Selection Sunday: San Diego State, Temple Further Complicate Bubble

Championship Sunday provided a bit of everything. Drama, buzzer-beaters, you name it.

As mentioned yesterday. 14 teams officially punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament, some of them in grand style, like Buffalo and Cal State Bakersfield, hitting last-second shots to send them to the tournament.

Kansas, North Carolina and Oregon completed the double-dip in their respective conferences, and as a result, all now sit on the top line. And with a win today, Michigan State should also join them, though you can make a case Sparty has claimed a top seed already with how well they've played of late and their performance out of conference.

But oh that bubble continues to get more and more complicated just hours before the brackets are revealed. Temple loses to Connecticut and San Diego State, for the second year in a row, lost in the Mountain West final to a team in Fresno State that wasn't going to dance without the automatic bid.

So now we take a look at their respective profiles. Temple is now 62nd in RPI with a non-conference rank of 75. However, they were just 7-6 out of conference and their best win came against Fairleigh Dickinson. The positives are that they swept Cincinnati and Connecticut, both of whom seem to be headed to the dance, and beat SMU at home. I have the Owls just in right now.

The Aztecs, however, weren't so lucky. They sit as the first team out after going back and forth a bit on some teams.

The Aztecs are No. 40 in RPI and have the No. 2 non-conference schedule. But a 5-6 mark doesn't look good, and unfortunately for Steve Fisher's team, the Mountain West, as a whole, was surprisingly down this season. They do own a top-50 win over California on a neutral court, but only two other top-100 wins over Fresno State and Long Beach State.

I decided to move Monmouth back into the field after briefly taking them out. I still feel Monmouth should be rewarded for all those road wins and they nearly have two top-50 wins again (USC sits No. 51). I also moved Syracuse back in. Why? After going back on it and thinking about it, Syracuse does still own very good wins with Jim Boeheim on the sideline. The Orange, overall, went 5-6 against the top 50 and 8-10 against the top 100. In games where they had Boeheim, they were 5-5 and 8-8, respectively. And all five of those top 50 are against teams currently projected in the field. If the committee gives the Orange a bit of a pass on the Boeheim suspension, they have a case to be selected. We'll find out today.

Here now is your next-to-last update before my final bracket later today.

Last Four Byes: Connecticut, Michigan, St. Bonaventure, Pittsburgh
Last Four In: Syracuse, Temple, Saint Mary's, Monmouth
First Four Out: San Diego State, Wichita State, Vanderbilt, Valparaiso
Next Four Out: South Carolina, Florida, Tulsa, Georgia

Conference Rundown

ACC - 7
Big 12 - 7
Big Ten - 7
Pac-12 - 7
Big East - 5
Atlantic 10 - 4
American Athletic - 3
MAAC - 2
SEC - 2
West Coast - 2
One-bid Leagues - 22

Five championship games, including a potential bid thief on the loose, so Monmouth isn't out of the woods yet. They'll be rooting hard for Connecticut. Enjoy your Sunday and I'll talk to you later today for my final bracket.

Atlantic 10 Championship (in Brooklyn, NY)

No. 2 VCU vs. No. 4 Saint Joseph's, 1:00, CBS

SEC Championship Game (in Nashville, TN)

No. 1 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Kentucky, 1:00, ESPN

Sun Belt Championship (in New Orleans, LA)

No. 1 Arkansas-Little Rock vs. No. 2 Louisiana-Monroe, 1:00, ESPN2

American Athletic Championship (in Orlando, FL)

No. 5 Connecticut vs. No. 6 Memphis,, 3:15, ESPN

Big Ten Championship (in Indianapolis, IN)

No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 4 Purdue, 3:30, CBS

Championship Week Saturday: Connecticut, Michigan Score Big, SEC Bubble Teams Stumble

It was a wild day for bubble teams across the country. Some scored huge victories, others flopped big time and likely lost any hope of earning a bid.

It started in Indianapolis when Kameron Chatman drilled a three-pointer with 0.2 seconds left to lift Michigan over Indiana and into the Big Ten semifinals against Purdue. That was Michigan's fourth top-50 win, third against the top 25. Two of those four wins came on neutral courts, the other being against Texas. The downside is that those four wins are also the only four top-100 wins for Michigan. But the value of this win, having no bad and with results from bubble teams elsewhere, might be enough to vault Michigan in. They sit among the last four byes.

