The 2024-25 NCAA college basketball season is winding down with two weekends of the regular season left. However, there may not be a more crucial day for teams looking to improve their at-large bid resumes. According to ESPN, there are 26 games this weekend, most on Sunday, that involve teams still in the running for an at-large bid. SEC matchups Oklahoma at Ole Miss and Georgia at Texas appear to be the biggest games today.
NCAA Bracketology: Big Weekend For Several Bubble Teams, Headlined by Texas vs. Georgia
The Georgia-Texas matchup is the biggest game on today’s docket for teams on the proverbial NCAA tournament bubble. The Longhorns (16-12) are among the last four teams in my bracketology, while the Bulldogs kept their slim tourney chances alive with a huge victory earlier this week over Florida.
Texas, No. 37 in Net Rankings, has lost two straight and six of eight. So, a loss by the Longhorns to the Bulldogs will knock them out of the First-Four Play-In game and could drop them down into the others with a slight chance of earning a tournament bid. Meanwhile, a Bulldog victory will not assure Georgia an NCAA tournament bid, but it would help.
Georgia, No. 35 in the Net rankings, has lost nine of its last 12, even with its victory over Florida. The Bulldogs are just 3-8 away from Athens and six Quad I and II wins. Furthermore, eight of its 11 Quad I losses are by double digits, with four by 15 or more points.
Other Top Games Today
Oklahoma (17-11) isn’t near as dire need as Texas and Georgia, but the Sooners are also on shaky tournament ground. OU is among my final four teams, but a win at Ole Miss would likely put them in near-lock range. The Sooners have six wins away from Norman and eight victories in Quad I and II games. Ole Miss (19-9) is pretty secure, an eighth seed in by bracketology, though the Bulldogs enter today’s contest on a three-game losing streak.
Nebraska (17-11), who are a No. 11 seed, and Wake Forest (19-9), a 10t seed, are other teams who can’t afford can’t afford a loss today. Nebraska is at Washington while Wake Forest hosts Notre Dame. Missouri at Vanderbilt, West Virginia at BYU, Cincinnati — one of my first four teams out — at Houston, SMU at Stanford, Xavier — another one of my first four teams out — vs. Creighton, and Utah State vs. Colorado are other very important contests.
Movers and Shakers
The SEC leads the way with 11 teams in the NCAA Tournament. Other top conference bids include the Big Ten (9), Big 12 (6), ACC (5), and Big East (4). The Mountain West (5) and the West Coast Conference (3) also garner multi-bids with a few weeks left in the regular season.
While no NCAA at-large teams moved out since my initial bracket was released, there are new teams from the automatic bid league: the Arkansas State Red Wolves (Sun Belt, replaces James Madison), Liberty Flames (CUSA, replaces Jacksonville State), and Quinnipiac (MAAC, replaces Marist). All three teams sit at the top of their conference standings.
Several teams moved up or down, as indicated below. The biggest movers were the VCU Rams and Memphis Tigers. VCU moved up from a seventh seed and five seed spots overall. Memphis is up to the fifth seed from No. 6 and five spots overall. Also, Alabama replaced Florida on the No. 1 line.
No. 1 Seeds
Auburn Tigers
Duke Blue Devils
Houston Cougars: Moved up one spot
Alabama Crimson Tide: Moved up one spot from a No. 2 seed
No. 2 Seeds
Florida Gators: Moved down one spot from a No. 1 seed
Michigan State Spartans
Tennessee Volunteers
St. John’s Red Storm: Moved up from third line and two spots overall.
No. 3 Seeds
Clemson Tigers: Moved down one spot from a No. 2 seed
St, Mary’s Gaels: Moved up two spots
Iowa State Cyclones: Moved down one spot
Texas Tech Red Raiders: Moved down one spot
No. 4 Seeds
Michigan Wolverines: Moved up two spots
Wisconsin Badgers: Moved down one spot
Louisville Cardinals
Utah State Aggies
No. 5 Seeds
Texas A&M Aggies
Memphis Tigers: Moved up a seeding line and five spots overall
Maryland Terrapins: Moved down one spot
Marquette Golden Eagles
No. 6 Seeds
VCU Rams: Moved up a line and six spots
Purdue Boilermakers: Moved up two spots
New Mexico Lobos Moved down four spots and a line.
