In the end, Chris Crawford and Memphis enabled them all to breathe easier -- for a few moments -- at least. The Tigers needed double overtime, but they eventually dispatched Southern Mississippi by 12 to keep the Golden Eagles from somewhat unexpectedly landing a second bid for C-USA. Of course, given how Donnie Tyndall's team battled the Tigers today, you can expect they'll get some consideration from the Selection Committee despite no top 50 wins and four rather forgettable top 100 victories (Denver, UTEP twice, UCF).
Bracketology: Bubble teams thankful for a Memphis win
From Moraga, Calif. to Charlottesville, Va. and assorted points in between, teams near the NCAA Tournament cut line spent the early part of Selection Eve on a roller coaster ride, thanks to the Conference USA final in Tulsa.
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Memphis' win means the Last Four In and First Four Out from last night remain the same; however, things could change if Alabama beats Florida in first SEC semifinal. With a Crimson Tide win, Middle Tennessee will drop out. Mississippi will then temporarily hold the SEC auto bid as the highest remaining seed in the tournament. Of course, the Rebels play a must-win against Vanderbilt in the second semifinal in Nashville.
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