NCAA Bubble Update Feb. 6-13: Minnesota, Arkansas in trouble

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Bubble season is getting more and more exciting by the day. Although there are still a few weeks left in the regular season, there are a good amount of teams that are breaking out of the their bubble and into the big dance. However, there are certainly teams whose bubbles are about to burst.

Where does your team stand?

In this week’s edition, we will analyze five new teams, but first we will see if last week’s bubble squads helped or hurt their chances on making the NCAA Tournament.

 

Last Week’s bubble teams:

Minnesota (17-8, 5-7 Big Ten)-Hurt

The Gophers only had one game last week, which they managed to lose in overtime. It was against a ranked opponent in No. 21 Wisconsin, but a loss is a loss.

North Carolina State (18-7, 7-3 ACC)-Neutral 

NC State won its only game last week, but it came against Georgia Tech, who only has nine wins on the season. It may have been on the road, but a nine point win against that caliber of a team is not impressive in my book.

Wyoming (18-6, 4-4 MWC)-Hurt

New Mexico is a great team, but to only score 38 points is rather embarrassing. Wyoming needs a miracle to win the Mountain West Conference now, a miracle that isn’t going to happen.

Arkansas (17-8, 5-5 SEC)-Hurt

Who gets blown out by the Georgia Bulldogs? Oops, sorry Arkansas. The Razorbacks have not won a single game on the road this year. Things are definitely not looking good in Fayettville at the moment.

Seton Hall (17-8, 6-7 Big East)-Helped

After six straight losses, the Pirates finally won a game, and then they added to that streak by winning again.

 

This week’s bubble teams:

Cincinnati (17-8, 7-5 Big East)

The Bearcats have been up and down the entire season. Losses to Marshall and Presbyterian do not look good at all, but Cincinnati does have a 7-5 record in the Big East, which is pretty impressive no matter who you are. Cincinnati’s win against Georgetown looks great on the resume, but just like any bubble team, the Bearcats have to finish strong.

Miami (15-8, 6-4 ACC)

Miami went on quite the streak before losing to Florida State last week. Unfortunately, the Hurricanes will have to play the Tar Heels next, but they did beat Duke at Cameron, so don’t count them out just yet. Miami really doesn’t have a bad loss on their resume, with losses to other possible tournament teams like Purdue, West Virginia, Mississippi and Memphis. However, the problem is they have too many of these losses, which may keep them out of the tournament in the end.

Xavier (16-9, 7-4 A-10)

Xavier got off to a great start this year, but ever since a brawl broke out against Cincinnati, the Musketeers have not been able to get back into a rhythm. So many losses plague Xavier this year, but wins against Purdue and Vanderbilt early in the season have to count for something. If Xavier can make a deep run in its conference tournament, the Musketeers may squeeze their way into the big dance. Keep in mind they are only a game and a half out of first in the Atlantic 10.

Northwestern (15-9, 5-7 Big Ten)

Northwestern has played tough competition all season long. The Wildcats beat LSU and Seton Hall early on, but they did lose to Baylor and Creighton in their out-of-conference schedule, as well. These losses will not be looked down upon one bit because both of those teams should easily make the NCAA Tournament. Just like a lot of the Big Ten teams, Northwestern has recorded some big wins, which include victories over Michigan State and Illinois. The Wildcats’ problem is their 5-7 record in the Big Ten.  They have to win a lot of games in the remainder of their schedule in order to have a chance. A deep Big Ten Tournament run never hurts, either.

Washington (17-8, 10-3 Pac-12)

If I was on the tournament committee, the only way I would let Washington in the tournament is if they won the Pac-12, but let’s face it,  I’m not. The Pac-12 doesn’t even compare with any of the other major conferences. It doesn’t even have one team ranked in the top-25. In spite of losing way too many out-of-conference games – five to be exact – they are tied for first in the Pac-12, so they still have a shot. If Washington wants to ensure that it makes the NCAA Tournament this year, the Huskies better just win their conference tournament.

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