Conference play has passed the half way point and that means teams are moving on and off the bubble on a weekly basis. Analyst William Whelan breaks down a handful of recent winners, and one Pac-12 squad that looks to have cost themselves a chance at getting real consideration.
Whelan starts by looking at the Atlantic 10, and the darling of the GetMoreSports.com Weekly Podcast, by examining Dayton. The Flyers still have match ups against Rhode Island and VCU down the stretch, two opportunities for them to prove their ability to beat tournament teams. Nonetheless, according to Whelan, Archie Miller’s group should feel comfortable with where they are in relation to the bubble.
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After a big road win against SMU, Cincinnati is firmly in the field after dancing on the bubble for several weeks, barring any unforeseen meltdowns. The same could be said for the Cowboys of Oklahoma State and head coach Travis Ford. His group has rattled off three straight wins, and four of their past four. Wins over Kansas, Texas and Baylor (twice) have tentatively moved them from bubble to lock status. Whelan also looked to Providence for the same reason.
On the other side of things, Texas and UCLA find themselves needing several key wins to get back on the right side of things, especially the Bruins. A road win over Stanford helped keep their momentum going from a home sweep, but losing at Cal might have been the final straw for Steve Alford’s team.
Finishing up in the Mountain West, Boise State has arrived on the scene thanks to seven straight wins–in large part thanks to Derrick Marks and his prolific scoring ability.