It took four overtimes, but Connecticut prevailed over Cincinnati in the American quarters, moving the Huskies into the RPI top 50 and scoring their fourth top-50 win and seventh against the top 100. Just like Michigan, UConn has no bad losses and also won at Texas. And just like Michigan, Connecticut is currently among the last four byes.

On the flipside, it was not a good day for some bubble teams, particularly in the SEC. Florida and Alabama both lost, likely ending their hopes. The free-fall for both teams will end with them landing in the NIT.

Then we get to South Carolina. The Gamecocks lost for a third time to Georgia (who is quietly moving toward the bubble, themselves). If you take a look at South Carolina's profile now, after the Georgia loss, it is not good. The Gamecocks are left with just one top-50 win (at Texas A&M). They lost Tulsa as a top-50 win after Tulsa got blasted by Memphis (ending the hopes for Tulsa, by the way). And their non-conference schedule rank is atrocious, currently ranked 270th and the committee usually always frowns upon that. And they dipped below 60 on the RPI table, which could also be troubling.

St. Bonaventure also lost a tough one against Davidson. The Bonnies do still have a high RPI (30), won at Dayton and swept Saint Joseph's. Right now, they sit among the last four in.

Friday was also a good day if you're a fan of a mid-major team, namely Saint Mary's, Monmouth and Wichita State. Indeed, Friday's results helped moved the Shockers back into the field as other teams start to play their way out after leaving a bad taste in their last showing. The Gaels are among the last four byes while the Hawks and Shockers join St. Bonaventure and VCU among the last four in. And even Valparaiso is still alive. A strong non-conference and a win at Oregon State gives the Crusaders a pulse. Probably won't be enough, but they're at least in the discussion.

Of course, bubble teams still aren't out of the woods yet. That's because we're guaranteed to have a potential bid thief playing on Sunday in the AAC championship. Memphis blasted Tulsa right out of the tournament and Tulane upset No. 2 seed Houston to set up their semifinal date. That means one of those two teams will play on Sunday for the automatic bid and to steal a bid from a potential bubble team. As if things weren't wild enough.

At the top of the bracket, Kansas' win over Baylor to move into the Big 12 championship has pretty much wrapped up the overall No. 1 seed for the Jayhawks, even if they lost to West Virginia. Kansas now has a whopping eight wins against the RPI top 25, 14 against the top 50 and 19 against the top 100.

Villanova probably will get a top seed as well. That leaves two spots and probably four, maybe just three, teams in play. Xavier's loss to Seton Hall ended their hopes for a No. 1 seed and Buddy Hield's game-winner didn't count, giving Oklahoma seven losses. That probably drops Oklahoma to a No. 2 seed. Virginia, Michigan State and North Carolina are all in the running and even Oregon still has a chance, though their loss against UNLV might hold them back.

Virginia now has eight top-25 wins and nine against the top-50. Those wins include Villanova, West Virginia and California out of conference. Michigan State is 6-4 against the top 50, but hold that win over Kansas back in the Champions' Classic in November that could be a deciding factor. And then you have North Carolina who won the ACC regular season title and just throttled Notre Dame in the semifinal. But the Heels still have a losing record against the top 50 at 4-5. But if they defeat Virginia and get to 5-5, they would have the double-dip of the regular season and tournament titles in the ACC, which could vault them to the top line, possibly joining Virginia.

Right now, we're going with Kansas, Villanova, Virginia and Michigan State on the top line with North Carolina and Oregon behind. Oklahoma and Utah round out the twos.

Let's check out the bracket and then check out all the games today.

Last Four Byes: Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Michigan, Saint Mary's
Last Four In: St. Bonaventure, Monmouth, VCU, Wichita State
First Four Out: Vanderbilt, Florida, South Carolina, Valparaiso
Next Four Out: Tulsa, Syracuse, Georgia, Alabama

Conference Rundown

Big 12 - 7
Big Ten - 7
Pac-12 - 7
ACC - 6
Big East - 5
Atlantic 10 - 4
American Athletic - 3
MAAC - 2
Missouri Valley - 2
SEC - 2
West Coast - 2
One-bid Leagues - 21

Buckle up, because today is a very busy day. 14 tournament bids are at stake today while the remaining five conferences will set up their championship games. Enjoy the games and we'll see you tomorrow for the next-to-last post here, setting up Selection Sunday with my final bracket coming later in the day Sunday.

