Two potential mid-major at-large candidates blew past their opposition in lunchtime tournament tips on Friday. The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, a team that will be strongly considered for a bid if it loses in Saturday’s Conference USA Tournament final, reached that game by avenging their lone league loss of the season. Middle bashed the UTEP Miners, 82-56.
Bracketology 2017: Rhode Island both wins and loses with Atlantic 10 draw
Results in the Atlantic 10 Tournament didn’t exactly go the Rams’ way. Elsewhere, two mid-major heavyweights bubble teams who needed to win did exactly that.
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The Sun Belt regular season champion, UT Arlington Mavericks, is a bit lower down the pecking order, but they’re two games away from securing their conference’s automatic bid after hammering the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, 74-51, thanks to a 20-point second-half advantage. With the final in New Orleans set for Sunday, bubble teams might have to sweat it out all the way until the Selection Show.
The Atlantic 10 Tournament is another that wraps up hours before the field is announced. While that league’s Rhode Island Rams — the first team out of my morning projection — did their part by defeating the St. Bonaventure Bonnies, 74-63, the result of Friday’s first game in Pittsburgh still dented their hopes. Dan Hurley’s team needed quality win opportunities late, but the top-seeded Dayton Flyers, 27th in the RPI, lost their showdown with the ninth-seeded Davidson Wildcats — ranked 84th. A chance to avenge the Flyers’ season sweep would have done the Rams good, so while their path to Sunday’s championship game is clearer, a game against the Wildcats muddies their at-large prospects.
Plus, with neither Rhode Island nor Davidson guaranteed an NCAA bid, a potential bid thief will hang around all the way into Selection Sunday.
In the SEC Tournament, the Georgia Bulldogs lost their fringe bubble status after losing to top-seeded Kentucky Wildcats. Mark Fox’s team lost nine games to Top-50 foes this season, but five of those defeats came by a total of just 26 points.
Therefore, heading into the evening’s busy slate, the picture hasn’t changed much from this morning. Teams marked with an asterisk are still playing, with only Rhode Island not in action this evening.
Last Four Byes: Xavier*, Marquette, Wake Forest, Providence
Last Four IN: Vanderbilt*, USC, Syracuse, Kansas State*
First Four OUT: Rhode Island*, California*, Illinois State, Illinois
Next Four Out: TCU*, Monmouth, Indiana*, Iowa
For full details on these squads on the squads around the cut line, check out my post from this morning.
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