The suspense begins to build Wednesday for teams on the NCAA Tournament bubble as more of the major conferences begin postseason play.
While the Atlantic Coast Conference began its tournament Tuesday, the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, Southeastern Conference and Big East all open tournament competition Wednesday. Here are some questions regarding the NCAA Tournament field that still need to be answered.
How many of the so-called blueblood programs are making it in?: One of the main stories of this unusual season has been the way
How many teams make it from the Big Ten?: As strong as the Big Ten has been this season, its bubble teams haven’t played well lately, with Michigan State being the notable exception.
Will Drake join Missouri Valley rival Loyola-Chicago in the field?: Drake won’t be playing again this week after losing to No. 18 Loyola in the
Can the Mountain West Conference get multiple bids?: No. 19 San Diego State is a sure bet to earn an NCAA bid. Boise State, Colorado State and Utah State also have shots to make it, but none of those teams can afford an early loss in the Mountain West Tournament that starts Wednesday in Las Vegas. Utah State particularly needs a big week.
Will the ACC bubble teams deliver on Wednesday?: This is the tournament to watch on Wednesday with Syracuse, North Carolina, Louisville and Duke all playing as they try to secure bids. Syracuse faces North Carolina State, Louisville meets Duke and North Carolina faces Notre Dame.
Tuesday’s games didn’t have much impact on the bubble, but here’s a look at teams that helped or hurt their chances.
HOLDING STEADY
Duke (12-11, 9-9 ACC):
KNOCKED OUT
Pittsburgh (10-12, 6-10 ACC): The Panthers had realistic NCAA hopes before a late-season collapse that culminated with a
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