March Madness 2022 Bubble Watch
January is nearing its end, which means it’s almost February. Which for most people that means the Super Bowl, Groundhog’s Day and Valentine’s Day. But for college basketball fans, that means that there is only one more month until March!
So let’s dive into how the bracket looks at the moment, and which teams find themselves on the bubble.
First, let’s take a look at a few of the teams that find themselves just barely squeaking into the field of 68 at this time of the season.
Creighton: The Bluejays fell 72-55 to Butler on Wednesday which dropped them into this week’s bubble watch, but they still sit at fifth in the Big East standings. They are 12-6 overall and 4-3 in conference play. Having four players averaging north of 11 points per game has been their formula all year, and was what gave them their signature win over No. 14 Villanova back in December.
Oregon: The Ducks are in a very similar situation to the Bluejays, sitting at fifth in Pac-12 play and 12-7 overall. Their quality win over No. 15 USC two weeks ago vaulted them into the field of 68.
North Carolina: Armando Bacot has single-handedly kept North Carolina in the field. He is leading the team in points and rebounds with 16.3 and 12.1 per game, respectively. The Tarheels sit at fifth in the ACC standings and it would take a collapse in February for this squad to fall out of the field.
San Diego State: The Aztecs have lost two of their last three games and are in jeopardy of falling out of the field of 68. Their 30-point victory over Colorado State three weeks ago, giving the Rams their only loss of the season, solidified them as a tournament team. But there is a long February ahead of the Aztecs, and they will have to bounce back from the two game losing streak to remain in the field.
Now let’s focus on a few of the teams that are just outside of the bracket right now.
Florida: The Gators have been going through the gauntlet that is the SEC as of late, and have dropped five of their last eight games. They went into the new year at 9-3, but now sit at 12-8. The Gators still have plenty of season left, and multiple opportunities to pick up signature wins along the way.
Mississippi State: The Bulldogs have gone 3-3 in their last six games, but they have a chance to jump into the field if they can knock off No. 13 Texas Tech on Saturday. They will need their star Iverson Molinar to come up big down the stretch of the season.
Wyoming: The second Mountain West team on the bubble find themselves at third in the conference standings. The Cowboys had won six straight games until falling to Boise State 65-62 on Tuesday. They will have to put together another win streak if they want to grab an at-large bid.
Michigan: Probably the most surprising team of the year, Michigan sits at 10-7 overall. The Wolverines have begun to play better basketball as of late, winning their last three games, but their slow start dug them a hole that has not been easy to dig out of. Michigan plays No. 10 Michigan State and No. 6 Purdue in two of their next three games, and those two matchups could really determine the outlook of this Michigan team’s year.
Trevor Grady is a fourth-year majoring in supply chain. To contact him, email tmg5685@psu.edu.
