A season to overlook for Ole Miss could have an ending to recollect, no matter what occurs from right here. The Rebels surprised Alabama within the quarterfinals of the SEC Match on Friday, outlasting the Crimson Tide 80-79 for his or her third win in three days.
Ole Miss wants two extra victories to succeed in the NCAA Match. However after knocking off three projected at-large groups in three days, the Rebels should not be counted out. In any case, they have not trailed at any level to date throughout what’s changing into the highest Cinderella story of convention match week.
One season after reaching the Candy 16, Ole Miss cratered by shedding 12 of its final 13 regular-season video games. The precipitous slide left coach Chris Beard’s membership because the No. 15 seed for the SEC Match. They’re nonetheless simply 15-19 after Friday’s win, however after starting the week with 300-to-1 odds of successful the SEC Match, hope is alive.
Can the Rebels preserve their run happening Saturday? They’ll don’t have any alternative in the event that they wish to attain the Massive Dance. Both manner, it has been a enjoyable experience in Nashville for a crew that almost all had left for useless getting into the week.
Right here is the rundown of different Bracketology-oriented winners and losers from Friday’s motion.
Stand up-to-date outcomes, plus what they imply for the NCAA Match bubble and seeding with our CBS Sports activities Bracketology LIVE BLOG.
Winner: Atlantic 10 stalwarts advance
The Atlantic 10’s prime two seeds had been every examined in quarterfinal motion, however Saint Louis and VCU each discovered methods to outlive and advance. The highest-seeded Billikens rallied from a 21-point deficit to edge George Washington 88-81 behind 22 factors from Robbie Avila, who scored 15 in an enormous second half for a Saint Louis crew that struggled by way of a 3-3 end to the common season.
VCU trailed Duquesne by seven within the first half earlier than stabilizing for a 71-66 victory. The win stored the Rams’ at-large hopes ablaze for one more day as they’ll stay among the many “Final 4 In” inside CBS Sports activities Bracketology. The A10’s hopes of being a two-bid league are alive and properly.
Loser: Auburn’s hopes get slimmer
VCU hanging round on the fitting facet of the bubble was dangerous information for Auburn, which can doubtless want the Atlantic 10 and Mountain West to be one-bid leagues. The Tigers (17-16) can do nothing however sit, hope and pray after shedding to Tennessee on Thursday within the SEC Match quarterfinals. However they’re firmly on the mistaken facet of the bubble in CBS Sports activities Bracketology, and so they did not get the assistance they wanted from VCU.
Loser: Illinois drops from No. 2 seed
Illinois dropped from the No. 2 seed line in CBS Sports activities Bracketology with its 91-88 additional time loss towards Wisconsin within the quarterfinals of the Massive Ten Match. The Illini at the moment are 0-4 in additional time video games because the begin of February. If the inverse had been true, this crew could be within the combine for the ultimate No. 1 seed. However nice predictive metrics can solely get you to date, and the Illini (24-8) will not have a case for a No. 2 seed on Choice Sunday. In actual fact, with choice metrics within the mid-teens, Illinois ought to now be happy if it will get a No. 3 seed.
Wisconsin’s Nick Boyd, John Blackwell make case for finest backcourt in America in comeback vs. Illinois
Isaac Trotter
Winner: Purdue is again within the No. 2 seed combine
Purdue is now the ultimate No. 2 seed in CBS Sports activities Bracketology — in the interim — after thrashing Nebraska 74-58 within the Massive Ten Match quarterfinals. The Boilermakers desperately wanted the authoritative victory after dropping 4 of six video games to shut the common season. To truly find yourself as a No. 2 seed, the Boilermakers should want one other victory. Iowa State is lurking within the combine for a No. 2 seed and owns a head-to-head win over Purdue, which may very well be an influential issue if they’re scrubbed facet by facet.
Loser: Seton Corridor bows out
Seton Corridor’s at-large aspirations had been bleak getting into the day. However they had been formally extinguished in a 78-68 loss to St. John’s within the Massive East Match semifinals. Although the Pirates have 21 wins, they’ve only one victory over a projected at-large crew (NC State), and they’re going to arrive at Choice Sunday properly outdoors the highest 50 within the all-important Wins Above Bubble metric. This was a terrific defensive crew that merely lacked the offensive firepower to interrupt by way of for needle-moving wins.
Winner: Arizona pulls off the comeback
Arizona fell behind 14-2 out of the gate and trailed by eight within the second half. However the Wildcats rallied for an exhilarating 82-80 win over Iowa State within the Massive 12 Match semifinals. The victory retains Arizona alive within the race for the No. 1 general seed within the Massive Dance, as they’ll play for a “double title” on Saturday after successful the Massive 12’s regular-season title by two video games. Anthony Dell’Orso performed the function of hero with 4 3-pointers within the second half as he completed with a game-high 26 factors on 10 of 14 capturing.
Loser: Tennessee fades towards Vanderbilt
Sooner or later after utilizing a 20-0 run within the second half to roar again and beat Auburn, Tennessee ended up on the mistaken facet of the same equation within the SEC Match quarterfinals. Vanderbilt used a 10-0 run to flip the script on the Volunteers and earn a 75-68 win over its in-state rival. Vandy stays firmly on the No. 4 seed line in CBS Sports activities Bracketology, and the Commodores aren’t performed but, as losses from Alabama and Nebraska might have opened a slim path to the No. 3 seed line.
Winner: Florida appears inevitable
Florida endured its worst 3-point capturing efficiency of the season and nonetheless stored Kentucky at arm’s size in a 71-63 SEC Match quarterfinal victory. The Gators wanted the win to maintain their grasp on the ultimate No. 1 seed in CBS Sports activities Bracketology, and the result was scarcely unsure. The reigning nationwide champions personal the nation’s second-longest successful streak at 12 video games — trailing solely Excessive Level at 14 — and are two wins away from repeating as SEC Match champions. A nationwide title repeat seems to be squarely throughout the realm of chance, too.
Ice-cold capturing barely phased red-hot Florida vs. Kentucky; is a Gators repeat nationwide title inevitable?
David Cobb
