X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

March Madness Bubble Report for Thursday, March 11

NCAA Tournament - March Madness College Basketball

Nick Federline's report on March Madness bubble teams as of 3/11/21. He analyzes recent CBB games, and predicts what is needed to secure NCAA tournament bids.

March Madness is approaching fast, and bracketologists around the nation are scrambling to perfect their predictions and project what field of teams the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee will choose on Sunday, March 14, 2021.

One of the most prominent metrics that the Selection Committee uses in determining the bracket is the NCAA's NET ranking. The NET ranking uses the strength of schedule, scoring margins, offensive, and defensive efficiencies, and locations of the games to rank the 347 Division I teams that have participated in this NCAA college basketball season. Determining what quadrant a game falls into depends on the team's opponent's NET ranking.

  • Quadrant 1: Home game opponent ranking 1-30, Neutral site 1-50, Away game 1-75
  • Quadrant 2: Home game 31-75, Neutral site 51-100, Away game 76-135
  • Quadrant 3: Home game 76-160, Neutral site 101-200, Away game 135-240
  • Quadrant 4: Home game 161-353, Neutral site 201-353, Away game 241-353

Below, we will take a look at the movement on the bubble and see what teams need to accomplish in order to further secure their bids to the Big Dance.

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 30% off using code NEW! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

 

Syracuse

Coach Jim Boeheim has developed a knack for surging late in the year and making noise in the NCAA Tournament. In the 2015-2016 season, Syracuse stumbled into the tournament as a #10 seed, only to improbably reach the Final Four. Two years later, as a #11 seed and one of the four "play-in" at-large teams, the Orange reached the Elite 8, falling narrowly to Duke. This year's team lacks the traditional interior bruiser that Orange fans have come to expect from the likes of Rakeem Christmas or Hakeem Warrick, but the team is chock full of quality perimeter shooters. The coach's son Buddy, a junior guard, is the team's leading scorer at 16 points per game as a streaky three-point shooter. Former Illinois transfer Alan Griffin and upstate New York high school prodigy Joe Girard are the two other main offensive creators, and have both been playing at their best of late.

An early season sweep at the hands of Pitt had most bracket prognosticators leaving the Orange for dead as they say with a 10-6 record in early February. Since then, they've rattled off a 6-2 stretch, including quality wins over North Carolina and Clemson. If Syracuse can surprise the Virginia Cavaliers on Thursday with an upset, their tournament position will be much stronger. If the Orange fail to come through as a 5.5-point underdog, they will be sweating on Selection Sunday to see if their name is called.

Status: Stock up (Projected Last Team into the bracket/ #12 seed)

 

Wichita State

As things stand right now, the Shockers are the American Athletic Conference (AAC) #1 seed and yet find themselves in a likely "must-win" scenario. With a NET ranking of #64, the Shockers sit amongst the likes of Michigan State, Seton Hall, and other teams that appear to be on the wrong side of the bubble. Without winning their conference tournament, Selection Sunday could be a nervous day for Coach Isaac Brown's team.

Friday's first game will match Wichita State up against the winner of Thursday's Temple vs. South Florida game. The Shockers wouldn't face up against another tournament-quality team until the hypothetical AAC championship against either #2 seed Houston or #3 seed UConn. The Shockers, however, will be playing undermanned. Two centers - Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler and Josaphat Bilau - are currently nursing injuries and were labeled as "game-time decisions." Additionally, Coach Brown announced on Wednesday that two unidentified players would be unavailable due to COVID-19 protocols. The simple answer is to win out and control their own destiny, but playing without their big men and not knowing the impact of which players are out due to COVID-19 could complicate that simple strategy.

Status: Projected automatic qualifier from AAC (Projected #12 seed)

 

Florida

For the second consecutive season, the Florida Gators find themselves safely in the bracket but also massively underperforming their preseason expectations. Coach Mike White's team sits at 13-8, with a match against Vanderbilt on Thursday to open the SEC tournament. Outside of a shocking upset run at the SEC title or an embarrassing loss to #12 seed Vanderbilt, the Gators should find themselves somewhere between the #8 and #10 seed lines, with a difficult first-round matchup. The Gators' quality wins over West Virginia and Tennessee do prove that this team can fight alongside some of the bigger dogs, but their recent performance (3-4 record since the beginning of February) should have you worried when filling out your bracket.

