College basketball bubble watch, bracketology: Which teams need to win Friday?

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As Selection Sunday creeps closer and closer, bubble teams are hoping that deep conference tournament runs will be enough to make it into the NCAA tournament. With just three more days of games to go before the 68-team field is revealed, here’s a look at who feels good about sitting on the bubble and who is getting uneasier.

Might have done enough on Thursday

Texas (19-14): The Longhorns entered the SEC tournament as the No. 12 seed but have beaten two NCAA tournament teams to advance to the quarterfinals. Texas took down Vanderbilt on Wednesday before a double-overtime win over Texas A&M that could have guaranteed the Longhorns a spot in the NCAA tournament.

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Texas now ranks 38th in the NCAA’s NET rankings and is 7-10 against Quad 1 opponents. A lack of Quad 3 and Quad 4 losses helps too, and there will be no doubt about Texas’ tournament fate if it beats Tennessee on Friday.

A Texas March Madness berth will likely help the SEC get an NCAA-record number of teams into the men’s tournament and could also make for an awkward situation in Austin. Rumors have swirled about coach Rodney Terry’s future after a roller-coaster first season in the SEC. But can Texas make a coaching change if it makes the NCAA tournament?

The Texas Longhorns won a crucial game over Texas A&M on Thursday. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Needs another win to feel good

North Carolina (22-12): Win over Duke and in? That feels like the scenario for North Carolina after the Tar Heels took down Wake Forest on Thursday. The two rivals meet in the ACC tournament semifinals on Friday night and Duke is still a 7.5-point favorite even though Cooper Flagg is unlikely to play after suffering a left ankle injury on Thursday against Georgia Tech.

The absences of Flagg and Maliq Brown give North Carolina a real shot and the opportunity for a second Quad 1 win. The Tar Heels are three spots ahead of Texas in the NET rankings but are just 1-11 against…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/college-basketball/article/college-basketball-bubble-watch-bracketology-which-teams-need-to-win-friday-125705683.html

Author : Nick Bromberg

Publish date : 2025-03-14 12:57:00

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