March Madness 2024 Bubble Watch: First Four In, Last Four Out, more on Feb. 13
March Madness Bubble Watch: First Four Out
Team | Conference | Record | NET | Last Game | Next Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Utah | Pac-12 | 15-9 (6-7) | 49 | L 85-77 Vs. Arizona State | At USC 2/15 |
Seton Hall | Big East | 15-9 (8-5) | 76 | L 80-54 At Villanova | Vs. Xavier 2/14 |
Wake Forest | ACC | 16-8 (8-5) | 39 | L 77-69 At No. 9 Duke | At No. 21 Virginia 2/17 |
Villanova | Big East | 13-11 (6-7) | 41 | W 80-54 Vs. Seton Hall | At Georgetown 2/16 |
The Utes had a bad week last week, getting swept at home by the Arizona schools to drop out of the field. Going 6-7 in a weak Pac-12 is a bad look for Utah, which already has a Quad 3 loss on its books and two more in Quad 2, and their remaining schedule is loaded with potential resume-sinking land mines since they have already finished their season series with Arizona and Washington State.
Seton Hall took a big step backward last week after getting absolutely demolished by Villanova in a game that would have the Pirates flunk the eye test if that was still in use by the Selection Committee. The Pirates haven't beaten a team other than Georgetown or DePaul in almost a month and need to start winning games against potential tournament teams to land back on the right side of the bubble.
Another golden opportunity slipped through the fingers of Wake Forest on Monday as they played Duke hard at Cameron Indoor Stadium only to leave Durham with an eight-point loss. Saturday's trip to Virginia is a must-win for the Demon Deacons, who have yet to rack up a Quad 1 win this season.
The most fascinating bubble team in America added a big win to its resume on Saturday as Villanova demolished Seton Hall to earn a key victory over a fellow bubbler. Few teams in the country have as many high-end wins as Villanova, which has topped North Carolina, Texas Tech and Creighton, but they are counter-balanced by three Quad 3 losses and a five-game losing streak in conference play.