Gordon Hayward explains why he still can’t stand Duke
Gordon Hayward talks about why he still can’t stand Duke and revisits the near miss that haunts him every March.
The brackets for the men’s NCAA Tournament are expected to be announced within a day, and the teams in the bubble are starting to sweat it out in earnest to see if they can make it through. There’s only one thing that could make the last 24 hours even more stressful on Saturday, March 14th. It’s a bidding thief.
In conferences where it’s clear who will be in the Big Dance, teams not expected to be in the mix could fight for conference tournament crowns to earn an automatic spot, potentially upending the picture.
This is the worst thing that could happen to a bubble team, and it was implemented on Saturday.
When top-seeded St. Louis lost in the semifinals on a late-game tip-in by Dayton, the Atlantic 10 was the first source of information. The Billikens are tournament-based, and while it was uncertain whether another A-10 team would qualify, it is now certain and will come at the expense of teams on the fringes of the field.
Now, the bubble conversation becomes even more intriguing, showing why it’s so important to get a key win in the final week. Things are changing, with winners and losers emerging ahead of Sunday’s selection.
March Madness Bubble Winners
VCU and Atlantic 10
With St. Louis eliminated, there will be two teams in the Atlantic 10, with the winner of Dayton vs. VCU receiving the automatic bid.
VCU was in a bubble, so it was uncertain whether the conference would have two teams. The Rams will now face a Dayton team they have lost to twice, so they are now the favorites, clearing the way for the Rams to win the tournament title for the second year in a row.
Regardless of the outcome, it’s good news for the Atlantic 10, whose prestige in the sports world has declined. It could have been the first one-bid league in more than 40 years for the second year in a row. The conference will now feature two teams, just as it did in 2024 when Duquesne won the tournament and earned a spot.
And maybe VCU is doing enough in the committee’s eyes that if Dayton wins Sunday there could be three teams in the A-10.
All bubble teams when Ole Miss lost
Ole Miss, ranked 15th in the SEC, was eliminated by Arkansas in the semifinals of the conference tournament, so there won’t be a magical advance to the NCAA Tournament.
It was a breakout that came out of nowhere considering Ole Miss entered the week 12-19 with four conference wins, but the Rebels had compiled three wins in three days. It was the only way to win the conference title, but they played well to force overtime against the Razorbacks. But Ole Miss couldn’t sustain the magic and lost to end any March Madness hopes.
If the Rebels stole the automatic bid, it would have changed the bubble in some crazy ways, but luckily the beleaguered teams were spared any crazy consequences.
march madness bubble losers
SEC
The SEC has a good chance of fielding a maximum of 10 teams, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to imagine more teams.
The conference had teams Oklahoma State and Auburn on the bubble, with the Sooners coming out on offense late and the Tigers winning big all season despite questionable performance.
To make matters worse, it also affects the state of Texas. The poor end to the season made it more likely the Longhorns would play in the First Four. It’s not a comfortable position as you can easily get left out of the field.
san diego state
There was another potential bid thief from the Mountain West, but this one was rejected.
San Diego State defeated New Mexico State to earn an automatic bid with Utah State. The Aztecs faced the regular season champions, but the Aggies came out strong late in the second half and won easily.
The automatic berth really was San Diego State’s best chance. It was in the bubble picture, but with so many teams trailing behind, it created a true “win-win” scenario. Despite coming as close as they could without clinching the Mountain West title, the outlook doesn’t look good for the Aztecs, with the Mountain West potentially only making it to one team.
