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College Basketball Bubble Watch: Vanderbilt aims to return to NCAA Tournament

By Nathaniel Reeves

LAWRENCE, KS - DECEMBER 03: Head coach Jerod Haase of the Stanford Cardinal motions from the bench during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on December 3, 2016 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KS - DECEMBER 03: Head coach Jerod Haase of the Stanford Cardinal motions from the bench during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on December 3, 2016 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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Here’s what a few potential NCAA Tournament bubble teams face in the first full week of the college basketball season.

While the college basketball season is less than a week old, it’s never too early to start thinking about the Big Dance four short months from now.

College basketball got off to a rousing start with a full slate of games on Friday night and has only picked up steam since. While early-season matchups like Duke-Michigan State and Kansas-Kentucky are terrific for the sport, all of those teams at least know they will be in the NCAA Tournament.

That’s not the case for all programs, so even games months ahead of Selection Sunday can have an impact for future teams on the bubble. Nonconference contests and early season tournaments can provide important resume boosts that often make the difference between being left out and snagging one of the final seeds.

While it’s too early to tell exactly who is going to be on the bubble this season, these five teams project to be on the fringe and will be worth keeping an eye on.

Stanford Cardinal 

The Pac-12 sent four teams to the NCAA Tournament a year ago, and nothing much appears likely to change in 2017-18.

Arizona, USC, Oregon and UCLA should all be able to make returns trips to the Big Dance, with the former two standing out as possible national title contenders. Stanford represents the conference’s best hope at a fifth team making it, as the Cardinal only replace one key player in the second year of the Jerod Haase era.

Stanford was a disappointment last year with a 14-17 overall record, including a 6-12 mark in the weak Pac-12. The good news for Haase is that First-Team All-Pac-12 forward Reid Travis is back after averaging 17.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per contest a year ago.

Travis is joined by returning starters Dorian Pickens and Micheal Humphrey, along with a pair of top-50 recruits in Kezie Okpala and Daejon Davis. Stanford has earned easy victories over Cal Poly and Pacific to open the year, with Travis piling up a monster 24.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game so far.

With a brutal nonconference schedule ahead that includes North Carolina, Florida and Kansas, the Cardinal can’t afford to drop any games to mid-major opponents. Stanford will look to move to 3-0 on Tuesday night at home against Eastern Washington.