Editor’s note: This article is part of the Bracket Central series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s & women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.
We’ve come to it at last: Championship Week, the last stand for bubble teams across the country and the final few nervous days for the at-large pool as bid stealers fight to shrink the number of NCAA Tournament tickets available.
Before the deluge of games between now and Selection Sunday begins, let’s do a full reset on the bubble picture. I have labeled 35 teams as Locks below, along with three other teams that Should Be In. Assuming that group claims their respective conferences’ auto bids (eight conferences represented) would account for 30 of the 37 at-large bids. That means there are seven spots available for the 16 teams listed as In the Mix.
That sets the stage for a huge week in bubble land. Which teams will seize their opportunities and earn a bid with a key win (or wins)? And which teams will exit meekly, doomed to living in “First Four Out” graphics come Selection Sunday?
Perhaps most importantly, how many bid stealers will emerge? Drake’s triumph in the Missouri Valley tournament was a bullet dodged for bubble squads, but other leagues like the American or even…
