NCAA Tournament Projections: Teams On The Bubble
NCAA Tournament projections looking at three bubble teams that need help, and have plenty of work to do before Selection Sunday.
Three college basketball teams are teetering on the NCAA Tournament bubble and have work to do before Selection Sunday.
The madness of the NCAA Tournament is nearing, and with that, here are three bubble teams worth tracking. The positions in March have yet to be solidified and these squads have some work to do.
Iowa State
The Cyclones currently stand at 12-6 and sit in 3rd place in the competitive Big 12. The Cyclones possess a somewhat bland resume with no marquee wins, and close losses to Baylor, Kansas, Gonzaga, and Cincinnati don’t earn you a tourney berth. However, Iowa State has some nice opportunities in the next few weeks with Kansas State, West Virginia, and a rematch with Kansas in Lawrence. Win that last one and people will take notice.
NC State
So much talent yet so much disappointment. The Pack have one of the most talented freshman in the country in Dennis Smith but it has not translated to consistent winning. The win at Virginia Tech in early January gives them a leg to stand on, as does the road victory over Duke, but there’s still work to do.
Rhode Island
Many believed this team was the gold standard in the A-10 preseason but they haven’t quite lived up to the billing. There’s a nice neutral court win vs Cincinnati but other than that the Rams did not do enough in non conference to make the committee take notice. At 4-2 in the A-10, Danny Hurley’s guys need to start racking up the wins in conference.
