Life comes at you quick on the earth of high-major faculty basketball. One minute you are alone atop the SEC standings and the subsequent you are immediately on the NCAA Match bubble. That is the state of affairs Texas A&M (17-7, 7-4 SEC) finds itself in because it performs at No. 19 Vanderbilt on Saturday.
The Aggies are on a three-game slide that features losses towards Alabama and Missouri that got here by a mixed 4 factors. Taking a look at these outcomes, you may simply play the “what if” sport with Texas A&M. What if it hadn’t been compelled to play at Alabama throughout Charles Bediako’s five-game stint again with the Crimson Tide? May taking part in Bama with out Bediako might have tipped the scales in A&M’s favor throughout what turned out to be a 100-97 loss?
What if the ending of an 87-82 double-overtime loss at Tennessee had gone just a bit bit otherwise? A street win over Tennessee or Alabama would have given A&M a ton of resume fortification. The maddening half is that A&M is nice sufficient that it might have received these video games. Their fast-paced, high-pressure, 3-point oriented type beneath first-year coach Bucky McMillan is working, and it has the Aggies averaging out round thirtieth total nationally within the predictive analytics utilized by the choice committee.
The place A&M is now missing is within the resume metrics which are typically used alongside the event’s minimize line. With a profile within the mid-to-high 40s there, A&M wants to begin including to the win column because it seeks to get better from a lackluster nonconference efficiency. “Buckyball” wasn’t but a well-oiled machine in early November, and A&M did not get any important resume-padding executed earlier than league play started.
Consequently, it is getting slightly shut for consolation at Texas A&M.
Here is the breakdown of this weekend’s video games involving bubble groups together with a “double bubble” showdown between TCU and Oklahoma State with each groups vying for a berth within the NCAA Match.
Take a look at the CBS Sports activities Bracketology mannequin’s newest bracket on the Bracketology hub
All instances ET
Bubble groups in motion this weekend
Cal
Getting into the weekend: Subsequent 4 Out
Saturday at Boston Faculty | 12 p.m. (ACC Community)
The primary leg of Cal’s northeastern ACC swing resulted in a 107-100 double-overtime loss at Syracuse. The defeat is clinging narrowly to Quad 1 standing for now, however a loss at Boston Faculty could be much more expensive. Even on the street, going through the Eagles (9-15, 2-9 ACC) slots in as a Quad 3 affair for the Bears, who’ve dropped a whopping 16 spots at KenPom since briefly rising to No. 54 final week.
Oklahoma State
Getting into the weekend: Subsequent 4 Out
Saturday vs. TCU | 12 p.m. (ESPN2)
The Oklahoma State wave shortly receded after an preliminary surge introduced by a Feb. 4 win over BYU. Coming off a 37-point loss at Arizona and a Tuesday loss to Arizona State, the Cowboys must get proper. Residence video games towards TCU on Saturday and Kansas on Wednesday shall be difficult, however they’re winnable video games towards high quality opponents that would push the Pokes again in the fitting route.
TCU
Getting into the weekend: Final 4 In
Saturday at Oklahoma State | 12 p.m. (ESPN2)
TCU edged Oklahoma State 68-65 within the first assembly on Jan. 20 because the Horned Frogs snapped out of a 1-4 begin to Huge 12 play. Beating the Cowboys was the start of a 4-2 stretch that would turn out to be a 5-2 stretch if TCU is ready to full a sweep. Tuesday’s upset of Iowa State provides to a Nov. 27 neutral-site win over Florida in demonstrating this staff’s potential.
Texas A&M
Getting into the weekend: Final 4 In
Saturday at Vanderbilt | 1 p.m. (SEC Community)
Seeing Texas A&M among the many Final 4 in might understandably be jarring for Aggies followers who noticed their staff atop the SEC standings earlier this month. First-year coach Bucky McMillan is doing nice work, however the Aggies have ended up on the incorrect aspect of too many shut video games, and that has dinged up their resume a bit. Whereas predictive metrics equivalent to a No. 35 KenPom rating are nonetheless in A&M’s favor, a No. 45 WAB rating tells us A&M is dropping its margin for error.
