(Editor’s note: This article is part of the Bracket Central series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.)
After an absurd amount of chaos last weekend, the bracket is largely set, as the end of the power conference tournaments mark the final opportunities to bolster March resumes. Now comes what I deem one of the most enticing parts of postseason play: the hunt for mid-major automatic bids.
Cinderella teams are starting their journeys now, and in a few weeks, we might fall in love with after an unexpected upset or wire-to-wire game with a blueblood.
As we head into the final week of conference tournament play, mere days away from Selection Sunday, how should teams on the bubble feel? What games should we be watching out for?
Our first, and perhaps only, bid-stealer, took place over the weekend as George Mason won the Atlantic 10 tournament, marking the Patriots’ first trip to the NCAA Tournament.
A-10 power and regular-season champion Richmond is an at-large lock for the Big Dance, and though it probably drops a seed line due to an early exit in conference tournament play, the Spiders are dancing in consecutive years for the first time since 1991.
This is great for the A-10, but…
