Bubble Tracker: ACC a hotbed of tourney-worthy teams
Perhaps Virginia Tech's double-overtime victory against rival Virginia on Sunday is an example of the ball bouncing — or not bouncing, rather — the right way to pave way for a trip to the NCAA tournament. In the first overtime, Virginia's London Perrantes drove the lane for what appeared to be a go-ahead basket. But the ball lightly bounced on the rim before rolling dead on the backboard to lead to a jump ball call and then a second overtime. There, Seth Allen hit a game-winner with 3.2 seconds remaining.
Virginia Tech, one of six bubble teams from the ACC, inched closer to the safety zone with that marquee victory. The Hokies aren't completely safe yet, but that's the type of rèsumè-builder that will stand out as eye candy to the NCAA selection committee.
Syracuse, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest join Virginia Tech in the in for now category, while Clemson and Miami find themselves on the outside looking in. The ACC features 13 of its 15 teams in contention for an at-large bid in the Big Dance, which means there will be plenty of room to boost or stain the rèsumè in the next several weeks heading into March Madness.
Bracketology: Full field of 68
Results/records are shown are against Division I opponents only. Breakdown data as of February 13.
Houston (out for now)
► Profile: 18-7 (9-4) 58 RPI, 100 SoS, 118 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Rhode Island, Vermont
- The Bad: Losses vs. UCF, LSU, Harvard
Virginia Tech (In for now)
► Profile: 17-7 (6-6) 39 RPI, 64 SoS, 289 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Duke, Clemson, Syracuse, Ole Miss, Michigan, Georgia Tech, Virginia
- The Bad: No bad losses
Syracuse (In for now)
► Profile: 16-10 (8-5) 72 RPI, 55 SoS, 152 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Florida State, Virginia, Wake Forest, Monmouth, Miami, Clemson, Pittsburgh,
- The Bad: Losses vs. UConn, Saint Johns, Boston College
Georgia Tech (In for now)
► Profile: 14-10 (6-6) 78 RPI, 50 SoS, 249 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. North Carolina, Florida State, VCU, Notre Dame, Clemson
- The Bad: Loss vs. Ohio
Wake Forest (In for now)
► Profile: 15-10 (6-7) 31 RPI, 15 SoS, 15 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Miami, Georgia Tech
- The Bad: No bad losses
Clemson (Out for now)
► Profile: 13-11 (3-9) 56 RPI, 19 SoS, 103 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. South Carolina, Wake Forest, UNC-Wilmington, Pittsburgh, Georgia, Alabama, Georgia Tech
- The Bad: Loss vs. Oklahoma
Miami (Out for now)
► Profile: 16-8 (6-6) 52 RPI, 58 SoS, 262 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Stanford
- The Bad: No bad losses
Dayton (In for now)
► Profile: 18-5 (10-2) 28 RPI, 67 SoS, 55 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Rhode Island (twice), Vanderbilt, Alabama
- The Bad: Losses vs. Massachusetts
VCU (In for now)
► Profile: 20-5 (10-2) 27 RPI, 66 SoS, 68 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Dayton, Middle Tennessee State
- The Bad: Losses vs. Davidson, Fordham
Rhode Island (Out for now)
► Profile: 16-8 (8-4) 40 RPI, 51 SoS, 22 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Cincinnati, Belmont
- The Bad: Loss vs. Richmond
Minnesota (In for now)
► Profile: 18-7 (6-6) 24 RPI, 22 SoS, 32 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Purdue, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Illinois, Ohio State
- The Bad: No bad losses
Michigan State (In for now)
► Profile: 15-10 (7-5) 41 RPI, 16 SoS, 16 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Minnesota (twice), Northwestern, Wichita State, Michigan
- The Bad: Loss vs. Northeastern
Michigan (In for now)
► Profile: 16-9 (6-6) 61 RPI, 47 SoS, 96 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. SMU, Michigan State, Illinois, Marquette, Indiana (twice)
- The Bad: No bad losses
Indiana (Out for now)
► Profile: 15-11 (5-8) 93 RPI, 45 SoS, 165 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Kansas, North Carolina, Michigan State, Illinois,
- The Bad: Loss vs. IPFW
Illinois (Out for now)
► Profile: 13-12 (4-9) 70 RPI, 8 SoS, 38 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. VCU, Northwestern, Ohio State, Michigan
- The Bad: No bad losses
Penn State (Out for now)
► Profile: 14-12 (6-7) 67 RPI, 23 SoS, 44 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Maryland, Minnesota, Michigan State, Illinois (twice), Georgia Tech
- The Bad: Losses vs. George Mason, Rutgers, Albany
Seton Hall (In for now)
► Profile: 15-9 (5-7) 49 RPI, 49 SoS, 120 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. South Carolina, California, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence
