Bubble Watch: Ohio State’s loss is North Carolina’s gain, plus a good day for the SEC

A look at the NCAA Tournament bubble picture after Wednesday’s games:

O-H … N-O

It’s still fairly early in the major conference tournaments, so for bubble teams, Wednesday was more about avoiding bad losses than earning significant wins. For Ohio State, the next few days should be stressful after the Buckeyes lost 77-70 to Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament.

Ohio State has plenty of company in its own state, with Xavier on the bubble as well. And Cincinnati’s slim hopes of making the field are likely over after a 76-56 loss to Iowa State.

Elsewhere, North Carolina took care of Notre Dame 76-56, and Ohio State’s loss can only help the Tar Heels as they try to avoid missing the tournament.

Can the SEC max out?

Of the 16 teams in the Southeastern Conference, only South Carolina and LSU are completely out of contention for an NCAA Tournament spot. Thirteen bids is a realistic expectation, and even 14 might be possible after Texas beat Vanderbilt 79-72 in the conference tournament.

The Longhorns lost seven of their last nine games in the regular season, but the SEC Tournament gave them a chance to post more significant victories, and they took advantage against the Commodores.

In fact, Wednesday worked out nicely for the SEC from a bid maximization standpoint. Arkansas moved a step closer to making the tournament in John Calipari’s first season at the helm, edging South Carolina 72-68. Later, Oklahoma picked up a big 81-75 win over Georgia.

The experts say …

By the end of the day, ESPN’s bracket projection had moved North Carolina into the field, replacing Ohio State.

Up next

Xavier can give its resume a big boost Thursday if it can beat No. 25 Marquette in the Big East quarterfinals, and Indiana has a similar opportunity against No. 23 Oregon in the Big Ten Tournament.

The Mountain West quarterfinals are also worth watching. New Mexico, Utah State, San Diego State, Boise State and Colorado State are all on or near the bubble, but only one can take the league’s automatic bid.

Next up for Texas? A rivalry game with No. 14 Texas A&M.

Automatic bids so far

SIU Edwardsville (Ohio Valley), Omaha (Summit), Lipscomb (Atlantic Sun), High Point (Big South), Drake (Missouri Valley), Wofford (Southern), Troy (Sun Belt), Robert Morris (Horizon), UNC-Wilmington (Coastal Athletic), St. Francis, Pa. (Northeast), Gonzaga (WCC), McNeese (Southland), American (Patriot), Montana (Big Sky).

Automatic bids at stake Thursday: None.

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