UPDATED: Kentucky just survived with an OT victory over Mississippi State in the SEC Championship game. The question now is have the Bulldogs done enough to earn that last at-large bid?
Selection Sunday has arrived and with it are two teams that can burst the bubble with just hours left before the NCAA Tournament field is announced. On Wednesday night both Minnesota and Mississippi State were considered afterthoughts. The bubble talk was about Illinois in the Big Ten and Florida and Ole Miss in the SEC. But now both teams may have leaped over not just their conference counterparts but all the other bubble teams as well. Here's a look at how the bubble team stack up:
Minnesota (21-12, 9-9 conf record, 69th in RPI, 46th strength of schedule), Quality Wins: Butler, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Purdue, Bad Losses: Portland, Indiana
Illinois (19-14, 10-8 conf record, 70th in RPI, 39th strength of schedule), Quality Wins: Clemson, Vanderbilt, Michigan State, Wisconsin (twice), Bad Losses: Utah, Bradley, Georgia
Mississippi State (23-10, 9-7 conf record, 64th in RPI, 112th strength of schedule), Quality Wins: Old Dominion, Vanderbilt, Bad Losses: Rider, Western Kentucky
Florida (21-12, 9-7 conf record, 54th in RPI, 31st strength of schedule), Quality Wins: Florida State, Michigan State, Tennessee, Bad Losses: South Alabama
Rhode Island (23-9, 9-7 conf record, 39th in RPI, 96th strength of schedule), Quality Wins: Oklahoma State, Bad Losses: VCU, UMass
Virginia Tech (23-8, 10-6 conf record, 59th in RPI, 158th strength of schedule), Quality Wins: Clemson, Wake Forest, Bad Losses: Miami (twice), Boston College
Automatic Bids: Cornell, Winthrop, East Tennessee State, Murray State, Northern Iowa, Old Dominion, Siena, St. Mary's, Wofford, North Texas, Butler, Oakland, Robert Morris, Montana, Lehigh, Houston, Vermont, Morgan State, Sam Houston State, Kansas, Washington, Ohio, San Diego State, West Virginia, UC-Santa Barbara, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, New Mexico State, Temple, Duke, Kentucky
Locks: Richmond, Xavier, Maryland, Clemson, Baylor, Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M, Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Villanova, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin, BYU, New Mexico, California, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Gonzaga, Florida State, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame
At-Large Probables: Wake Forest, UTEP, UNLV, Georgia Tech
Bubble Teams: Virginia Tech, Rhode Island, Florida, Memphis, Mississippi State, Minnesota, Utah State. Illinois
Outside Looking In: South Florida, Charlotte, Connecticut, Marshall, Kent State, Wichita State, Ole Miss, UAB, Arizona State, Seton Hall, Tulsa, Dayton
This site uses Facebook comments to make it easier for you to contribute. If you see a comment you would like to flag for spam or abuse, click the "x" in the upper right of it. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use.