March Madness 2024 Bubble Watch: First Four In, Last Four Out, more on Feb. 13

Bubble Watch Awards

Biggest Bubble Win: Gonzaga At No. 17 Kentucky

Saturday's win at Kentucky was absolutely massive for Gonzaga, which earned their first Quad 1 win of the season to avoid an 0-6 start in those games. The WCC is a bit weaker this season after BYU's departure so the Bulldogs desperately needed this game to push them over the cut line, which they can maintain if they take care of business in league play.

Worst Bubble Loss: Michigan State at Minnesota

The Spartans have been just above the bubble fray thanks to some quality wins but blowing a nine-point lead at Minnesota with 13 minutes to go last week is a bad look. Avoiding bad losses has been a key for Michigan State but that defeat could haunt them if they continue their inconsistent play down the stretch.

Biggest Bubble Opportunity: Butler

There is no bubble team with a bigger chance to make a move this week than Butler, which hosts No. 4 Marquette and No. 17 Creighton this week. Splitting those games would add another Quad 1 win to the Bulldogs' resume and help them solidify a spot in the field.

Bubble Team In Danger: St. John's

The Red Storm are trending in the wrong direction and have two big games this week with a trip to Providence and a home date against Seton Hall. A split is the bare minimum for St. John's, which only has two more opportunities to move the needle for the Selection Committee thanks to a schedule backloaded with Georgetown and DePaul games, while getting swept could put them on the brink of needing the auto-bid from the Big East Tournament in Rick Pitino's first season.