America East Championship

No. 3 Vermont at No. 1 Stony Brook, 11:00, ESPN2

MEAC Championship (in Norfolk, VA)

No. 1 Hampton vs. No. 3 South Carolina State, 1:00, ESPN2

Conference USA Championship (in Birmingham, AL)

No. 2 Middle Tennessee vs. No. 5 Old Dominion, 2:30, FS1

Big East Championship (in New York, NY)

No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 3 Seton Hall, 5:30, FOX

Big 12 Championship (in Kansas City, MO)

No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 2 West Virginia, 6:00, ESPN

Mountain West Championship (in Las Vegas, NV)

No. 1 San Diego State vs. No. 2 Fresno State, 6:00, CBS

SWAC Championship (in Houston, TX)

No. 3 Jackson State vs. No. 4 Southern, 6:30, ESPN2

MAC Championship (in Cleveland, OH)

No. 1 Akron vs. No. 3 Buffalo, 7:30, ESPN2

Big Sky Championship (in Reno, NV)

No. 1 Weber State vs. No. 2 Montana, 8:45, ESPNU

ACC Championship (in Washington, D.C.)

No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 2 Virginia, 9:00, ESPN

Southland Championship (in Katy, TX)

No. 1 Stephen F. Austin vs. No. 2 Texas A&M-CC, 9:30, ESPN2

Pac-12 Championship (in Las Vegas, NV)

No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 2 Utah, 10:00, FS1

WAC Championship (in Las Vegas, NV)

No. 1 New Mexico State vs. No. 2 Cal State Bakersfield, 11:00, ESPNU

Big West Championship (in Anaheim, CA)

No. 1 Hawaii vs. No. 3 Long Beach State, 11:30, ESPN2

Atlantic 10 Semifinals (in Brooklyn, NY)

No. 1 Dayton vs. No. 4 Saint Joseph's, CBS Sports
No. 2 VCU vs. No. 6 Davidson, 4:00, CBS Sports

American Athletic Semifinals (in Orlando, FL)

No. 1 Temple vs. No. 5 Connecticut, 3:00, ESPN2
No. 6 Memphis vs. No. 10 Tulane, 5:00, ESPN2

Big Ten Semifinals (in Indianapolis, IN)

No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 8 Michigan, 1:00, CBS
No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 3 Maryland, 3:30, CBS

SEC Semifinals (in Nashville, TN)

No. 1 Texas A&M vs. No. 4 LSU, 1:00, ESPN
No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 6 Georgia, 3:25, ESPN

Sun Belt Semifinals (in New Orleans, LA)

No. 1 Arkansas-Little Rock vs. No. 4 Louisiana-Lafayette, 2:00
No. 2 Louisiana-Monroe vs. No. 3 Texas-Arlington, 4:30

Championship Week Friday, Vanderbilt Starts to Sweat

Just when it looked like Vanderbilt was riding momentum and heading toward an NCAA appearance, they go ahead and suffer a bad loss at the worst possible time. The Dores lost to Tennessee in Thursday's SEC second round, marking their third sub-100 RPI loss, after also losing at Arkansas and Mississippi State. Vandy also sits at just 2-7 against the top 50, though they can get back up to four wins if Florida climbs into the top 50. Problem there is that the Gators are also fighting for a bid themselves and there are only so many bids to hand out.

Vanderbilt sits this morning among the last four in, but can easily be passed this weekend. Their case is helped by having home wins over the top two seeds in the SEC, Texas A&M and Kentucky. along with the sweep of the Gators, which could come into play when the committee fills out the last few spots.

The aforementioned Florida and Alabama both won on Thursday to keep their bubble hopes alive going into today's quarterfinals against Texas A&M and Kentucky, respectively. Also staying alive Thursday was Michigan, who survived a scare from Northwestern in overtime. The Wolverines have to defeat Indiana or their hopes are likely dashed.

Also of note in the Big Ten, Wisconsin lost to Nebraska, giving them five sub-100 losses along with the season-opening loss to Western Illinois. I think the Badgers end up in an 8/9 game in the first round, despite the losses, because of all the good wins they have and the roll they went on in the second half of the season.

