Bubble Watch updated with conference tournaments three weeks out
The college basketball regular season has just three weeks remaining before the postseason gets underway with conference tournaments on the NCAA Tournament. Plenty of teams are still on bubble watch, needing to do just a bit more to get into the big dance.
ESPN broke down how the bubble situation looks heading into another week of games. They separated teams in each conference by locks, should be in, and work to do. Here is the full bubble breakdown.
College basketball, NCAA Tournament bubble watch
ACC
Locks: Duke
Work to do: Wake Forest, Miami, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Virginia
Duke is the only sure thing out of the ACC right now. The other five teams mentioned will have shots down the final stretch of the year but will have to pick up key wins to remain in the conversations. A couple more bad losses and we could be facing the reality of a major conference only having one or two representatives in the NCAA Tournament.
Big 12
Locks: Kansas, Baylor, Texas Tech
Should be in: Texas, TCU
Work to do: Oklahoma, Iowa State
One of the deepest conferences in the country, the Big 12 will have plenty of teams playing in March. The top three of Kansas, Baylor, and Texas Tech will all be top seeds, while Texas and TCU find themselves needing just another win or two to be considered locks. Oklahoma and Iowa State will have plenty of opportunities to make the jump into the field, including a matchup against each other on Feb. 19.
Big East
Locks: Villanova, Providence
Should be in: Xavier, Marquette, UConn, Seton Hall
Work to do: Creighton
Of all the two-loss teams remaining in the country, none may be getting talked about less than the Providence Friars. The first of two matchups against Villanova comes on Tuesday, where they can really prove they deserve to be mentioned with the top teams. Nonconference wins over Texas Tech and Wisconsin help the case as well.
Big Ten
Locks: Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois
Should be in: Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa, Indiana
Work to do: Michigan, Rutgers
Safe to say, whoever makes it out of the Big Ten with a championship will be deserving of taking a No. 1 seed in the tournament. While nobody has been able to establish themselves at the top, there’s been flip-flopping throughout the conference all year. Purdue has been a great example, getting a huge win against Illinois before getting blown out by Michigan and scraping by Maryland. Like the Big 12, it should be an exciting close to the season in the Big 12.
Pac-12
Locks: UCLA, Arizona
Should be in: USC
Work to do: Oregon
Arizona, USC, and UCLA have been the class of the Pac-12 all season, competing for the regular-season championship. Oregon was seemingly set to be a lock for the NCAA Tournament but a couple of head-scratching losses have dropped them to a tier below. However, with wins over the Bruins and Trojans, it should be a four-bid year for the Pac-12 on Selection Sunday.
SEC
Locks: Auburn, Kentucky, Tennessee
Should be in: Alabama, LSU, Arkansas
Work to do: Florida, Mississippi State
If any team in the SEC has an opportunity to close out the season with a bang, it will be the Florida Gators. Auburn, Arkansas, and Kentucky all remain on the schedule and all take place in Gainesville. The Gators are 6-6 in the conference alongside Alabama and LSU with five conference games remaining. The SEC tournament is set to be one of the most brutal in the country.
American
Locks: Houston
Work to do: Memphis, SMU
Despite the loss to SMU last week, Houston is still considered a team competing for a top seed in the tournament. On the flip side, the Mustangs have now worked their way back into contention. They are currently 9-2 in conference play and still have both Memphis, Houston, and the AAC tournament to bolster their resume.
Others
Locks: Gonzaga
Should be in: St. Mary’s, Boise State, Colorado State, Murray State, Wyoming, Loyola Chicago
Work to do: Davidson, BYU, San Francisco, San Diego State, Belmont, VCU, North Texas, Saint Louis, Chattanooga, Dayton, Utah State, UAB, Santa Clara, Iona
Gonzaga reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the AP poll on Monday and is currently on a 14 game winning streak. They will have an argument to be the top seed in the entire tournament come Selection Sunday. Elsewhere, the Mountain West continues to be one of the most entertaining conferences in the country, with Boise State, Colorado State, and Wyoming trading punches back and forth.