It was so close for one team and yet so far for another in the bubble action on Monday. Two teams had chances at big wins, but fell short.
Tuesday's action will focus on double bubble games in the Big 12 and SEC, and another game that is not as important as it might appear.
Here's how teams on the bubble in action on Monday fared:
Texas Tech lost at Baylor 71-68 in overtime: Texas Tech caught Baylor at a good time. The Bears were playing shorthanded with Mark Vital and Tristan Clark out of the lineup and the game went to overtime, but the Red Raiders still came up short. Texas Tech is now 0-4 in overtime games, 18-12 overall, and just 10-12 in games above Quadrant 4. It doesn't get any easier. Kansas is next.
NC State lost at Duke 88-69: The Wolfpack made it interesting for a half, but the Blue Devils ran away in the second half for a comfortable win. The NC State resume defines mediocre. The Wolfpack is 4-5 vs Q1, 5-4 vs Q2 and an even 3-3 vs Q3. They have one more Q3 game left at home vs Wake Forest before the ACC Tournament.
Here are the bubble teams in action Tuesday. All times Eastern
Team | Game | Time (TV) | Bubble breakdown |
---|---|---|---|
Mississippi State at South Carolina | 6:30 p.m. (SECN) | Mississippi State picked up its only win over a likely tournament team on Jan. 28 at Florida. The Bulldogs have only had one other such game since, which was at 80-72 loss at Kentucky on Feb. 4. That's what resume building is like in the SEC. Opportunities to do so are few and far between. Wins like this are necessary to make those opportunities that come really matter. | |
This is a battle of two teams on the wrong side of the cut line. It's much more important though for South Carolina since the Gamecocks lost the first matchup a few games ago and also because it's at home. In fact, a loss will knock South Carolina off the bubble. | |||
Texas at Oklahoma | 9 p.m. (ESPN2) | Texas has won four in a row to push itself onto the bottom of the bracket for the moment, but more tests lie ahead. That begins with a second-straight tough road game, this one at fellow bubbler Oklahoma. | |
The Sooners have won two straight, and each are among their best wins of the season. But Tuesday's opponent is even hotter. This isn't a game that can knock Oklahoma out of the bracket, but you never really want to lose games like this at home. | |||
Rutgers vs. Maryland | 7 p.m. (BTN) | You see a game like this on the schedule for a team short of the cut line and you might think a win like this could push Rutgers into the field. However, the fatal flaw on the Scarlet Knights resume is that they have only one win away from home. This game can't fix that problem. The game at Purdue on Saturday is much more important to Rutgers' tournament hopes than this one. The Scarlet Knights can make the NCAA Tournament without beating Maryland. Their chances are very small if they do not beat Purdue. | |
Richmond vs. Davidson | 7 p.m. | Richmond has a profile that is largely living off a surge by Wisconsin of late. That is their only win over a sure NCAA Tournament team. The rest of the regular season is about not making things worse. Even though Davidson is not a bad team, losing to them at home makes things worse. | |
Cincinnati at South Florida | 7 p.m. (ESPNU) | The Bearcats are in damage control mode for the rest of the regular season. With a 2-6 record vs Quadrant 1 and four bad losses already, Cincinnati has nothing but must win games left. This is not an easy road game, but the Bearcats need to find a way. |