March Madness: NCAA Tournament bubble race leads Bracketology
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NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

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NCAA Tournament bubble gets major shakeup in Bracketology days before March Madness
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Paul Myerberg Erick Smith Eddie Timanus

USA TODAY

USA TODAY

March 14, 2025 - 6:07 a.m. ET | 10:26 a.m. ET

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The NCAA men's tournament bubble is in full effect with North Carolina, Texas, Indiana and Xavier among the teams pushing and shoving for position in our penultimate NCAA Tournament bracketology projection before Selection Sunday.

The Tar Heels’ postseason credentials were boosted by a 68-59 win in the ACC tournament against another bubble team in Wake Forest. UNC gets solidify its place in the field with a win against undermanned Duke in the semifinals. The Blue Devils advanced past Georgia Tech on Thursday but lost star freshman Cooper Flagg to an ankle injury.

The Longhorns leaped back into the bracket by beating rival Texas A&M 94-89 in double overtime in second round of the SEC tournament. That gives the SEC 14 teams in our projected field, which would shatter the previous record for any conference in one tournament. The record is 11 set by the Big East in 2011.

Xavier did itself no favors by losing 89-87 to Marquette in the Big East tournament despite landing 38 points from junior guard Ryan Conwell. Still, the Musketeers are helped by late misfires from two Big Ten bubble teams.

First, Ohio State lost on Wednesday to lowly Iowa, eliminating the Buckeyes from our bracket. On Thursday, Indiana lost 72-59 to Oregon to potentially close the door on the Hoosiers’ tournament chances.

IT'S BRACKET MADNESS: 

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