Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Bubble Wednesday

Sure, you have to wait until this weekend for BracketBusters, but what about Bubble Busters? By coincidence, tonight has at least 15 games with huge bubble implications. Let's take a look at them. Check back here all night for updates. (Last update: 12:10 AM -- ALL GAMES FINAL)

Penn State at Illinois: Penn State has wins against Michigan State and Purdue, and this would complete the trifecta. If they get a win, it might be tough to keep them out. 38-33, Penn State (FINAL)

Alabama at Florida: The Gators have lost two in a row, including one against Georgia. They can't afford a home loss to a struggling Crimson Tide team. 83-74, Florida (FINAL)

Citadel at Davidson: Without Stephen Curry, the Wildcats are going to have to get a win. Their resume is suspect in case they were to lose in the conference tournament. 64-46, Citadel (FINAL)

Notre Dame at West Virginia: Both teams could use a win, but Notre Dame needs it much more. The Irish have won two in a row, while WVU is just 6-6 in the Big East. 79-68, West Virginia (FINAL)

Miami (Fl.) at Florida State: The Hurricanes have had a couple of close calls recently, but 4-7 in the ACC is not going to get it done. 80-67, Florida State (FINAL)

Georgetown at South Florida: The Hoyas absolutely need a win. A loss here -- a place where Marquette lost -- would knock them out of the at-large picture. 65-40, Georgetown (FINAL)

Fordham at Temple: The Owls are quietly creeping into the picture as a potential third team from the Atlantic-10. They can't afford a loss. 72-45, Temple (FINAL)

Providence at Louisville: The Friars could definitely use a marquee win, and this would definitely count. Without more big wins, PC might be left out. 94-76, Louisville (FINAL)

South Carolina at Mississippi State: The Gamecocks are tied atop the SEC East, but they are certainly no lock. Miss. St. needs to start winning games. 75-70, Mississippi State (FINAL)

Virginia Tech at Virginia: Va. Tech has some solid wins under its belt, but they can't afford a loss against a 2-8 Virginia team. However, the Cavs did beat Clemson over the weekend. 75-61, Virginia (FINAL)

UAB at Tulane: Conference-USA is likely a one-bid league, but UAB does have a chance should it win every remaining game besides Memphis. 76-70, UAB (FINAL)

Colorado at Nebraska: The Cornhuskers don't have nearly the profile necessary to reach the Dance, but the Big 12 has room for a fifth team to step forward. 46-41, Nebraska (FINAL)

Oklahoma State at Texas Tech: Oklahoma State has very good computer numbers and some opportunities down the stretch. It can't afford a road loss here. 92-82, Oklahoma State (FINAL)

UNLV at Wyoming: The Mountain West is very crowded near the top of the standings, and UNLV needs to win every game it can. A road loss would be crippling. 77-68, Wyoming (FINAL)

Cal State Bakersfield at Utah State: Sure, the Aggies shouldn't lose this game, but I've included it in case the unimaginable happens (Bakersfield is 1-13 on the road). If it does, Utah State might have to win the WAC Tournament. 78-57, Utah State (FINAL)

Three Others to Keep an Eye On:

Tennessee at Mississippi: The Volunteers have improved their profile lately, but they still need to win the games it should. A loss here would slide the Vols back down. 81-65, Mississippi (FINAL)

Utah at Colorado State: Utah is definitely in the best shape of any MWC team, but a loss here would kill their computer numbers and bring them back to the pack. 89-79, Utah (FINAL, OT)

LSU at Arkansas: The Tigers are dominating the SEC West, starting 9-1 so far. However, a loss here could cause some to question LSU's lack of good wins and weak schedule. 72-69, LSU (FINAL)

1 comment:

  1. Interesting to note that UNI lost AGAIN and Illinois State won. Could set up for UNI to drop all the way to a 3 for Arch Madness, leaving the possibility of a Creighton-Illinois State final and a small chance for the MVC to get two with an ISU win. In that scenario, Creighton would be 27-7 (assuming they win out) and an at-large bid wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility.

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