as thin as a missed blockout, and the bubble is shifting. Providence posted an upset win over #8 Creighton, and key victories by Michigan State and St. John’s should have those three teams feeling good about their bracket chances. A few other teams weren’t so lucky, and they likely saw their bubbles burst — Kansas State, Villanova and Wake Forest. #10 Marquette needed an overtime victory to escape ‘Nova, but the Wildcats might be out of luck (and opportunities). So much hoops, I’m not sure where to start. Let’s check the bubble and rewind last night’s conference quarterfinals before today’s epic (and I mean epic!) slate of games.
Bubble Watch (Updated, Mar. 15)
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Last 4 Byes: Michigan State, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, St. John’s
- Last 4 In: Colorado, Virginia, Seton Hall, Texas A&M
- First 4 Out: New Mexico, Indiana State, Pittsburgh, Providence
- Next 4 Out: Kansas State, Wake Forest, Ohio State, Villanova
Full Bracketology Outlook (ESPN’s Joe Lunardi)
Conference Tournament Highlights (Ranked)
ACC: #4 N. Carolina def. Florida State (92-67)
ACC: NC State def. #11 Duke (74-69)
B12: #1 Houston def. TCU (60-45)
B12: #7 Iowa State def. Kansas State (76-57)
B12: #25 Texas Tech def. #20 BYU (81-67)
BE: #2 UConn def. Xavier (87-60)
BE: Providence def. #8 Creighton (78-73)
BE: #10 Marquette def. Villanova (71-65, OT)
BE: #14 Baylor def. Cincinnati (68-56)
PAC12: #6 Arizona def. USC (70-49)
PAC12: #22 Wash. State def. Stanford (79-62)
SEC: #15 South Carolina def. Arkansas (80-66)
Today’s Top Games (Quarterfinals/Semifinals)
BTen: #3 Purdue vs. Mich. State (Noon, BTN)
SEC: #5 Tennessee vs. Miss. State (1:00 pm, ESPN)
SEC: #15 S. Carolina vs. #12 Auburn (3:30 pm, ESPN)
BTen: #13 Illinois vs. Ohio State (6:30 pm, BTN)
B12: #1 Houston vs. #25 Texas Tech (7:00 pm, ESPN2)
PAC: #6 Arizona vs. Oregon (8:00 pm, PAC12N)
BE: #10 Marquette vs. Providence (8:00 pm, FS1)
B12: #7 Iowa State vs. #14 Baylor (9:30 pm, ESPN)
SEC: #19 Alabama vs. Florida (9:30 pm, SECN)
*All Times ET
You can find each conference tournament's bracket and schedule in the weekend must-watch list at the bottom of today's edition.