For Gators fans, there should be a lot of hope as the team builds for next year. None of the main contributors are seniors, and none of them are also obvious NBA Draft early entrants. Sophomore guards Tre Mann and Scottie Lewis form a strong in-state nucleus to start with, and 6-foot-11 junior forward Colin Castleton emerged this year as a titan out of Daytona Beach to be reckoned with. Overshadowing this season has been the loss of Keyontae Johnson, who collapsed during a game in December and has not played since. This season would have likely taken a much more positive turn with Johnson available, as he was their top returning player and the top offensive option in nonconference play.

Status: Stock unchanged (Projected #9 seed)

 

UCLA

Coach Mick Cronin was considered an odd fit to lead the Bruins, bringing his tough-as-nails defensive approach from Cincinnati. In his second season, it is safe to say that he's done a better-than-expected job thus far, and the recruiting has been strong. Sophomore guard Johnny Juzang was a seldomly-used bench player with Kentucky as a freshman, but has broken out this year scoring 14.2 points per game after transferring back home to Los Angeles. Fellow sophomore point guard Tyger Campbell, meanwhile, is the floor general and was a relatively overlooked recruit from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The UCLA Bruins will need to build some momentum in the Pac-12 Tournament if they hope to make some noise in the NCAA Tournament. They enter the Pac-12 Tournament on a 3-game losing streak (to 3 likely tournament teams in Colorado, Oregon and USC), but do have quality wins over Colorado and Arizona to hang their hats on. This team is very talented, but a first-round Pac-12 Tournament loss to Oregon State might slide them a few slots down the bubble into perilous territory.

Status: Stock unchanged (Projected #10 seed)

 

Arizona

Not too long ago, Arizona was considered one of the elite national programs, earning high seed after high seed year-after-year. Coach Sean Miller has been at the helm since he took the job in 2009, coming across the country from Xavier. While NCAA investigations have taken some of the luster off of the Arizona program, Miller's team likely would have made last year's tournament, and they would have been squarely on this year's bubble, if not for a self-imposed postseason ban this year.

Status: Ineligible (Self-imposed ban)

 

Saint John's

At 16-10, and with losses to Georgetown, Marquette, Butler and DePaul, St. John's does not have a sterling bubble resume. However, the Red Storm do have their share of strong wins (UConn & Villanova) and proved over a 6-game streak mid-season that they can pull together wins in bunches. Sophomore forward Julian Champagnie averages nearly 20 points per game and is among the top scorers of not only the Big East, but the country. Big East Freshman of the Year Posh Alexander has a great overall game from the point guard position, but has been nursing a wrist injury. If Alexander is able to return for the Big East Tournament, the Red Storm would be a good candidate to get a futures bet down on now.

Coach Mike Anderson's team enters the Big East Tournament as the #4 seed facing Seton Hall, a team that is reeling down the stretch. A victory over the Pirates would likely match the Red Storm up with top-seeded Villanova. The Wildcats are currently playing without two starters in Collin Gillespie and Justin Moore, and St. John's does have a win over them earlier this year. Wins over Seton Hall and Villanova would strengthen St. John's at-large resume, as well as put the Red Storm one win away from claiming an automatic berth.

Status: Stock up (Projected to miss tournament)

 

Projected Bracket

Below is my projected full bracket. The last four teams in the field (in order) are projected to be Saint Louis, Maryland, Louisville and Syracuse. The first four teams out of the field in the projection are (in order) Michigan State, Colorado State, Xavier, and Seton Hall. Automatic qualifiers are indicated in all caps. Congratulations to Liberty (Atlantic Sun), Winthrop (Big South), Drexel (Colonial), Cleveland State (Horizon), Loyola-Chicago (Missouri Valley), Mount St. Mary's (Northeast), Morehead State (Ohio Valley), UNC-Greensboro (Southern), Appalachian State (Sun Belt), Oral Roberts (Summit) and Gonzaga (West Coast) for winning their respective conference tournaments and officially punching their tickets to the Big Dance.

