Normally, this is the time of year where bubble teams separate themselves from the pack and claim their likely spot in the NCAA tournament. It is also the time of year where hopefuls find themselves losing their grip on whatever hope they had for a chance at March Madness.
This week on our bubble analysis, we look at two teams who have likely played themselves into the field, two teams whose fate is still far from determined, and two teams quickly falling out of contention for a bid.
North Carolina State, thanks to a win at North Carolina, and LSU have both made recent strides to ease the concerns of each fan base. The Wolfpack moved up to No. 38 in the RPI, while LSU is still teetering a bit at No. 50. However, the Tigers have five top 50 wins, including multiple on the road.
Purdue and Texas A&M are both on the Bubble for different reasons. In the case of the Boilermakers, they’re 4-3 against the RPI top 50 but their RPI is a lowly No. 59. For the Aggies, their computer numbers are largely competitive but having only beaten one Top 50 RPI team (LSU, twice), they remain in a very precarious situation.
Both Texas and UCLA have seen their NCAA Tournament hopes become slightly more dim lately, thanks to poor performances at key times. The Bruins have just two top 50 RPI wins, where as Texas really only has one good win on the entire season, and none since mid-January. Rick Barnes’ group has experienced a fall from grace unequaled across the country.