Let's take a look at the bracket, which certainly underwent some changes overnight.

Last Four Byes: Pittsburgh, St. Bonaventure, South Carolina, Saint Mary's
Last Four In: Connecticut, Vanderbilt, Monmouth, Tulsa
First Four Out: VCU, Wichita State, Florida, Michigan
Next Four Out: Syracuse, Alabama, Valparaiso, George Washington

A lot of bubble action today, especially in the Atlantic 10, American Athletic and SEC.

The AAC quarterfinal between Cincinnati and Connecticut is quite intriguing. The Huskies have already lost twice to the Bearcats and a third loss, sitting right on the cut line, could spell trouble for Connecticut. We also have the top three seeds, Temple, Houston and Tulsa, in action, all on the bubble, though Houston may need the auto-bid to get in. A second loss to Memphis for Tulsa could end their tournament hopes.

In the A-10, it's Bubble City. VCU, St. Bonaventure and George Washington all looking for wins, particularly GW, who meets Saint Joseph's. They've got good wins, including home wins against Virginia and Seton Hall. But they're trying to overcome a low RPI for a mid-major, plus three bad losses, including at DePaul and at Saint Louis.

And we talked earlier about the SEC, namely Florida and Alabama. Florida could move into the field if the defeat A&M, while Alabama probably needs to boost their RPI a bit, so it may take a run to the SEC final for the Tide.

Here's your schedule for today, including a ton of semifinal games, leading up to the big day tomorrow with 14 championship games.

Atlantic 10 Quarterfinals (in Brooklyn, NY)

No. 1 Dayton vs. No. 9 Richmond, 12:00, NBC Sports
No. 4 Saint Joseph's vs. No. 5 George Washington, 2:30, NBC Sports
No. 2 VCU vs. No. 10 Massachusetts, 6:30, NBC Sports
No. 3 St. Bonaventure vs. No. 6 Davidson, 9:00, NBC Sports

ACC Semifinals (in Washington, D.C.)

No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 4 Notre Dame, 7:00, ESPN
No. 2 Virginia vs. No. 3 Miami (FL), 9:00, ESPN

American Athletic Quarterfinals (in Orlando, FL)

No. 1 Temple vs. No. 9 South Florida, 12:00, ESPN2
No. 4 Cincinnati vs. No. 5 Connecicut, 2:00, ESPN2
No. 2 Houston vs. No. 10 Tulane, 7:00, ESPNU
No. 3 Tulsa vs. No. 6 Memphis, 9:00, ESPNU

Big 12 Semifinals (in Kansas City, MO)

No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 5 Baylor, 7:00, ESPN2
No. 2 West Virginia vs. No. 3 Oklahoma, 9:00, ESPN2

Big East Semifinals (in New York, NY)

No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 4 Providence, 6:30, FS1
No. 2 Xavier vs. No. 3 Seton Hall, 9:00, FS1

Big Sky Semifinals (in Reno, NV)

No. 1 Weber State vs. No. 5 North Dakota, 8:35
No. 2 Montana vs. No. 3 Idaho, 11:05

Big Ten Quarterfinals (in Indianapolis, IN)

No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 8 Michigan, 12:00, ESPN
No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 12 Illinois, 2:25, ESPN
No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 7 Ohio State, 6:30, BTN
No. 3 Maryland vs. No. 11 Nebraska, 8:55, BTN

Big West Semifinals (in Anaheim, CA)

No. 1 Hawaii vs. No. 4 UCSB, 9:30, ESPN3
No. 2 UC Irvine vs. No. 3 Long Beach State, 12:00, ESPNU

Conference USA Semifinals (in Birmingham, AL)

No. 5 Old Dominion vs. No. 8 Western Kentucky, 4:00, CBS Sports
No. 2 Middle Tennessee vs. No. 3 Marshall, 6:30, CBS Sports

MAC Semifinals (in Cleveland, OH)

No. 1 Akron vs. No. 12 Bowling Green, 6:30, ESPN3
No. 2 Ohio vs. No. 3 Buffalo, 9:00, ESPN3

MEAC Semifinals (in Norfolk, VA)

No. 1 Hampton vs. No. 5 Savannah State, 6:00, ESPN3
No. 2 Norfolk State vs. No. 3 South Carolina State, 8:30, ESPN3

