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)

Zeller Back for UNC; Jenkins Out for Northridge

Before I get to some of the big news items of the past couple of days, I just want to let everyone know that I will have a complete BracketBusters preview later tonight, as well as a complete and updated Bubble Watch tomorrow.

Zeller Returning Tonight?

According to Jeff Goodman of FOXSports.com, North Carolina freshman forward Tyler Zeller is likely to return to the team tonight against North Carolina State. "It’s 99 percent that he’ll play tomorrow night," North Carolina spokesman Steve Kirschner told Goodman. "Tyler wants to play and Roy just wants to see him practice one more time today before making a final decision." The 7-foot big man was expected to redshirt this season after breaking his wrist back in November, but there have been rumblings for several weeks about a potential return.

"It depends on how he goes through practice today. He would really like to help this team,” head coach Roy Williams said in a news conference on Tuesday. "He would really like to play. He thinks that it would really help him in the long term, and hopefully, he would help this team this year. So, he and I discussed it yesterday and I told him that was the decision we would go with, unless he went home and slept on it and came back and said he’s changed his mind." A school official told InsideCarolina.com that Zeller had not changed his mind and wants to play Wednesday. Zeller scored 18 points in his debut against Penn before breaking his wrist.

Jenkins Hurt in Car Accident, Likely Out for Season

Cal State Northridge senior guard Josh Jenkins was hospitalized over the weekend after he was the passenger in a car accident that left the driver of the vehicle dead. According to the Los Angeles Daily News, Jenkins was in stable condition on Monday. "Obviously, we're thankful that Josh is alive," head coach Bobby Braswell said. "This is a big blow to our team at this point of the season, but more importantly he's alive and we pray that he will have a speedy and full recovery." There is no indication of when Jenkins will be released or be able to play again.

"He was playing his best basketball, so he's really down and depressed about that," Braswell said. "Our first concern is that he gets healthy physically and mentally. That's his journey. He's one of the most competitive kids I've ever coached. He has a strong will." On the heels of six straight wins, Northridge had moved into first-place in the Big West Conference standings. Jenkins has been one of the leaders for the Matadors, averaging 10.2 points and 6.1 assists per game.