Males’s Faculty Basketball Bracketology for Thursday, March 9, 2023

Six of the seven bubble groups in motion yesterday took care of enterprise, with Wisconsin being the exception. Nevertheless, given the crowded race of groups with equally meh profiles and the potential for bid thieves, profitable stays the one solution to keep away from listening to a ‘pop’ on Sunday night.

• By
  
  ChrisDobbertean
  
• on March 9, 2023 12:39 pm

First, the bracket, then a glance again at Wednesday mixed with a stay up for a busy Thursday.

Textual content-Solely Bracket for Display screen Readers and Seed Record

Key:

• Convention logos point out auto bid holders. If a staff has secured its league’s auto bid, the convention emblem will seem subsequent to the staff emblem. If a staff is simply the regular-season champ/highest seed remaining within the convention match, the emblem will stay on the appropriate.
• Numbers in pink squares point out staff’s place within the bracket’s prime 16 (prime 4 seed strains).
• Colours subsequent to seed numbers point out bracket motion: yellow (new), inexperienced (seed up), pink (seed down) relative to Wednesday’s bracket.

Graphics by Chris Dobbertean utilizing logos from both SportsLogos.internet, Wikimedia Commons, or the establishments’ web sites.

Lowest-ranked NET at-large: Pittsburgh (56)
Lowest-ranked KenPom at-large: Pittsburgh (66)

Highest-ranked NET exclusion: Nevada (36)
Highest-ranked KenPom exclusion: Michigan (39)

Bids By Convention

23 single-bid conferences

Yesterday, three extra groups booked their NCAA journeys with convention championship sport wins. Two accomplished regular-season and match title doubles: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi repeated as Southland champ due to a tense 75-71 win over Northwestern State, whereas Colgate had no downside with Lafayette within the Patriot League ultimate, prevailing 79-61. Montana State, second within the Large Sky’s common season, took the third title on provide by ending ninth-seeded Northern Arizona’s run to Dayton, 85-78.

Whereas there are 57 convention match video games on faucet for at this time, with none of them finals. (The subsequent championship sport would be the America East’s at 11 a.m. Japanese on Saturday (ESPN2).) Yow will discover details about all of them Convention Event Central, and use the chronological schedule to plan your channel and stream hopping for the day.

Yesterday, six of the seven bubble groups in motion gained their video games to offer themselves one other probability to impress the Committee. A few of these victories solely arrange extra bubble drama, compounding what was already scheduled because the brackets construct to a crescendo.

Let’s go from midday Japanese to nearly midnight Pacific. Bubble groups are bolded.

• Large Ten Rd. 2: (9) Rutgers (18-13, 10-10) vs. (8) Michigan (17-14, 11-9), 12 p.m. (BTN)

This isn’t precisely an elimination sport at United Heart, but it surely’s shut. With a loss the Wolverines will certainly be part of Wisconsin within the NIT, however the Scarlet Knights will nonetheless be hanging across the reduce line in the event that they fall.

• SEC Rd. 2: (9) Mississippi State (20-11, 8-10) vs. (8) Florida (16-15, 9-9), 1 p.m. (SECN)

These two groups performed a painful 61-59 contest in Starkville on January twenty first—one gained by the Gators. Nevertheless, the Bulldogs, who must win to hold within the discipline, might be dealing with a Florida squad that’s with out Colin Castleton on account of a damaged hand. Which will make all of the distinction

• ACC Quarters: (5) Pittsburgh (22-10, 14-6) vs. (4) Duke (23-8, 14-6), approx. 2:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

The Panthers barely scraped by Georgia Tech on Wednesday, however they did. And which means they need to be okay even with a loss to the Blue Devils, however a win would seal their place.

• Large East Quarters: (5) Windfall (21-10, 13-7) vs. (4) UConn (24-7, 13-7), approx. 2:30 p.m. (FS1)

The Friars must be in win or lose, however their metrics are pushing them down the seed checklist. However, the Huskies would like to run the desk in New York to enhance upon their present 3 seed.

• Large 12 Quarters: (8) West Virginia (19-13, 7-11) vs. (1) Kansas (25-6, 13-5), approx. 3 p.m. (ESPN)

Will probably be an identical story in Kansas Metropolis, because the Mountaineers’ win over Texas Tech on Wednesday night time each ended the Crimson Raiders’ hopes for good and all however assured Bob Huggins’ squad of an NCAA bid. Beating the Jayhawks at this time would supply an additional increase, whereas doubtlessly knocking KU out of the No. 1 total seed.