Mountain West Semifinals (in Las Vegas, NV)

No. 1 San Diego State vs. No. 5 Nevada, 9:00
No. 2 Fresno State vs. No. 6 Colorado State, 11:30

Pac-12 Semifinals (in Las Vegas, NV)

No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 4 Arizona, 9:00, Pac-12
No. 2 Utah vs. No. 3 California, 11:30, FS1

SEC Quarterfinals (in Nashville, TN)

No. 1 Texas A&M vs. No. 8 Florida, 1:00, SEC Network
No. 4 LSU vs. No. 12 Tennessee, 3:25, SEC Network
No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 10 Alabama, 7:00, SEC Network
No. 3 South Carolina vs. No. 6 Georgia, 9:25, SEC Network

Southland Semifinals (in Katy, TX)

No. 1 Stephen F. Austin vs. No. 4 Houston Baptist, 6:00, ESPN3
No. 2 Texas A&M-CC vs. No. 3 Sam Houston State, 8:30, ESPN3

SWAC Semifinals (in Houston, TX)

No. 3 Jackson State vs. No. 7 Mississippi Valley State, 3:30
No. 1 Texas Southern vs. No. 4 Southern, 9:30

Sun Belt Quarterfinals (in New Orleans, LA)

No. 4 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. No. 8 South Alabama, 6:00, ESPN3
No. 3 Texas-Arlington vs. No. 7 Texas State, 8:30, ESPN3

WAC Semifinals (in Las Vegas, NV)

No. 1 New Mexico State vs. No. 5 UMKC, 9:00
No. 2 Cal State Bakersfield vs. No. 3 Seattle, 11:30

Championship Week Thursday, Holy Cross Completes Amazing Run, Syracuse In Trouble

And we thought Austin Peay's run in the Ohio Valley was crazy.

In one of the craziest runs we've seen in a conference tournament, Holy Cross, who entered the Patriot League tournament at 10-19 overall (5-13 in conference) and the No. 9 seed in the field, won four straight road games, which included wins over the top two seeds, Bucknell and Lehigh.

Obviously, the Crusaders will be shipped to Dayton for the First Four, possibly against Fairleigh Dickinson. Those two teams have a combined 19 sub-200 RPI losses. But as we've seen in the past, those First Four games featuring the bottom four automatic qualifiers can turn into some of the more exciting games of the tournament. A potential FDU-Holy Cross matchup certainly can do that, as these teams are playing with house money.

With 19 losses, Holy Cross is dancing. With 13 losses, Syracuse might not.

The Orange lost to Pittsburgh for a third time on Wednesday in the second round of the ACC Tournament. Syracuse is now just inside the top 70 in the RPI, which is usually trouble for a team. And while the committee has said they will take Jim Boeheim's suspension into account, it's hard to see the Orange getting too much benefit of the doubt here because they've stumbled down the stretch with Boeheim on the sidelines. Granted, their three worst losses (at Georgetown, at St. John's, vs. Clemson) all came without Boeheim.

But as is stands, the Orange are now 4-9 against the top 50. Even if you remove the games Syracuse didn't have Boeheim, they're still 4-7 (removing the losses at Miami and Pittsburgh).

Right now, Syracuse is among the first four out and obviously don't have any more chances to improve their profile. And going one-and-done in D.C. certainly doesn't leave a good taste for the committee. As a result, Tulsa moved back into the field.

Also of note, Texas Tech was upset by TCU in the opening round of the Big 12 Tournament. Tubby Smith's team is still very much in the tournament, but they're now likely to wear their road uniforms in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Let's see how the bracket now shapes up heading into Thursday's action.

Last Four Byes: Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, South Carolina, St. Bonaventure
Last Four In: Saint Mary's, Connecticut, Monmouth, Tulsa
First Four Out: VCU, Wichita State, Florida, Syracuse
Next Four Out: Michigan, Alabama, Valparaiso, Georgia Tech

Conference Rundown

Big 12 - 7
Pac-12 - 7
ACC - 6
Big Ten - 6
Big East - 5
American Athletic - 4
SEC - 4
Atlantic 10 - 3
MAAC - 2
West Coast - 2
One-bid Leagues - 22

No more bids will be handed out until Saturday, when 14 will be at stake. But there's no shortage of action today, including the last of the conferences getting their tournaments underway in the AAC, Big West, Sun Belt and WAC.

