Popping the Bubble 🗯️

03/10/2023

By: Jeff Yoder

UNC Takes Knockout Punch With Loss to #13 Virginia; Other Bubble Team Updates With 2 Days to Selection Sunday

Bubbles are popping! Fifteen of the 16 highlighted “bubble” teams played on Thursday with Wisconsin as the lone outlier after they fell out of the Big Ten on Wednesday. Two of Thursday’s games actually pitted bubble teams against each other with Rutgers-Michigan and NC State-Clemson going head-to-head. And North Carolina — last year’s tournament darling and preseason No. 1 overall — lost to Virginia in a likely knockout punch. The Tar Heels’ tournament hopes are effectively finished.

Apologies in advance for the mass download of game scores, but it’s March, baby! That’s what we do. Here’s a look at the bubble drama from Thursday as the committee gets one final eye-test weekend before revealing the NCAA Tournament bracket.

Bubble Winners: Five teams inside the bubble were victorious on Thursday — Boise State, Mississippi State, Utah State, Penn State, and Rutgers. All five of those teams were projected “IN”, and while last night’s wins bolstered their chances, nothing is certain. Four teams on the outside of the bubble also claimed big wins to keep their tourney hopes alive for another day — Arizona State, Clemson, Oregon, and Vanderbilt.

Bubble Losers: North Carolina stands out as the biggest bubble-bursting loser from Thursday. The Tar Heels are almost certainly finished after a disappointing season. Big Ten dropouts Wisconsin and Michigan are likely toast, too. Oklahoma State’s loss puts the Cowboys in limbo. Nevada suffered a costly loss in the Mountain West, but another big ACC storyline brought a new team onto the bubble. Pittsburgh was once securely in the field, but they got thwacked by Duke in an ugly blowout.

Bubble Watch (Updated)

Last Four Byes: Miss. State, Pittsburgh, NC State, Penn State

Last Four In: Rutgers, Boise State, Utah State, Oklahoma State

First Four Out: Arizona State, Clemson, North Carolina, Nevada

Next Four Out: Oregon, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin, Michigan

Making Sense of the Bubble

If there’s too much going on here to keep track of, think of it this way: Four teams outside the bubble can still work their way in over the next two days — Arizona State, Clemson, Oregon, and Vanderbilt. Teams who could be replaced include Oklahoma State, Boise State, and Utah State.

NCAA Scoreboard (Teams on the Bubble)

#13 Virginia def. North Carolina (68-59)

#7 Texas def. Oklahoma State (61-47)

#21 Duke def. Pittsburgh (96-69)

Rutgers def. Michigan (62-50)

Penn State def. Illinois (79-76)

Clemson def. NC State (80-54)

Vanderbilt def. LSU (77-68)

Miss. State def. Florida (69-68)

Oregon def. Washington State (75-70)

Boise State def. UNLV (87-76)

San Jose St. def. Nevada (81-77)