Bubble Watch + Roundup

Much of whether or not Maryland gets into the NCAA tournament will depend on what other bubble teams do. If Maryland wins two, there's no doubt in my mind that they'll be selected. If, however, they only win one, they're as bubbly as bubble teams get. There's been a few big games recently that impacted Maryland, and they've gone largely unreported here. Here's a recent roundup:

• Creighton lost to Illinois State - Creighton is officially out with this loss, or at least, they should be.
• Georgetown lost to St. John's...again - They were already done with the first loss to the Johnnies, but it's a nice confirmation.
• Cincinnati loses to DePaul - Like Georgetown, they were probably finished already, but it's just good to have closure.
• Cleveland St. beats Butler in the Horizon League Final - That's a killer. Butler's in the top 25 - there's no chance they get left out. That's a bid that's gone.
  
• Providence beats DePaul - It's pretty much the equivalent of Maryland beating NCSt. Providence isn't locked in yet, but they're close.

Upcoming Bubble Games

• Iowa St. vs. Oklahoma St., Tonight: Root for Iowa St. Oklahoma St. is mighty close to being locked in, but that would all change if they lost to ISU.
• Providence vs. Louisville, Tomorrow: Root for Louisville. Providence really is close to being Maryland 2.0, and Louisville is their Wake.
• Northwestern vs. Minnesota: Root for Northwestern. This is a double-edged sword. Northwestern has made a late push, and the committee may include them with a win over Minnesota. But the Gophers really need this win to get in.
• Miami vs. Virginia Tech: Root for Virginia Tech. The loser is gone. It boils down to whoever has the better chance to get in, and right now a lot of people would argue that that's Miami. It's not a big deal who wins, though; they're too close to really make a convincing argument one way or the other.
• Iowa vs. Michigan: Root for Iowa. Michigan really helped themselves with the win over Minnesota - it looks like they'll get in with one win in the Big Televen tourney.
• Arizona vs. Arizona St. - Root for Arizona St. Arizona is looking very safe right now, but a loss against a strong ASU team would put a little bit of doubt in some members' minds.
• UNLV vs. San Diego St. - Root for San Diego St. Again, two bubble teams duking it out. The winner stays alive, the loser is eliminated. SDSU is in slightly worse shape, but neither would punch their ticket with a win.
• Arkansas vs. Florida - Root for Arkansas. The Gators are starting to get very bubbly. A loss to lowly Arkansas would put them over the edge.