Atlantic 10 Second Round (in Brooklyn, NY)

No. 8 Fordham vs. No. 9 Richmond, 12:00, NBC Sports
No. 5 George Washington vs. No. 13 Saint Louis, 2:30, NBC Sports
No. 7 Rhode Island vs. No. 10 Massachusetts, 6:30, NBC Sports
No. 6 Davidson vs. No. 14 La Salle, 9:00, NBC Sports

ACC Quarterfinals (in Washington, D.C.)

No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 8 Pittsburgh, 12:00, ESPN
No. 4 Notre Dame vs. No. 5 Duke, 2:00, ESPN
No. 2 Virginia vs. No. 10 Georgia Tech, 7:00, ESPN
No. 3 Miami (FL) vs. No. 6 Virginia Tech, 9:00, ESPN

American Athletic First Round (in Orlando, FL)

No. 8 East Carolina vs. No. 9 South Florida, 3:30, ESPNU
No. 7 Central Florida vs. No. 10 Tulane, 6:00, ESPNews

Big 12 Quarterfinals (in Kansas City, MO)

No. 4 Texas vs. No. 5 Baylor, 12:30, ESPN2
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 8 Kansas State, 2:30, ESPN2
No. 2 West Virginia vs. No. 10 TCU, 7:00, ESPNU
No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 6 Iowa State, 9:00, ESPNU

Big East Quarterfinals (in New York, NY)

No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 8 Georgetown, 12:00, FS1
No. 4 Providence vs. No. 5 Butler, 2:30, FS1
No. 2 Xavier vs. No. 7 Marquette, 7:00, FS1
No. 3 Seton Hall vs. No. 6 Creighton, FS1

Big Sky Quarterfinals (in Reno, NV)

No. 1 Weber State vs. No. 8 Portland State, 3:05
No. 4 Idaho State vs. No. 5 North Dakota, 5:35
No. 2 Montana vs. No. 10 Sacramento State. 8:35
No. 3 Idaho vs. No. 6 Eastern Washington, 11:05

Big Ten Second Round (in Indianapolis, IN)

No. 8 Michigan vs. No. 9 Northwestern, 12:00, BTN
No. 5 Iowa vs. No. 12 Illinois, 2:25, BTN
No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Penn State, 6:30, ESPN2
No. 6 Wisconsin vs. No. 11 Nebraska, 8:55, ESPN2

Big West Quarterfinals (in Anaheim, CA)

No. 4 UCSB vs. No. 5 UC Davis, 3:00
No. 1 Hawaii vs. No. 8 Cal State Fullerton, 5:30
No. 2 UC Irvine vs. No. 7 Cal Poly, 9:00
No. 3 Long Beach State vs. No. 6 UC Riverside, 11:30

Conference USA Quarterfinals (in Birmingham, AL)

No. 1 UAB vs. No. 8 Western Kentucky, 1:00
No. 4 Louisiana Tech vs. No. 5 Old Dominion, 3:30
No. 2 Middle Tennessee vs. No. 7 Charlotte, 7:00
No. 3 Marshall vs. No. 6 UTEP, 9:30

MAC Quarterfinals (in Cleveland, OH)

No. 1 Akron vs. No. 8 Eastern Michigan, 12:00, ESPN3
No. 4 Central Michigan vs. No. 12 Bowling Green, 2:30, ESPN3
No. 2 Ohio vs. No. 7 Northern Illinois, 6:30, ESPN3
No. 3 Buffalo vs. No. 11 Miami (OH), 9:00, ESPN3

MEAC Quarterfinals (in Norfolk, VA)

No. 3 South Carolina State vs. No. 11 Coppin State, 6:00, ESPN3
No. 4 Bethune-Cookman vs. No. 5 Savannah State, 8:30, ESPN3

Mountain West Quarterfinals (in Las Vegas, NV)

No. 1 San Diego State vs. No. 9 Utah State, 3:00, CBS Sports
No. 4 New Mexico vs. No. 5 Nevada, 5:30, CBS Sports
No. 2 Fresno State vs. No. 7 UNLV, 9:00, CBS Sports
No. 3 Boise State vs. No. 6 Colorado State, 11:30, CBS Sports

Pac-12 Quarterfinals (in Las Vegas, NV)

