3/13 Bubble Viewer's Guide (THE END)
If you’re like me, then you love watching college basketball, especially in the month of March as bubble battles become more significant and bids get stolen. But with so much basketball to watch and with conference tournaments beginning early in the afternoon, it can be hard to keep up with everything and know what to watch and when. Enter my Bubble Viewer’s Guide to the rescue. A daily, quick rundown of everything to keep an eye on as we storm towards Selection Sunday.
We’ve finally reached the end. Just eleven games separate us from now and the reveal of the NCAA Tournament brackets later tonight. I hope you have enjoyed these couple of weeks as much as I have. It’s been a wild, chaotic time, but I loved every minute of it and look forward to a great tournament. Here’s the final viewer’s guide:
Men’s Basketball
12:00 p.m. Eastern: The Ivy League Final starts us off with a battle between Princeton and Yale. The Tigers are just outside the top 100 on KenPom and really know how to score the basketball. But the Bulldogs are no slouch either (ESPN2)
1:00 p.m. Eastern: Is Texas A&M really going to win the SEC Tournament as an 8 seed? Well, they are one game against Tennessee away from doing just that. There still seems to be some debate as to the Aggies position along the bubble, but a win makes all of that moot. A win for the Volunteers could earn them a 2 seed (ESPN)
1:00 p.m. Eastern: Here we go! Our first real bid thief opportunity comes in the Atlantic 10 Final between Davidson and Richmond (I’m not counting Virginia Tech in the ACC because we don’t know if the committee would have still put them in as an at-large). The Wildcats are safely in the field with only their seeding in doubt. The Spiders are a good team and definitely capable of winning this game. A loss will send them to the NIT, and that’s what fans in Fort Worth, Piscataway and Winston-Salem among other cities will be wishing is the outcome for Richmond (CBS)
3:15 p.m. Eastern: Memphis put to rest any questions over its at-large candidacy with a strong run to the AAC Final against Houston. The Tigers have swept the Cougars so far this season and will go for the trifecta. A win for Houston would be a big confidence boost for a team projected for a high seed in the NCAA Tournament, but hasn’t necessarily played like a high seed recently (ESPN)
3:30 p.m. Eastern: The final automatic bid is decided just minutes before the bracket is revealed, and it’s in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Final between Iowa and Purdue. The Hawkeyes have been upwardly mobile on seed lists and a win could have them knocking on the door of a 4 seed. Meanwhile, Purdue could grab a 2 seed with a win against Iowa (CBS)
Women’s Basketball
12:00 p.m. Eastern: It’s been a crazy Northeast Conference Tournament on the women’s side. Seventh seeded Bryant has taken down the top two teams in the conference, Fairleigh Dickinson and St. Francis Brooklyn, and now the Bulldogs have their sights set on #3 seed Mount St. Mary’s. The Bryant women will try and join the men’s team in the NCAA Tournament (ESPNU)
12:00 p.m. Eastern: The best team in the Patriot League all season was Holy Cross, but they lost on a buzzer beater in the quarterfinals. However, don’t be fooled; fourth seeded Bucknell and second seeded American are still very good teams, despite the status of the Patriot League. Both schools won 20 games this year, and it will be a great battle to decide an NCAA Tournament spot (CBSSN)
1:00 p.m. Eastern: Drexel and Delaware play in a rematch of the 2021 Colonial Final. This will actually be the fourth straight championship appearance for the Dragons. These were the top two teams in the conference all season and each won at least 23 games. When filling out your bracket, be sure to consider the winner of this game for a first round upset (FloHoops)
2:00 p.m. Eastern: The Southland Conference is another tournament that has produced lots of upsets. Neither of the top two seeds made it to the finals; instead, #3 Southeastern Louisiana and #5 seed Incarnate Word play to represent the conference in the NCAA Tournament. UIW had to win three games in three days just to reach the final, so tired legs might be an issue. At 16-20, they would also be the first below .500 team in the 2022 NCAA Tournament (CBSSN)
2:00 p.m. Eastern: This Missouri Valley Championship could have been even more interesting if Missouri State hadn’t lost in the semifinals because of their bubble status, but don’t let that dissuade you from watching this game. Both Northern Iowa and Illinois State are legit teams who each beat Missouri State in the regular season. The MVC may be a two-bid league, but the one guaranteed bid from this game will be a tough out in the NCAA Tournament (ESPNU)
2:00 p.m. Eastern: The Big 12 Final pits two top 10 teams against each other. Baylor and Texas are playing for seeding along with a championship trophy. A win for the Lady Bears would give them a likely #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, a high honor in their first year of the post-Kim Mulkey era. For the Longhorns, a two seed is probably in the cards for them no matter what (ESPN2)