March Madness Bubble Watch: Feb. 26
The college basketball regular season is coming down to the wire, with every game having more of an impact on who will make it into the March Madness tournament.
With only a couple of games left to the season, let’s dive into who has a shot and who is still trying to climb their way into the tournament.
Memphis Tigers, 16-9
The Penny Hardaway-led Memphis Tigers have revived their season and tournament chances in the second half. The Tigers have won seven of their last eight games, but before this winning period, the Tigers were having an underwhelming season as the Tigers were one of the preseason favorites in the American.
The Tigers are going to have one big game left in the season to make their mark on the tournament voters as they will play No. 14 Houston Cougars. A win over the Cougars could really help solidify their resume before the conference tournament time in the American.
Michigan Wolverines, 15-11
The Michigan Wolverines have had an eventful run to end the season this year with last week's matchup with Wisconsin. Coach Juwan Howard got into a verbal argument with Wisconsin Badgers and ended up striking a Badgers assistant coach in the process.
Howard as a result has been suspended for the last five regular-season games for the Wolverines. The Wolverines could struggle in their last several games without Howard at the helm, but they were able to pass their first test without Howard in a 71-62 win over Rutgers.
The Wolverines finish out the regular season with a strong schedule with three of their last four against ranked opponents in the Big Ten.
This stretch will determine whether the Wolverines can make the tournament or not, plus their performance in the Big Ten tournament with Howard back coaching.
Indiana Hoosiers, 17-10
The Indiana Hoosiers are in a battle with Michigan and Michigan State for Big Ten teams fighting for one of the last four spots in the tournament.
The Hoosiers are on the outside looking into the tournament compared to all the other teams previously listed. However, for the Hoosiers, they seem to have an easier schedule than the rival Wolverines.
With only three games left in their regular season, the Hoosiers have two winnable games against Minnesota and Rutgers. They could get to 19 wins, but a huge challenge presents iself against No. 4 Purdue to get to that coveted 20 win-mark, which would be even more impressive with how tough the Big Ten has been this year.
Florida Gators, 17-11
Coming off their upset win over No. 2 Auburn, the Florida Gators gave themselves a huge quad one win that could help solidify their spot in the tournament when it comes down to it.
In their next game, however, the Gators lost to No. 18 Arkansas. A win in that game could’ve boosted their resume even more in their upset bidding week.
With only three games left on their regular-season schedule, the Gators will have a battle in their last game against No. 6 Kentucky, a win in that matchup would almost guarantee Florida a spot in the tournament.
Dale Ostrander is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email dko5097@psu.edu.
