March 04--It's March, and we're a little more than a week from Selection Sunday. That means bubble teams across the nation will either go into panic mode and fizzle or find a way to finish with a convincing surge.
Here is a look at some teams that will be scrapping to secure an NCAA tournament bid:
Florida
17-13, 8-9 SEC, 57 RPI, 13 SOS
Are SEC basketball teams trying to be the opposite of their football teams? Give the Gators credit for beating West Virginia and St. Joseph's, but a losing record in this subpar conference should disqualify them. Home losses to Alabama (another bubble team) and Florida State and a double-digit loss at Tennessee don't help.
Prediction: Out.
Ohio State
19-11, 11-6 Big Ten, 75 RPI, 59 SOS
Not much jumps out about the Buckeyes as they work through a rare rebuilding season. Their two best victories are against Kentucky and Iowa, but home losses to Texas-Arlington and Louisiana Tech and a neutral-court loss to Memphis -- all in November -- are hard to overlook.
Prediction: Out.
Connecticut
20-9, 10-6 American, 55 RPI, 62 SOS
Victories against SMU and at Texas gloss up an otherwise unimpressive resume. The Huskies have seven losses to teams ranked between 50 and 100, which is major bubble territory. Getting swept by Cincinnati and Temple plus losses to Syracuse, Gonzaga and Houston could tilt the favor away from the Huskies.
Prediction: In.
Cincinnati
21-8, 11-5 American, 51 RPI, 93 SOS
The schedule has been weak. Victories against top-40 teams VCU and Tulsa carry some weight, and the Bearcats have scraped together enough wins compared with other bubble teams.
Prediction: In.
Top four seeds
Kansas 26-4, 14-3 Big 12, 1 RPI, 6 SOS; Villanova 26-4, 15-2 Big East, 2 RPI, 12 SOS; Virginia 23-6, 12-5 ACC, 3 RPI, 9 SOS; North Carolina 24-6, 13-4 ACC, 9 RPI, 30 SOS.