Region 1 Region 2 Region 3 Region 4
1 GONZAGA BAYLOR MICHIGAN Illinois
2 Ohio State Houston ALABAMA Iowa
3 VILLANOVA FLORIDA ST West Virginia Arkansas
4 Texas Texas Tech Colorado Kansas
5 Virginia USC Purdue Creighton
6 LOYOLA-IL Wisconsin Tennessee Brigham Young
7 Oklahoma St SAN DIEGO ST Virginia Tech Clemson
8 LSU North Carolina Oregon Oklahoma
9 UConn Florida ST BONAVENTURE Missouri
10 Georgia Tech Rutgers Boise St UCLA
11 VCU Drake Utah St Maryland/Louisville
12 TOLEDO WINTHROP Saint Louis/Syracuse WICHITA ST
13 LIBERTY WESTERN KY ABILENE CHRISTIAN UNC-GREENSBORO
14 EASTERN WASHINGTON MOREHEAD ST UC-SANTA BARBARA COLGATE
15 CLEVELAND ST DREXEL GRAND CANYON ORAL ROBERTS
16 HARTFORD/MT. ST. MARY'S NC A&T/PRAIRIE VIEW APPALACHIAN ST IONA

* - indicates pending NCAA appeal

Stay tuned for our weekly update on the bubble each week before Selection Sunday.

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Griffin Conine

To Have Shoulder Surgery On Tuesday
Luke Keaschall

Twins Prospect Luke Keaschall Suffers Broken Forearm
Logan Gilbert

Leaves Friday's Start With Forearm Tightness

Vikings Select Tai Felton To Finish Day 2

Seahawks Select Quarterback Jalen Milroe With The 92nd Pick Overall

Browns Select Dillon Gabriel 94th Overall

Packers Pick Savion Williams At No. 87 overall

Steelers Snag Kaleb Johnson In Round 3

Broncos Select Wide Receiver Pat Bryant With The 74th Overall Pick

Texans Select Jaylin Noel With 79th Pick

Lions Select Wide Receiver Isaac TeSlaa With The 70th Overall Pick
Jack Leiter

To Start On Sunday

Patriots Add Wide Receiver Kyle Williams In Round 3

Browns Draft Harold Fannin Jr. With 67th Pick
Garrett Mitchell

Makes Early Exit
Luke Keaschall

Removed Early On Friday
Blake Snell

Likely Avoids Major Injury
Cole Ragans

Dealing With Mild Groin Strain

Broncos Add RJ Harvey To Backfield With 60th Pick

Raiders Select Jack Bech With 58th Pick

Chargers Add Wide Receiver Tre Harris In Round 2
Detroit Lions

Lions Acquire 57th Pick From Broncos

Seahawks Draft Elijah Arroyo 50th Overall
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Acquire 51st Pick From Broncos
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Snag Will Johnson At No. 47

Jets Add A Pass-Catcher With Mason Taylor At No. 42

Rams Select Terrance Ferguson With 46th Pick
Houston Texans

Texans Acquire 48th Pick From Raiders, Draft Aireontae Ersery

Saints Snag Tyler Shough At No. 40
Brenton Doyle

Out For Personal Reasons On Friday
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Gary Payton II

Iffy For Saturday's Action
Jayson Tatum

Officially Available On Friday For Game 3 Against Magic
Will Smith

Back From Injury On Friday
Luke Kennard

Questionable For Game 4 On Saturday
Darius Garland

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Ja Morant

To Miss Game 4 On Saturday
Rui Hachimura

Available For Game 3 In Minnesota
Aaron Ekblad

Available To Return Saturday
Erik Swanson

Ryan Burr Progressing
Daulton Varsho

To Return On Tuesday At The Latest
Max Scherzer

Takes Positive Step On Friday
Aleksander Barkov

Questionable For Saturday
Gabriel Landeskog

Set For Larger Role In Game 4
Calvin Pickard

To Start Game 3 For Oilers
Randy Arozarena

Resting For First Time This Year
Jonas Siegenthaler

To Play Limited Minutes In Game 3
MLB

Red Sox-Guardians Game Postponed On Friday
Luke Hughes

Remains Out On Friday
MLB

Tigers-Orioles Postponed On Friday
Patrik Laine

A Game-Time Decision Friday
Yainer Diaz

Out On Friday Against Royals
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Hopes To Start Rehab Assignment Next Week
Salvador Perez

Sitting Out For First Time This Season
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 3 On Friday
Brendan Donovan

Back In Action On Friday
Jimmy Butler III

Could Miss Game 3 On Saturday
Coby Mayo

Getting On A Roll At Triple-A
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF