Bubble watch entering Week 14 of college basketball season
Heading into Week 14 of the college basketball season, there are just as many unanswered questions as ever before. Plenty of programs find themselves on the bubble, while only a few are considered surefire NCAA Tournament teams.
The Athletic put together a list of teams on the bubble, ranking teams in three different categories: Lock, should be in, and work to do. Check out the full list across all of the major conferences below.
College basketball, NCAA Tournament bubble watch
ACC
Lock: Duke
Should be in: Wake Forest
Work to do: North Carolina, Notre Dame, Miami
The ACC is usually in the debate for the nation’s best basketball conference on an annual basis. There is no backing to that argument this season. Duke is the only 100% sure thing and if it were not for a win over Clemson on Tuesday, North Carolina would have been in serious trouble. Notre Dame can still win the ACC regular-season championship, giving them a huge boost toward their first tournament since 2017.
Big 12
Locks: Baylor, Kansas, Texas Tech
Should be in: Texas, Iowa State
Work to do: TCU, Oklahoma, Kansas State, West Virginia
It’s a possibility all nine of the teams eligible for the postseason from the Big 12 make it. Oklahoma State is currently serving a tournament ban but every other team has a shot. The top three mentioned under the locks section are competing for a one seed, while Texas remains one of the biggest threats in the country.
Big East
Locks: Villanova, Providence
Should be in: Connecticut, Xavier, Marquette, Seton Hall
Work to do: Creighton
The sixth power conference in college basketball, the Big East should have a few representatives in the NCAA Tournament next month. Providence is currently top of the standings, only having two losses throughout the entire season. Villanova is just a game behind as Jay Wright’s team remains a favorite to make a deep run.
Big Ten
Locks: Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois
Should be in: Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa, Indiana
Work to do: Michigan
Not many conferences are deeper top to bottom than the Big Ten. Teams such as Purdue are still pushing for a one-seed, while traditional powers Michigan State and Indiana seem locked into the field. Michigan has been a wild card all season, just one game above .500 in conference play. At the end of the day, the Big Ten will be near the top of the total amount teams in the tournament.
Pac-12
Locks: Arizona, UCLA
Should be in: USC
Work to do: Oregon, Stanford
Arizona and UCLA have been the class of the Pac-12 this season, splitting their regular-season series over the past couple of weeks. Those two are for sure going to get in and be top four seeds in the tournament. However, to get a few more teams in, there is work to be done for the conference. USC should be safe, barring any slip-ups. Stanford had a major opportunity at home against UCLA and Wednesday but fell. As for Oregon, they still have matchups with the three NCAA Tournament teams — their opportunity will present itself.
SEC
Locks: Kentucky, Auburn, LSU
Should be in: Tennessee, Alabama
Work to do: Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi State
The SEC is once again a top conference, with Auburn and Kentucky being two of the best teams in the country. A team like Arkansas is emerging late as well, currently on an eight-game winning streak. Alabama is an interesting one heading in the middle of February. They are off to their worst start in SEC play under Nate Oats (4-6) but have nonconference wins over Baylor, Gonzaga, and Houston. Nonetheless, nobody is going to want to see an SEC team in their bracket.
Others
Locks: Gonzaga, Houston
Should be in: Saint Mary’s, Murray State, Loyola Chicago, Wyoming, Boise State, San Francisco, Colorado State
Work to do: UAB, Belmont, BYU, Davidson, Saint Louis, San Diego State, Iona
A lot of the national narrative is that Gonzaga does not play in a competitive conference. This season has the chance to change that, with three other WCC schools being mentioned here. The Mountain West is showing out as well, as Boise State, Colorado, and Wyoming will be battling it out for that coveted automatic bid in the conference tournament. Leaving anything up to the committee can find you on the wrong side of the bubble.