3/7 and 3/8 Championship Week Outlook

Full new Seed List coming out on Friday.  Bubble Stats will be updated as well.

The rundown:

Championship Finals

Bucknell takes the Patriot league auto-bid yet again.  Will be a tough out in the NCAA Tournament, don’t be afraid to pick them to win a 1^st-round matchup.

Bubble Watch

What a tough job the committee is going to have this year.  So many teams vying for a tournament berth, and we have a really cloudy bubble picture. 

Louisville takes down Florida State to inch closer to safety.  One more win could cement their bid.

Arizona St really limped to the finish, dropping another to Colorado in the Pac 12 tournament.  The Sun Devils have 9 top 100 wins and good advanced metrics, but an 8-10 conference record in a not so good Pac-12.  I think they will be right on the line.

Oklahoma lost to a strong looking Oklahoma State team who are also on the bubble.  How will the committee view Oklahoma after their ugly finish to the season?  If they look at total body of work, I think the Sooners will still be dancing with six Q1 wins.  As for the Cowboys, I think they would be a lot more comfortable with one more win.

Notre Dame rallies from 21 down to keep their tournament hopes alive.  I still think they need another win to get an at-large bid.

Syracuse dropped their second-round ACC tournament game to North Carolina (6 seed??).  The loss doesn’t really hurt the Orange profile as much as it is a missed opportunity.  They remain in my last four in, but it is dicey on whether they will stick there through the rest of the week.

Marquette barely beats DePaul.  They still need another after that performance.

Look Ahead

Tomorrow, the big dogs get in on championship week.  Virginia, Kansas, Duke, Xavier, and Villanova all will see action that will go a long way in determining the #1 seeds for the tournament.

56 total games on tap for Thursday.  Full list availabe here.  Look for an in depth update tomorrow night on seeding and bubble teams 

Some Changes among my Current Projections:

Last Four In: Syracuse, Alabama, Louisville, Arizona St

First Four Out: Marquette, Oklahoma State, St Mary’s, Baylor

#1 Seed Race: Virginia, Villanova, Xavier, Duke

What do you think?  Let me know in the comments and follow me on Twitter @Tcw8848