• MW Quarters (5) San José State (19-12, 10-8) vs. (4) Nevada (22-9, 12-6), approx. 5:30 p.m. (CBSSN)

The Wolf Pack swept an improved Spartan membership with relative ease, however dropping the third sport of the season sequence in Las Vegas could be a critical blow to their NCAA probabilities.

• Large Ten 2nd Rd. (10) Penn State (19-12, 10-10) vs. (7) Illinois (20-11, 11-9), 6:30 p.m. (BTN)

Do you know that the Nittany Lions swept the Preventing Illini this season? Penn State could be in nice form with a 3rd win, whereas Illinois isn’t as a lot of a lock as you suppose. Brad Underwood’s staff is ranked thirty third within the NET, but it surely’s additionally 2-10 in Quad 1 video games with each wins—over UCLA and Texas coming earlier than Christmas.

• C-USA Quarters (8) Western Kentucky (17-15, 8-12) vs. (1) Florida Atlantic (28-3, 18-2), 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+ ($))

The Owls aren’t on the bubble. They’ll be in win or lose tonight, but when the Hilltoppers dump them out of Frisco, C-USA might be a two-bid league, which is able to burst somebody’s bubble.

• ACC Quarters (7) North Carolina (20-12, 11-9) vs. (2) Virginia (23-6, 15-5), 7 p.m. (ESPN)

Beating BC was by no means going to be sufficient for the Tar Heels, however they may most likely want one other win past this one—even when they do beat the Cavaliers for a second time to maneuver to 2-8 in Quad 1 video games. Plus, there might be worries about how efficient Armando Bacot will be after he suffered one more ankle harm final night time. As for the Cavaliers, their maintain on a prime 4 seed is slipping.

• Large 12 Quarters (7) Oklahoma State (18-14, 8-10) vs. (2) Texas (23-8, 12-6), 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

The Cowboys changed Wisconsin, following the Badgers’ ill-fated comeback try towards Ohio State and their very own win over Oklahoma. If Oklahoma State can defeat Texas for the primary time this season, they’ll transfer to 7-11 in Quad 1 video games with two Quad 1A wins, which must be sufficient. If not, there might be an extended nervous wait in Stillwater. The Longhorns, alternatively, would love to remain on seed line 2.

• SEC 2nd Rd. (10) Arkansas (19-12, 8-10) vs. (7) Auburn (20-11, 10-8), 7 p.m. (SECN)

Each squads must be in no matter what occurs in Nashville tonight. Simply don’t get blown out.

• Large Ten 2nd Rd. (14) Minnesota (9-21, 2-17) vs. (6) Maryland (20-11, 11-9), approx. 9 p.m. (BTN)

The Terps are one other staff with a excessive NET (twenty sixth) and what’s a fairly meh profile in any other case. A loss to the Golden Gophers would drop Maryland’s document away from Faculty Park to a pathetic 4-10, which may give the Committee actual cause to snub Kevin Willard’s membership.

• ACC Quarters (6) NC State (23-9, 12-8) vs. (3) Clemson (22-9, 14-6), approx. 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)

The Wolfpack took care of enterprise towards Virginia Tech, although Gregg Gantt might not be out there after he suffered a knee harm within the first half of yesterday’s dominant 97-77 victory. State can not lose to the Tigers for a 3rd time, significantly with the 96-71 shellacking from February twenty fifth nonetheless contemporary within the minds of many.

• SEC 2nd Rd. (14) LSU (14-18, 2-16) vs. (6) Vanderbilt (18-15, 11-7), approx. 9:30 p.m. (SECN)

Whereas the Commodores are the eighth staff out on my board this morning, they nonetheless have a ton of labor to do. Shedding to the Tigers for a second time this yr would price them any remaining consideration.

• Pac-12 Quarters (6) Arizona State (21-11, 11-9) vs. (3) USC (22-9, 14-6), approx. 11:30 p.m. (ESPN)

That is the one sport of the day at T-Cellular Enviornment that options two NCAA contenders. Beating Oregon State was by no means going to be sufficient for the Solar Devils, who must defeat the Trojans for the primary time this season to remain within the hunt. A loss gained’t essentially be deadly for the Trojans, who presently sit on seed line 9, however why danger it?

• MW Quarters (6) New Mexico (22-10, 8-10) vs. (3) Utah State (24-7, 13-5), approx. 11:30* p.m. (CBSSN)

Regardless that the Lobos are off the board for now, due to some late season struggles and accidents, knocking the Aggies off within the nightcap on the Thomas & Mack would get them again within the hunt. Given how Utah State’s hopes are pushed by metrics greater than outcomes, a loss to UNM would drop Ryan Odom’s squad to the NIT, given the competitors nonetheless on the market.

I’ll be updating the reduce line image as occasions warrant at this time, with my subsequent full replace to return Friday morning.

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