- The Bad: Loss vs. Saint Johns
Georgetown (Out for now)
► Profile: 14-12 (5-8) 62 RPI, 12 SoS, 20 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Butler, Oregon, Creighton, Syracuse
- The Bad: Losses vs. No bad losses
Providence (Out for now)
► Profile: 15-11 (5-8) 68 RPI, 36 SoS, 176 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Seton Hall, Rhode Island, Vermont, Georgetown (twice), Marquette, Memphis, Butler
- The Bad: Losses vs. Saint Johns, Boston College, DePaul
Marquette (Out for now)
► Profile: 15-10 (6-7) 84 RPI, 65 SoS, 261 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Villanova, Creighton, Seton Hall, Vanderbilt, Georgia, Georgetown
- The Bad: Loss vs. Saint Johns
Oklahoma State (In for now)
► Profile: 15-9 (5-7) 29 RPI, 11 SoS, 33 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. West Virginia, TCU, Arkansas, Wichita State, Georgetown, Texas Tech
- The Bad: Loss vs. Texas
TCU (In for now)
► Profile: 16-8 (6-6) 36 RPI, 33 SoS, 97 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Illinois State, Kansas State, Iowa State, Texas Tech
- The Bad: No bad losses
Iowa State (In for now)
► Profile: 15-9 (7-5) 55 RPI, 46 SoS, 157 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Kansas, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Miami, Texas Tech
- The Bad: Loss vs. Texas
Kansas State (In for now)
► Profile: 16-9 (5-7) 42 RPI, 38 SoS, 239 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Baylor, West Virginia, Oklahoma State
- The Bad: No bad losses
USC (In for now)
► Profile: 21-5 (8-5) 32 RPI, 84 SoS, 173 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. SMU, UCLA, Stanford
- The Bad: No bad losses
California (In for now)
► Profile: 18-7 (9-4) 35 RPI, 41 SoS, 80 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. USC, Utah
- The Bad: Loss vs. San Diego State
Utah (Out for now)
► Profile: 15-8 (8-5) 82 RPI, 90 SoS, 243 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Win vs. USC
- The Bad: No bad losses
Tennessee (In for now)
► Profile: 13-11 (6-6) 47 RPI, 5 SoS, 10 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Kentucky, Kansas State, Vanderbilt, Auburn, Ole Miss, Georgia Tech,
- The Bad: Loss vs. Mississippi State
Arkansas (In for now)
► Profile: 18-7 (7-5) 44 RPI, 69 SoS, 51 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Houston
- The Bad: Losses vs. Mississippi State, Missouri
Alabama (Out for now)
► Profile: 14-10 (7-5) 74 RPI, 43 SoS, 84 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Georgia
- The Bad: Loss vs. Texas
Auburn (Out for now)
► Profile: 16-9 (5-7) 66 RPI, 72 SoS, 124 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. TCU, Alabama (twice), Texas Tech
- The Bad: Loss vs. Texas
Vanderbilt (Out for now)
► Profile: 12-13 (5-7) 65 RPI, 6 SoS, 1 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Florida, Iowa State, Arkansas, Belmont, Auburn
- The Bad: Loss vs. Missouri
Georgia (Out for now)
► Profile: 13-11 (5-7) 53 RPI, 21 SoS, 35 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Vanderbilt, Auburn, Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, Tennessee
- The Bad: Loss vs. Oakland
Ole Miss (Out for now)
► Profile: 15-10 (6-6) 59 RPI, 31 SoS, 31 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Auburn (twice), Memphis
- The Bad: No bad losses
Assume these teams do not win their conference tourney to secure the auto-bid.
Saint Mary’s (In for now)
► Profile: 22-3 (12-2) 20 RPI, 80 SoS, 83 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. Dayton, Nevada, Stanford
- The Bad: No bad losses
Middle Tennessee State (Out for now)
► Profile: 21-4 (12-1) 38 RPI, 134 SoS, 17 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Wins vs. UNC-Wilmington, Vanderbilt, Belmont, Ole Miss
- The Bad: Losses vs. Georgia State, Tennessee State, UTEP
Illinois State (Out for now)
► Profile: 20-5 (13-1) 34 RPI, 129 SoS, 93 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Win vs. Wichita State
- The Bad: Losses vs. Tulsa, Murray State
Wichita State (Out for now)
► Profile: 22-4 (13-1) 48 RPI, 162 SoS, 205 non-conference SoS
- The Good: Win vs. Illinois State
- The Bad: No bad losses
***
Note: All RPI and statistical data is used from WarrenNolan.com.
About our bracketologist: Shelby Mast has been projecting the field since 2005 and has finished as one of the top 5 national bracketologists for his website, Bracket W.A.G. He’s predicted for The Indianapolis Star, collegeinsider.com and is an inaugural member of the Super 10 Selection Committee. Follow him on Twitter @BracketWag.
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