March Madness Bubble Watch
March Madness is now less than a month away, and only a few regular season games remain before conference tournaments.
As the College Basketball season wraps up, the elite teams in the country are sitting comfortably at the top of the rankings while the intensity is about to be raised for those left fighting for a spot.
This year has proved to be a struggle for some historic college basketball programs. UNC finds itself on the outside looking in after being the No.1 ranked team going into the season.
Led by their dominant senior center Armando Bacot and junior guard Caleb Love, having enough talent is hardly the issue for this group. North Carolina has dropped five of their last six games and they still have a matchup against No.6 Virginia at home waiting for them this Saturday.
The Big 12 has been the toughest conference in the NCAA this year. Every team is either certainly in the tournament or fighting for the chance to get in. Of the ten teams, six have locked up a spot while four hope to move from the bubble into the field.
West Virginia, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech are those on the outside. All 10 Big 12 teams rank in the top 61 in NET ranking, with the lowest being Oklahoma. Considering Oklahoma’s 3-12 conference record, it will be a difficult task to make a run with all conference games remaining on the schedule.
Oklahoma State and West Virginia are both in a good position to get a bid from the committee but can still increase their chances with an impressive end to the regular season.
Oklahoma State excels on defense by forcing typically fast-paced opposing offenses to slow down and play to their preferred, slower pace of play.
However, a strong defense can only be worth so much. Where this team is weak is their scoring ability and ball control. OSU ranks just 258th in offensive rating and 332nd in turnovers. If this group makes the tournament, they’ll be a problem for any team that relies on their offense to win.
Much like how Oklahoma State relies on its defense to win games, West Virginia relies on its offense. The Mountaineers are an offensive-minded team that wants to beat you with efficient shooting and crashing on the offensive boards.
Ranking 52nd in offensive rating, the Mountaineers are very cautious with what shots they take. Playing at a slow pace, they take their time on offense to make sure they find the shot they want.
The Texas Tech Red Raiders suffered through an eight-game losing streak while running the gauntlet of the Big 12 at the start of 2023. In this case for the Red Raiders, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
Texas Tech has won six of their last eight games dating back to the losing streak, with a handful of impressive wins over ranked opponents.
Memphis finds themselves on the bubble this year thanks to an unbelievable season from senior guard Kendric Davis, providing 21 points and six assists per game.
With a 20-7 record in a mid-major conference, Memphis would need a strong AAC tournament run if they hope to make the field.
The line to get into the march dance is long this year, and unfortunately, the committee doesn’t give out tickets to everybody. USC, Wisconsin, Mississippi State, Nevada and Boise State are some other programs that hope to get a bid this year.
Sketch Morton is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email Sam7539@psu.edu.
