TCU and UCLA each have marquee opportunities to round out their NCAA Tournament resumes on Tuesday night, with Selection Sunday less than two weeks away. The Horned Frogs are on the road against No. 10 Texas Tech while the Bruins host No. 9 Nebraska.
Both teams have shown the ability to defeat high-caliber opposition this season, and if they do it once more, they should feel optimistic about their chances of landing in the field of 68.
TCU already owns wins over Florida, Wisconsin and Iowa State. Throw in a road victory over a Texas Tech team that is playing some great basketball, and you get a rock-solid quartet of victories that would be hard for the selection committee to overlook.
UCLA owns victories over No. 11 Illinois and No. 15 Purdue. If the Bruins earn a third win over a top-15 foe, it could eliminate a lot of stress coming down the stretch.
Most other bubble teams in action on Tuesday night face games with far less upside. Some are simply in survival mode entering contests against middling opposition that can bring little significant benefit.
Here is the NCAA Tournament bubble breakdown from CBS Sports Bracketology entering Tuesday night’s action.
Check out the CBS Sports Bracketology model’s latest bracket at the Bracketology hub
Last Four In
First Four Out
Next Four Out
Bubble teams in action Tuesday
All times ET
VCU
vs. George Mason | 7 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
Entering the day: First Four Out
Game status: Quad 3
Record: 22-7 (13-3 Atlantic 10)
WAB rank: 46
Call it a “must-win” or “can’t lose” game. Any way you slice it, VCU needs to come out on top against George Mason to stay on track. At one time, George Mason looked like a top-flight Atlantic 10 opponent, but the Patriots have dropped four of their past five games. As a team with few high-end wins, the Rams cannot afford to pick up their first Quad 3 loss in this spot.
Seton Hall
at Xavier | 7 p.m. (Tru)
Entering the day: First Four Out
Game status: Quad 2
Record: 19-10 (9-9 Big East)
WAB rank: 55
Seton Hall won its first meeting against Xavier, 86-68, on Jan. 28. This situation calls for a similarly authoritative win as the Pirates have significant ground to make up to reach the right side of the bubble before Selection Sunday. In all likelihood, Seton Hall needs to close the regular season 2-0 and then win at least one game at the Big East Tournament.
TCU
at Texas Tech | 7 p.m. (FS1)
Entering the day: Last Four In
Game status: Quad 1
Record: 19-10 (9-7 Big 12)
WAB rank: 42
If TCU can add a road win over Texas Tech to a portfolio that already includes victories over Florida, Wisconsin and Iowa State, the Horned Frogs will be in excellent shape. Taking down the Red Raiders on the road would vault the Horned Frogs into the 30s of WAB and solidify their at-large credentials.
Miami (Ohio)
vs. Toledo | 7 p.m. (ESPN+)
Entering the day: No. 12 seed (auto bid)
Game status: Quad 3
Record: 29-0 (16-0 MAC)
WAB rank: 32
Miami is two wins away from completing a perfect regular season, but the RedHawks’ NCAA Tournament credentials remain a point of significant debate. If they take a loss in one of their final two regular-season games and then fail to win the MAC Tournament, things could get dicey. But a win over Toledo would mark one more step toward securing a spot in the field of 68.
Texas A&M
vs. Kentucky | 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Entering the day: No. 11 seed
Game status: Quad 1
Record: 19-10 (9-7 SEC)
WAB rank: 43
A team that was atop the SEC standings at the beginning of February is on the bubble at the beginning of March. That’s what losing six of eight games will do when you don’t have much nonconference padding to fall back upon. If the Aggies don’t beat both Kentucky and LSU this week, they may have some work to do at the SEC Tournament to feel safe.
West Virginia
at Kansas State | 8 p.m. (ESPN+)
Entering the day: Next Four Out
Game status: Quad 2
Record: 17-12 (8-8 Big 12)
WAB rank: 58
West Virginia beat BYU on Saturday to revive its fading at-large hopes. But the Mountaineers still have some climbing to do. They close with Kansas State and UCF, both of which are shaping up as Quad 2 contests. Winning both would be a start, but there would still be work to do in the Big 12 Tournament.
San Diego State
at Boise State | 9 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
Entering the day: First Four Out
Game status: Quad 1
Record: 19-9 (13-5 Mountain West)
WAB rank: 52
San Diego State rates better than several of its bubble peers in predictive metrics like KenPom and Torvik. Where the Aztecs are hurting is on the resume side. A road win over Boise State, followed by a season-ending victory against UNLV, would send the Aztecs into the Mountain West Tournament with viable at-large hopes.
Virginia Tech
vs. Boston College | 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
Entering the day: Next Four Out
Game status: Quad 4
Record: 18-11 (7-9 ACC)
WAB rank: 49
Virginia Tech has dropped five of its past seven games and remains in the conversation largely because no one in the Hokies’ neighborhood is really rising to the moment. Beating Boston College would do nothing to help them. But a win over the Eagles, followed by a high-end “Quad 1A” road victory against rival Virginia on Saturday, would inject Virginia Tech with some life entering the ACC Tournament.
Auburn
vs. LSU | 10 p.m. (SEC Network)
Entering the day: First Four Out
Game status: Quad 2
Record: 15-14 (6-10 SEC)
WAB rank: 48
Why is Auburn still on the bubble with a 15-14 record, you ask? Because it owns victories over St. John’s, NC State, Arkansas, Florida, Texas and Kentucky. Not many teams with six wins over teams currently projected in the field are going to be on the wrong side of the bubble. But that’s where the Tigers find themselves after a Quad 3 home loss on Saturday against an Ole Miss team that had dropped 10 straight.
UCLA
vs. Nebraska | 11 p.m. (FS1)
Entering the day: No. 10 seed
Game status: Quad 1
Record: 19-10 (11-7 Big Ten)
WAB rank: 38
UCLA would probably enter the Big Ten Tournament on the right side of the bubble if it goes 1-1 this week in games against Nebraska and USC. A win over Nebraska would be particularly helpful, as it would be the Bruins’ third “marquee” victory. It’s hard to imagine a 20-win Big Ten team with victories over Purdue, Illinois and Nebraska getting left out.
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