No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 8 Washington, 3:00, Pac-12
No. 4 Arizona vs. No. 5 Colorado, 5:30, Pac-12
No. 2 Utah vs. No. 7 USC, 9:00, Pac-12
No. 3 California vs. No. 6 Oregon State, 11:30, FS1

SEC Second Round (in Nashville, TN)

No. 8 Florida vs. No. 9 Arkansas, 1:00, SEC Network
No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 Tennessee, 3:25, SEC Network
No. 7 Ole Miss vs. No. 10 Alabama, 7:00, SEC Network
No. 6 Georgia vs. No. 11 Mississippi State, 9:25, SEC Network

Southland Quarterfinals (in Katy, TX)

No. 4 Houston Baptist vs. No. 5 Southeastern Louisiana, 6:00, ESPN3
No. 3 Sam Houston State vs. No. 7 Nicholls State, 8:30, ESPN3

SWAC Quarterfinals (in Houston, TX)

No. 3 Jackson State vs. No. 6 Prairie View A&M, 3:30
No. 4 Southern vs. No. 5 Alabama State, 9:30

Sun Belt First Round (in New Orleans, LA)

No. 5 Georgia Southern vs. No. 8 South Alabama, 6:00, ESPN3
No. 6 Georgia State vs. No. 7 Texas State, 8:30, ESPN3

WAC Quarterfinals (in Las Vegas, NV)

No. 4 Utah Valley vs. No. 5 UMKC, 5:00
No. 2 Cal State Bakersfield vs. No. 7 Chicago State, 7:30
No. 3 Seattle vs. No. 6 Texas-Rio Grande Valley, 10:00

A lot of action to take in. Enjoy the games and enjoy your Thursday. We'll meet back here tomorrow as things really start to take shape with just a few days left before Selection Sunday.

Final Regular Season Bracket

We've made it to the final weekend of the regular season, as teams make last-ditch efforts to boost their tournament hopes. A lot of big games this weekend, including North Carolina at Duke, as well as the first tournament bids being handed out this weekend, the first one today in the Ohio Valley when No. 2 Tennessee-Martin battle the Cinderella story in the OVC, eighth-seeded Austin Peay, who upset top-seeded Belmont in Friday's semifinal, sending the Bruins to the NIT.

Two other top seeds were knocked off this week. Atlantic Sun No. 1 North Florida got blasted by Florida Gulf Coast in the semifinals, while Bucknell lost in double-overtime against No. 9 Holy Cross in the Patriot League quarterfinals. The Bison will play in the NIT. However, the Ospreys still have NCAA Tournament hopes. The reason is because Florida Gulf Coast is playing tournament-ineligible Stetson in Sunday's championship game, and per the A-Sun's decision, if Stetson wins the A-Sun tournament, then the regular season champion (North Florida), will claim the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. So UNF will be rooting hard for Stetson to knock off Dunk City. By the way, FGCU beat Stetson by 29 at home on January 9.

I decided to put Florida Gulf Coast in the field, since they are still playing and the higher seed in the final. Should Stetson win, I will revert back to North Florida. Also, we now have Lehigh (Patriot) and Tennessee-Martin (Ohio Valley) in the field, both playing in Dayton in the First Four.

This weekend also features plenty more conference tournament action, including championships in the Missouri Valley and Big South on Sunday.

One other note from the field: Oregon State forward Tres Tinkle suffered a foot injury Tuesday and the Beavers struggled with USC Wednesday. Tinkle has already been ruled out for Saturday's finale at UCLA. If Tinkle's injury lingers and OSU doesn't play that well, their tournament hopes are in serious question. For now, the Beavers are just out, but if they show they can perform well without Tinkle, they'll move back in. Today's last four in are Michigan, St. Bonaventure, Tulsa and Cincinnati.

Here's a look at the final bracket of the regular season before things kick into high gear for Championship Week.

Last Four Byes: Vanderbilt, Connecticut, Syracuse, Butler
Last Four In: Michigan, St. Bonaventure, Tulsa, Cincinnati
First Four Out: Oregon State, Gonzaga, Alabama, Florida
Next Four Out: Stanford, George Washington, Ohio State, Houston

Conference Rundown

ACC - 7
Big 12 - 7
Big Ten - 7
Pac-12 - 6
Big East - 5
American Athletic - 4
Atlantic 10 - 4
SEC - 4
One-bid Leagues - 24

Enjoy what should be a great final weekend and we'll be back Monday to recap the weekend and setup for Championship Week. Take care, everyone.

