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March Madness bubble watch: Who is in, out heading into conference tournaments
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- March Madness bubble watch: Who is in, out heading into conference tournaments
Sunday is the final day of men's college basketball regular season, and only conference tournaments remain before the NCAA Tournament field is set.
That means bubble teams only have one guaranteed game left to boost their resumes before Selection Sunday next week.
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March Madness bracketology: Latest NCAA tournament bubble predictions
A number of teams fighting for the final few at-large bids lost Saturday, March 7, which could be brutal for their NCAA Tournament chances. A few bid stealers from conference tournament winners could also throw a wrench in a few teams' plans, should they pop up.
Miami (Ohio) became the third team to ever enter its conference tournament with a 31-0 record after finishing the regular season undefeated with its overtime win over Ohio on March 6. The RedHawks still might be on the NCAA Tournament bubble, though, if they don't win the MAC Tournament next week.
There were loads of losses for bubble teams to end the regular season. Here's the latest among NCAA Tournament bubble teams:
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March Madness bracket bubble stock up
Miami (Ohio)
Miami defeated Ohio on the road for the first time since 2014 on March 6 to become the third team in Division I history to enter its conference tournament with a 31-0 record, joining 2013-14 Wichita State and 2014-15 Kentucky.
It's hard to imagine Miami being left out of the NCAA Tournament if it fails to win the MAC tournament. Still, the RedHawks will undoubtedly feel most confident if they secure the automatic bid for the Big Dance.
Miami's metrics aren't playing in its favor, ranking No. 53 in the NCAA's NET rankings with the no Quad 1 wins and only two Quad 2 wins. But winning games has to matter, right?
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Ohio State
Staying in the Buckeye State, Ohio State all but assured its spot in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday with a comprehensive 91-78 win over fellow bubble team Indiana.
The Buckeyes (20-11, 12-8) finished the regular-season on a three-game winning streak, including a Quad 1 win over Purdue.
Stanford
While fellow ACC bubble teams Cal, SMU and Virginia Tech lost on March 7, Stanford added a nice win over NC State on the road behind true freshman Ebuka Okorie's 33 points.
The Cardinal improved to 20-11 after their fifth Quad 1 win this season, which could weigh heavily when comparing their resume to other bubble teams. Stanford takes its four-game winning streak into the ACC Tournament, where it looks to secure a March Madness bid with a win or two.
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VCU
VCU finished its regular season with a 15-3 record in A-10 play, which actually was tied with Saint Louis for first place in the conference standings, although the Billikens earned the outright regular season championship with a 2-0 record against the Rams this season.
VCU (24-7) has won 13 of its past 14 games and other bubble team's stumbles should give the Rams hope.
The A-10 is shaping up to be interesting, especially after Saint Louis was blown out by conference tournament contender George Mason to end the regular season. There's a rare scenario where George Mason wins the A-10 and VCU and Saint Louis earn at-large bids to give the conference three spots in the NCAA Tournament.
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VCU will certainly need a few wins in the A-10 tournament, and likely won't feel comfortable on Selection Sunday unless it wins the conference tournament.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma has played its way onto the bubble after an impressive finish to the regular season. The Sooners defeated Texas 88-85 in overtime on the road on March 7 to win their fourth straight and their sixth of their last eight games.
Oklahoma is now 17-14 on the season with seven SEC wins and will likely need a few wins to reach the NCAA Tournament. It now has five Quad 1 wins and looks forward to its opening-round SEC tournament game against South Carolina.
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The chances are still slim, but it's better than nothing for a team that lost nine consecutive conference games earlier this season.
March Madness bracket bubble stock down
New Mexico
New Mexico lost to Utah State 94-90 on March 7, which marked its third loss in its past four outings. The Lobos are now 22-9 on the season with a 13-7 record in Mountain West play, which could make things tough for an at-large bid.
New Mexico is very capable of winning the conference tournament. Utah State, the conference favorite, is a lock for the NCAA Tournament, even as an at-large team.
The Mountain West's best shot at being a two-bid league would be New Mexico winning the conference, as the Lobos' at-large chances are looking slim.
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Auburn
Make it eight losses in its last 10 games to end the regular season for Auburn , who's clinging on for dear life heading into the SEC Tournament after its latest loss to in-state rival Alabama on Saturday. The 16-15 Tigers have the worst record of any team on the bubble, but also one of the toughest schedules this season.
Auburn ranks No. 40 in the NET rankings with a 4-12 mark in Quad 1 games and a 4-2 record in Quad 2 games. Still, the weak record plays into account, especially with how the Tigers have ended the season.
Auburn's NCAA Tournament chances are dwindling, and the Final Four team from last season needs to pull it together at the SEC Tournament under first-year coach Steven Pearl.
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Indiana
Ohio State defeated Indiana 91-78 on March 7 in a battle of Big Ten bubble teams to end the regular season. The Buckeyes' stock is rising, and the Hoosiers' is falling.
Indiana entered the game projected as a First Four Out team by USA TODAY Sports' latest projections. Its double-digit losses will be tough to overcome.
Indiana falls to 18-13 on the year, whereas Ohio State is now 20-11 following its three-game winning streak that includes a top-10 ranked win over Purdue.
Cal
Cal had little room for error entering its final regular-season game against Wake Forest, who entered the game with a 15-15 record. The Golden Bears lost 80-73 on the road, putting them in a rough spot heading into the ACC Tournament.
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Cal was listed as a First Four Out team in USA TODAY Sports' latest bracketology update before its loss to Wake Forest. Now it's going to likely need to make a run in the conference tournament to have a shot at the Big Dance.
UCF
UCF was off the bubble in USA TODAY Sports' most recent bracket projection, although it isn't doing itself any favors heading into the Big 12 Tournament. The Knights (20-10) dropped their third straight game to end the regular season, falling to West Virginia 77-62 on March 7.
The loss proceeds two losses against teams off the NCAA Tournament radar in Baylor and Oklahoma State, which doesn't help the resume, either.
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UCF was a No. 10 seed in the latest bracket update and could fall firmly onto the bubble as the margins appear to be razor thin this season.
Cincinnati
Cincinnati (17-14) has played itself into bubble status down the stretch, winning six of its last seven games with an upset over Kansas before the regular season finale. The Bearcats couldn't secure their 18th win of the season, though, falling to TCU, 73-63, on the road Saturday.
The Horned Frogs are firmly in the NCAA Tournament projection amid their own hot streak, but the Bearcats have little room for error in the Big 12 tournament. Cincinnati might need a few wins in Kansas City to have a shot at reaching the 68-team field.
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SMU
SMU was, at one point, considered firmly in the NCAA Tournament picture a few weeks ago. The Mustangs' recent play has changed that sentiment mightily.
SMU (19-12, 8-10) ended its regular season with its fourth consecutive losses after losing to Florida State 91-78 on the road on March 7. SMU has lost to a pair of bubble teams in Cal and Stanford, along with a loss to Miami, which is No. 29 in NET.
The Mustangs are in a difficult position, especially with only one ranked win this season, which came against North Carolina in January. SMU might need some help and a few wins in the ACC tournament.
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Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech coach Mike Young was beat up after the Hokies' 76-72 loss to Virginia on March 7.
"What the (expletive) am I doing wrong?" he said in his postgame news conference after the loss, while clearly emotional.
The loss dropped Virginia Tech to 19-12 on the season and is in a similar bubble bucket with multiple ACC teams also vying for NCAA Tournament spots. The Hokies are No. 55 in NET with a 2-9 record in Quad 1 games, and aren't looking like an NCAA Tournament team as of now.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness bracket bubble watch: Miami Ohio is in, Indiana is out