Virginia Tech
Getting into the weekend: First 4 Out
Saturday vs. Miami | 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
Virginia Tech’s 76-66 win at Clemson on Wednesday is price considerably extra in WAB than some other victory amassed by the Hokies (17-8, 6-6 ACC) this season. A house loss to Florida State would give all of it again. That is mainly the story for the remainder of Virginia Tech’s season, as there are should-win house video games of little worth (FSU, Wake Forest and Boston Faculty) alternating with high-end street showdowns with plenty of worth (Miami, North Carolina and Virginia).
VCU
Getting into the weekend: First 4 Out
Saturday vs. Richmond | 6 p.m. (CBS Sports activities Community)
VCU has received eight in a row, however its at-large probabilities would possibly all come down as to whether it might probably pull a street upset of Saint Louis on Feb. 20. Within the meantime, it faces a crosstown rivalry showdown with a Richmond staff that simply snapped out of a six-game dropping streak by pulling an upset of Atlantic 10 stalwart George Mason. The Rams can not take this one frivolously.
Ohio State
Getting into the weekend: First 4 Out
Saturday vs. Virginia | 8 p.m. (Fox)
Ohio State lastly has a Quad 1 win. After all, it is not due to some new victory the Buckeyes picked up. It is as a result of their Dec. 6 victory at Northwestern now counts as a Quad 1 victory primarily based on the place the Wildcats stand within the NET (for now, anyway). Beating Virginia on a impartial ground would give Ohio State the form of resume increase it must pair with a predictive analytics profile hovering round fortieth nationally.
Missouri
Getting into the weekend: Final 4 In
Saturday vs. Texas | 8:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Missouri squeaked out an 86-85 win at Texas A&M on Wednesday to achieve 17-7 and 7-4 within the SEC. A 12 months in the past, profitable even simply six SEC video games was adequate for assured NCAA Match admission. However the league is not as sturdy this season, and the Tigers have a ton of floor to make up after taking part in a horrible nonconference schedule.
San Diego State
Getting into the weekend: First 4 Out
Saturday vs. Nevada | 10 p.m. (CBS Sports activities Community)
San Diego State’s subsequent six video games are projected as both Quad 2 or Quad 1 alternatives, which supply the Aztecs an opportunity to go away a late impression. If this staff misses the NCAA Match for the primary time since 2019, it should look again and rue a Nov. 18 double-overtime house loss to Troy. Overcoming that Quad 3 defeat with none high-end victories to tout goes to require important win quantity from SDSU.
Saint Mary’s
Getting into the weekend: Final 4 In
Saturday at Pacific | 10:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
If Saint Mary’s makes the Huge Dance as an at-large staff, it might wish to contemplate writing a thank-you observe to Virginia Tech. A victory over the Hokies from Nov. 27 within the Battle 4 Atlantis is doing additional time in propping up the Gaels’ resume. The Hokies’ rise within the NET has resulted in Saint Mary’s lastly having a Quad 1 win (for now). Although they’ve 17 low-end Quad 3/4 victories, the Gaels nonetheless charge as a top-40 staff in metrics utilized by the committee.
Santa Clara
Getting into the weekend: No. 11 seed (projected WCC champion)
Saturday vs. Gonzaga | 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)
If the season ended in the present day with somebody aside from Santa Clara profitable the WCC Match, the Broncos would have roughly a 50-50 likelihood of constructing the sphere, per the CBS Sports activities Bracketology mannequin. The Broncos are in possession of an fascinating event profile that locations them round fortieth total in each resume and predictive metrics. However with only one Quad 1 win and an unsightly Quad 4 loss to Loyola Chicago again in December, issues are tenuous. Beating Gonzaga would do wonders, as it could give Santa Clara one other assertion win to associate with its Jan. 17 victory over Saint Mary’s.
Seton Corridor
Getting into the weekend: Subsequent 4 Out
Sunday at Butler | 6 p.m. (FS1)
Seton Corridor has been fading, and that is a disgrace as a result of this staff may very well be America’s staff within the NCAA Match. Coach Shaheen Holloway — previously of Saint Peter’s lore — will get his staff to play lockdown protection, and the Pirates have one of many sport’s most enjoyable level guards within the undersized Adam “Budd” Clark. Shedding right here could be unadvisable in what’s shaping up as a fringe Quad 1 or 2 sport.
