Bubble Watch

NoCreativity

Well-Known Member
Nov 12, 2015
12,466
10,795
113
Des Moines
Actually, if Gonzaga were to lose again I could see any of Arizona, Oregon, or UCLA sliding into a #1 seed depending on who wins the PAC-12 tourney. They all 3 have really similiar resumes.

If Gonzaga wins out I think the 3 PAC-12 heavyweights would all be in the 2-3 seed range.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: cyclones500

allfourcy

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Apr 26, 2012
6,950
2,983
113
You think they should be lower than a 3? Lunardi had them as a 4 last time which is ridiculous. I think they are a high 3 might even sneak up to a 2 at this point. I had doubts about them because they cant defend but theyve won at Arizona and Kentucky this year. Thats enough for me to know they are legit.

No. Re-read my post. I thought they should be a 2-seed, since Baylor probably drops to a 3, having lost 3 of their last 4.
 

cyclones500

Well-Known Member
Jan 29, 2010
38,841
26,881
113
Michigan
basslakebeacon.com
Well, we are officially a lock for the tournament according to the latest update.

Finally! Probably should've locked us even before Baylor win, but it is what it was.

I think Dayton and VCU should be considered locks at this point, too. SOS numbers aren't great, but RPI in the top 25 for both, I can't see either sliding enough to drop out. Arkansas, Xavier and U-M are might-as-well-be-locks.

The Watch is correct to add Georgia and Illinois to this list, as fringe-like as they are.
 

NoCreativity

Well-Known Member
Nov 12, 2015
12,466
10,795
113
Des Moines
Finally! Probably should've locked us even before Baylor win, but it is what it was.

I think Dayton and VCU should be considered locks at this point, too. SOS numbers aren't great, but RPI in the top 25 for both, I can't see either sliding enough to drop out. Arkansas, Xavier and U-M are might-as-well-be-locks.

The Watch is correct to add Georgia and Illinois to this list, as fringe-like as they are.

I'm just glad Pitt and Clemson are finally off this page. It only took 12 conference losses for the ACC-biased Espn to finally drop them. Now I can read this page without laughing anymore.
 

Cyballzz

Well-Known Member
Feb 1, 2010
4,550
5,478
113
Finally! Probably should've locked us even before Baylor win, but it is what it was.

I think Dayton and VCU should be considered locks at this point, too. SOS numbers aren't great, but RPI in the top 25 for both, I can't see either sliding enough to drop out. Arkansas, Xavier and U-M are might-as-well-be-locks.

The Watch is correct to add Georgia and Illinois to this list, as fringe-like as they are.

Whats crazy is how similar Northwestern and Illinois resumes really are.
 

Gunnerclone

Well-Known Member
Jul 16, 2010
75,682
80,067
113
DSM
You think they should be lower than a 3? Lunardi had them as a 4 last time which is ridiculous. I think they are a high 3 might even sneak up to a 2 at this point. I had doubts about them because they cant defend but theyve won at Arizona and Kentucky this year. Thats enough for me to know they are legit.

Ball/Leaf combo is probably my favorite to watch in all of CBB.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JRE1975

LACyclone

Active Member
Mar 16, 2012
142
104
43
46
Beverly Hills, CA
Do you want a shocker-multi-bid league on Selection Sunday? Consider Mountain West. ... Don't bet your house on it, but the "wait ... really?" possibility is there.

Yikes, you could be right. Two of the following: Colorado St. (go Eustachy!), Nevada, Boise St. Didn't realize Nevada has a pretty solid RPI.

This is another crazy scenario: 3 from the MVC. If, say, UNI wins their tourney, it could still be likely that Illinois St. and Wichita St. make it too.

I remember the year VCU made the Final Four, the committee surprised just about everybody by putting them in the field. Also, if I recall correctly, the same goes for George Mason the year they went to the Final Four. So it's not unprecedented that the committee would pick a seemingly undeserving mid-major over a P5 school.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cyclones500

cyclones500

Well-Known Member
Jan 29, 2010
38,841
26,881
113
Michigan
basslakebeacon.com
Quick Bubble-Watch update, thru March 1:
* KSU kept its meager hopes alive with win road win at TCU, an in-effect "play-out" game. If K-State defeats Tech on Saturday, it stays alive, otherwise it's probably toast for at-large.
* Don't look now, but Big Ten might get 8 teams in. Illinois is on the cusp — Illini profile actually isn't much different than Northwestern's, and NW most likely punched a ticket with the hail-mary win over U-M. Result in finale vs. Purdue won't matter, and only possible chance for a damaging loss in Big tourney would be if Rutgers somehow wins on Day 1, then beats NW. (Yeah, like that's gonna happen.)
* SEC: Georgia stayed afloat, barely, with a 1-point win over Auburn; Ole Miss dwindling; Tennessee probably out.
* ACC: Wake freaking Forest is not dead yet, with win over UL. Deacons finally got a top-25 RPI win after 11,000 opportunities.
* Xavier, comfortably in not long ago, is in danger of missing the cut, although RPI still somehow looks bubble-proof. Strange.
* On related note, Marquette helped itself with win at XU.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: Freebird

Doc

This is it Morty
Aug 6, 2006
37,437
21,963
113
Denver
Do you want a shocker-multi-bid league on Selection Sunday? Consider Mountain West. ... Don't bet your house on it, but the "wait ... really?" possibility is there.

