(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.)

Ohio State’s out, Xavier’s in, Texas is alive, Vanderbilt should be fine and North Carolina is going to need serious help if it can’t help itself with one of the upsets of the season.

Those are the Wednesday men’s basketball happenings that helped shape Thursday’s bracket, which had to say farewell to Ohio State after a damaging loss to Iowa in the Big Ten tournament. The 17-15 Buckeyes have some great wins, but it’s hard to see them making it now. Xavier takes that spot — which means a different team from the state of Ohio playing in a First Four game in Dayton — and can go a long way toward keeping it by beating Marquette in Thursday’s Big East quarterfinals.

Texas kept itself in play — and the SEC in play for an absurd max out of 14 NCAA Tournament bids — with a 79-72 win over Vanderbilt in the SEC tournament that was more convincing than the final score. The Commodores have a sturdy profile and should have a stress-free Sunday unless utter chaos grips several of these conference tournaments. The Longhorns are the first team out at this point, with North…