Mississippi State Bulldogs Moved down two spots
N0. 7 Seeds
Oregon Ducks: Moved up one spot
UCLA Bruins: Moved down one line and two spots
Missouri Tigers
BYU Cougars
No. 8 Seeds
Ole Miss Rebels
Arizona Wildcats
Creighton Bluejays
Connecticut Huskies
No. 9 Seeds
Gonzaga Bulldogs
SMU Mustangs
Kentucky Wildcats
Kansas Jayhawks
No. 10 Seeds
Vanderbilt Commodores
San Diego State Aztecs: Moved up one spot
Illinois Fighting Illini: Moved up one spot
Wake Forest Demon Deacons: Moved down two spots
No. 11 Seeds
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Bosie State Broncos
UC San Diego Tritons (Big West)
Drake Bulldogs (MVC)
No. 12 Seeds
Winner: Oklahoma/ Colorado State
Winner: Santa Clara/ Texas
Arkansas State Red Wolves (Sun Belt): New Team
Liberty Flames: New Team
N0. 13 Seeds
High Point Panthers: Dropped one line and three spots
Robert Morris Colonials (Horizontal)
Chattanooga Mocs (Southern)
McNeese State Cowboys (Southland): Moved up one spot and one line
No. 14 Seeds
Yale Bulldogs (Ivy): Moved Up 2 spots
Akron Zips (MAAC):
Lipscomb Bisons (Atlantic Sun): Moved down three spots
Towson Tigers (Coastal Athletic: Moved Down from 13th Seed
No. 15 Seeds
Utah Valley Wolverines (WAC): Moved down From 13 Seed
Bryant Bulldogs (America East): Moved up from 16th seed
Central Connecticut State Blue Devils (NEC): Moved up one spot
Montana Grizzlies (Big Sky): Moved down three spots
No. 16 Seeds
Norfork State Spartans(MEAC)
Quinnipiac Bobcats (MAAC): New team
Winner: Omaha Mavericks (Summit)/ Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (Ohio Valley): Omaha moved down from No. 15 seed
Winner: Southern Jaguars (SWAC) /American Egles (Patriot)
Last Four In
Oklahoma Sooners
Santa Clara Broncos
Texas Longhorns
Colorado State Rams
First Four Out
George Mason Patriots
Cincinnati Bearcats
Xavier Musketeers
North Carolina Tar Heels
Next Four Out
West Virginia Mountaineers
Arkansas Razorbacks
Baylor Bears
North Texas Mean Green
Others Still With An Outside Chance
San Francisco Dons
Indiana Hoosiers
Villanova Wildcats
Georgia Bulldogs
Ohio State Buckeyes
Bradley Braves
Dayton Flyers
UC Irvine Anteaters
Oregon State Beavers
Stanford Cardinal
NCAA Regional Matchups
First Four In Dayton, Ohio
No.12 Oklahoma vs. No. 12 Colorado State
No. 12 Santa Clara vs. No. 12 Texas
No. 16 Southern vs. No. 16 Omaha
No. 16 Southeast Missouri State vs. No. 16 American
South Region
No. 1 Auburn Tigers vs. No. 16 First Four Winner of Southern/American
No. 8 UConn vs. No. 9 Kansas
No. 4 Utah State vs. No. 13 McNeese State
No. 5 Marquette vs. No. 12 Liberty
No. 6 Mississippi State vs. No. 11 Drake
No.3 Texas Tech vs. No. 14 Towson
No. 7 BYU vs. No. 10 Wake Forest
No. 2 St. Johns vs. No. 15 Omaha Mavericks
Midwest Region
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 16 Norfolk
No. 8 Arizona vs. No. 9 SMU Mustangs
No. 4 Michigan vs. No. 13 Utah Valley Wolverines
No. 5 Texas A&M vs. No. 12 First Four Game winner: Santa Clara /Texas
No. 6 VCU vs. No. 11 Nebraska
No.3 Clemson vs. No. 14 Yale
No. 7 Oregon vs. No. 10 Vanderbilt
No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 15 Utah Valley
East Region
No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 First Four Winner: Southeast Missouri State/Omaha
No. 8 Creighton vs. No. 9 Kentucky
No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 13 Chattanooga
No. 5 Maryland vs. No. 12 Arkansas State
No. 6 New Mexico vs. No. 11 UC San Diego
No.3 Iowa State vs. No. 14 Lipscomb
No. 7 Missouri vs. No. No. 10 Illinois
No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 15 Central Connecticut
West Region
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 16 Quinnipiac
No. 8 Ole Miss vs. No. 9 Gonzaga
No. 4 Wisconsin vs. No. 13 Towson
No. 5 Memphis vs. First Four Winner: Oklahoma/ Santa Clara
No. 6 Purdue Boilermakers vs. No. 11 Boise State
No.3 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 14 Akron Zips
No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 San Diego State
No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 15 Bryant
Photo credit: © Nelson Chenault, Imagn Images