I think that conference is good enough to deserve two bids, and I hope they get them. They are really not much different from the A10.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cyclones500

cyclones500

Well-Known Member
Jan 29, 2010
38,841
26,881
113
Michigan
basslakebeacon.com
I think that conference is good enough to deserve two bids, and I hope they get them. They are really not much different from the A10.

Contradicting my previous post to some extent, realistically UN might be left high & dry because of lingering power-5/B-East hangers-on (and Nevada is dragged down by SOS). Big-conference teams had been effectively losing their way out at a high rate prior to recent days.

MWC might produce only 1 as auto-bid, I'm curious about teams like Houston, UT-Arlington, Middle Tennessee, UNCW, and such. ... Less-specifically, it feels like somebody in that territory will get at-large over revolving-door teams like Wake, KSU, Georgia, and so on.
 

NoCreativity

Well-Known Member
Nov 12, 2015
12,466
10,795
113
Des Moines
Contradicting my previous post to some extent, realistically UN might be left high & dry because of lingering power-5/B-East hangers-on (and Nevada is dragged down by SOS). Big-conference teams had been effectively losing their way out at a high rate prior to recent days.

MWC might produce only 1 as auto-bid, I'm curious about teams like Houston, UT-Arlington, Middle Tennessee, UNCW, and such. ... Less-specifically, it feels like somebody in that territory will get at-large over revolving-door teams like Wake, KSU, Georgia, and so on.

- I think the MWC is a 1-bid leauge

-I think MVC gets 2 bids, WSU and Illinios St, there is so much seperation this year I dont see another team winning the MVC tourney

-TCU is out, does K-State get a bid now if it beats Tech at 8-10? Or do they need to win a game in the Big 12 tourney? They will be 6th seed and draw us, Baylor, or West Virginia

-Xavier has to be in trouble at this point?

-Illinois suddenly looks like a legit bubble team when looking at their resume, swept Northwestern, beat Michgian and MSU at home, pretty tough non-conf, beat VCU and BYU on a neutral floor
 

Cynonymous

Well-Known Member
Aug 14, 2015
1,473
358
83
I think Syracuse is an interesting team and a good barometer for the bubble. Some really good wins at home, but no wins away from home of note unless you count Clemson.
Syracuse (51 KenPom, 79 RPI)
17-13
9-8 ACC
Wins against Florida State, Duke, Virginia, Miami, Wake Forest

Clemson sticks out as their only decent road win (34 KenPom, 60 RPI)

It's that road record that is really dragging them down and the RPI is punishing them for it. The road losses against tourney teams weren't close either with an average of 14 pts. Their non-conf schedule did them no favors as well. Yet, there they are sitting right on the bubble.
 

Cyballzz

Well-Known Member
Feb 1, 2010
4,550
5,478
113
- I think the MWC is a 1-bid leauge

-I think MVC gets 2 bids, WSU and Illinios St, there is so much seperation this year I dont see another team winning the MVC tourney

-TCU is out, does K-State get a bid now if it beats Tech at 8-10? Or do they need to win a game in the Big 12 tourney? They will be 6th seed and draw us, Baylor, or West Virginia

-Xavier has to be in trouble at this point?

-Illinois suddenly looks like a legit bubble team when looking at their resume, swept Northwestern, beat Michgian and MSU at home, pretty tough non-conf, beat VCU and BYU on a neutral floor

Crazy to see how the Mountain West effectively has become the WAC and the WAC became... well... hey they have a conference... good for them.

I think the MVC gets 2 bids if Wichita and Illinois State both get to the title game. Wichita is probably in regardless but I think Illinois State gets left out if they fail to make it to the finals.

Wichita and Illinois State have weird resumes. Wichita's best win (and only top 50 win) is Illinois State. Illinois State's best win (and only top 50 win) is Wichita. Combined they have 4 Top 100 wins and 2 of those are against each other. What will help Wichita State is they have nothing remotely close to a bad loss and they flat out steam rolled bums in that conference.
 

NoCreativity

Well-Known Member
Nov 12, 2015
12,466
10,795
113
Des Moines
Crazy to see how the Mountain West effectively has become the WAC and the WAC became... well... hey they have a conference... good for them.

I think the MVC gets 2 bids if Wichita and Illinois State both get to the title game. Wichita is probably in regardless but I think Illinois State gets left out if they fail to make it to the finals.

Wichita and Illinois State have weird resumes. Wichita's best win (and only top 50 win) is Illinois State. Illinois State's best win (and only top 50 win) is Wichita. Combined they have 4 Top 100 wins and 2 of those are against each other. What will help Wichita State is they have nothing remotely close to a bad loss and they flat out steam rolled bums in that conference.

Agree 100%, Wichita State is really an unknown, like you said they havent beaten anybody but they are destroying every MVC team which at least has to account for something.

I would prefer to avoid them in the 1st round, Illinois State I wouldnt be as concerned with if we end up getting matched up with them.