Leap Day Bracket, Conference Tournaments Begin Tuesday

Happy February 29th, everyone, and happy birthday to those who actually get to celebrate their birthday on the actual date today, instead of either February 28th or March 1.

Speaking of which, March 1 is tomorrow, which means March Madness is almost here. Just 13 days until the official bracket is released. To start getting you ready, conference tournament action begins tomorrow in the Atlantic Sun and the Patriot League.

Depending on how things outside of here shake out, this will be my last week of two updates. Next week, per tradition (again, depending on other events), I will post every day as tournament action rolls along, updating the bracket as more champions are crowned and automatic bids are filled. In fact, the first tournament bid will be handed out on Saturday in the Ohio Valley.

So with that in mind, let's recap some of the action from the weekend. The big change at the top is Virginia moving back onto the top line after their win over North Carolina, while Xavier suffered a bit of a letdown after their big win over Villanova, though Seton Hall is by no means a bad team. The win all but clinched a tournament bid for the Pirates, who will dance for the first time in 10 years. They've been close in recent years, but this year, they will finally break through. Great season for the Hall.

Despite the loss at Texas, I actually moved Oklahoma up to No. 2, though it was more Villanova being dropped to No. 3. The Sooners still have seven top-25 RPI wins, second to only Kansas' nine. And that head-to-head win over the Wildcats will still loom large for OU.

I also want to mention the great turnaround by last season's runners-up, Wisconsin. This was a team who, after their January 12 loss at Northwestern, was sitting at 9-9 overall and 1-4 in the Big Ten. Since then, they've only lost once, by 12 at Michigan State. Their recent roll includes home wins over Michigan and Indiana, plus road wins at Maryland and Iowa. What a story in Madison. The Badgers currently sit as a No. 7 seed and could be dangerous in March. Remember, Michigan State made the Final Four last season as a No. 7.

VCU reclaimed the Atlantic 10 auto-bid thanks to their hard-fought win at George Washington Saturday, coupled with Dayton's continued free-fall on Saturday, losing at home to Rhode Island. The Rams are tied with Saint Joseph's at 13-3 in the standings, but own a head-to-head victory. A big game awaits on Saturday when VCU visits Dayton. The Rams could help their at-large hopes with a victory, even if they don't win the A-10 Tournament.

This, by itself, caused some shakeup on the bubble. As it stands, VCU took Tulsa's spot in the field, who lost at Memphis Sunday. Not a good loss for the Hurricane, who also own a home loss to Oral Roberts (RPI No. 150). Also working against Tulsa (and Cincinnati, the second team out), is the hot streak of Vanderbilt, who knocked off Kentucky on Saturday, giving the Commodores four top-50 wins and a top-50 RPI. Vandy not only is in the field, but they are above the First Four cut line as a No. 10 seed.

Syracuse, Alabama, Florida and Gonzaga sit as the last teams in the field. Florida has been free-falling of late, but their wins over West Virginia and Saint Joseph's, plus a top-five non-conference schedule, may just be enough to sneak them in. They can really help themselves with a win Tuesday against Kentucky. And with Connecticut falling out of the top 50, Gonzaga doesn't boast a single top-50 RPI win and just three top-100 wins (Connecticut and Washington on neutral courts, BYU at home). However, the Zags have a top-50 non-conference schedule and no bad losses, which most bubble teams cannot claim.

No bad losses is also why Stanford has quietly played their way back onto the bubble. But they still have some work to do, as they sit just 14-12 overall. The Cardinals sit in the "Next Four Out" group.

Let's take a look at the bracket.

Last Four Byes: Providence, Connecticut, Oregon State, Vanderbilt
Last Four In: Syracuse, Alabama, Florida, Gonzaga
First Four Out: Tulsa, Cincinnati, Butler, St. Bonaventure
Next Four Out: George Washington, Stanford, Ohio State, Washington

Conference Rundown:

ACC - 7
Big 12 - 7
Big Ten - 7
Pac-12 - 7
SEC - 6
Big East - 4
Atlantic 10 - 3
AAC - 2
West Coast - 2
One-bid Leagues - 23