March Madness 2024 Bubble Watch: First Four In, Last Four Out, more on Feb. 13
March Madness Bubble Watch: Last Four In
Team | Conference | Record | NET | Last Game | Next Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Boise State | Mountain West | 16-8 (7-4) | 48 | L 80-61 At No. 22 Utah State | Vs. Fresno State 2/17 |
Gonzaga | WCC | 18-6 (8-2) | 24 | W 89-85 At No. 17 Kentucky | At Loyola Marymount 2/15 |
Nevada | Mountain West | 19-5 (6-4) | 47 | W 70-66 Vs. No. 24 San Diego State | Vs. New Mexico 2/13 |
Ole Miss | SEC | 18-5 (5-5) | 59 | L 68-65 At No. 15 South Carolina | At No. 22 Kentucky 2/13 |
The Mountain West's fifth team in the field is Boise State, which had a tough go of it last week with losses to the league's two best teams in Utah State and Colorado State. Saturday's game against Fresno State is a must-win since a loss to the Bulldogs would add a Quad 4 defeat to a resume that already has a Quad 3 defeat on it.
It feels unusual to see Gonzaga here in the Bubble Watch but Saturday's massive win at Kentucky was the Bulldogs' first Quad 1 win of the season. Five of Gonzaga's six losses are of the Quad 1 variety but entering mid-February without a Quad 1 victory was asking for trouble for the Bulldogs.
Nevada is surging after an impressive week with wins at Utah State and against San Diego State to add to their win over Colorado State earlier in the year. Tuesday's home date with New Mexico is important for the bubble and could allow the Wolf Pack to flip places with the Lobos if they're able to defend their home floor.
Last week was a big missed opportunity for Ole Miss, which got blown out by Auburn and lost by three against South Carolina to drop a pair of games against ranked foes. The Rebels have 18 wins but only two are against Quad 1 opponents, making Tuesday's trip to Kentucky another huge opportunity they can't afford to squander.