The ACC’s Eight fringe groups and NCAA Match possibilities
The ACC is having a traditionally dangerous season and is unlikely to safe a No. 1 or No. 2 seed for the primary time since 1990 with first-place Virginia a projected No. Three seed and Florida State (No. Four seed) and Virginia Tech (No. 6 seed) the one different groups secure for inclusion within the NCAA Match.
There are a whopping eight bubble groups from the league. They embody No. Eight seed Clemson, No. 9 seed Louisville, No. 10 seed North Carolina, No. 12 seed Duke adopted on-the-outside-looking-in groups Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Pittsburgh and North Carolina State.
Not everybody can get in. There is a cannibalization course of that can happen as these groups face every different in de facto single-elimination video games within the eyes of the choice committee. That occurred on Monday when Duke beat Syracuse to actually swap locations with the Orange after that win. That is how shut these bubble groups are.
Georgia Tech, which picked up a much-needed win in opposition to Virginia Tech on Tuesday, has dwelling video games in opposition to bubble foes in its subsequent two contests – vs. Syracuse (Saturday) and Duke (March 2). At present resting as certainly one of “the primary 4 out,” the Yellow Jackets have an opportunity to play themselves into the match for the primary time since 2010.
Clemson and Louisville are comparatively secure and simply must keep away from struggling any dangerous losses. North Carolina is in want of a Quadrant 1 win with just one in its profile. Pittsburgh and N.C. State are virtually on life help, forcing them to win out of their closing regular-season video games to be within the combine.
Here is a take a look at convention outlooks of the 34 present bubble groups nonetheless sweating it out till Choice Sunday on March 14:
Convention breakdown
Breakdown information, compiled bracketologist Shel Mast, is up to date via video games as of Feb. 23. Seeds are from USA TODAY Sports activities’ newest bracketology.
Atlantic 10
Locks: N/A | Possible: N/A
► Virginia Commonwealth (In – No. 11 seed): 17-5 (10-3) 35 NET 57 SoS 84 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to St. Bonaventure, Utah State, Memphis, Richmond
- The Unhealthy: Losses to Rhode Island, George Mason
► St. Bonaventure (In – No. 11 seed): 11-3 (9-3) 39 NET 51 SoS 9 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth
- The Unhealthy: Loss to Rhode Island
► Saint Louis (Out for now): 11-5 (4-4) 53 NET 262 SoS 245 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to St. Bonaventure, LSU
- The Unhealthy: Losses to Dayton, LaSalle
► Richmond (Out for now): 13-5 (6-3) 55 NET 88 SoS 100 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to Loyola-Chicago, St. Bonaventure, Kentucky
- The Unhealthy: Losses to LaSalle, Hofstra
American Athletic
Locks: Houston | Possible: N/A
► Wichita State (In – No. 11 seed): 13-4 (9-2) 69 NET 30 SoS 43 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Win in opposition to Houston, Mississippi
- The Unhealthy: No dangerous losses
► Memphis (out for now): 12-6 (8-3) 62 NET 109 SoS 214 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to SMU, Saint Mary’s
- The Unhealthy: Loss to Tulsa
► SMU (out for now): 11-4 (7-4) 60 NET 123 Sos 274 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to Dayton, Memphis
- The Unhealthy: Loss to Cincinnati
Atlantic Coast
Locks: Virginia, Florida State, Virginia Tech | Possible: N/A
► Clemson (In – No. Eight seed): 13-5 (7-5) 38 NET 6 SoS 99 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to Alabama, Florida State, Purdue, Louisville, North Carolina
- The Unhealthy: No dangerous losses
► Louisville (In – No. 9 seed): 12-5 (7-4) 44 NET 39 SoS 50 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to Virginia Tech, Seton Corridor, Duke, Western Kentucky
- The Unhealthy: Loss to Miami (Florida)
► North Carolina (In – No. 10 seed): 14-7 (8-5) 33 NET, 47 SoS 126 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to Duke, Syracuse, Stanford, Kentucky, Louisville
- The Unhealthy: Loss to North Carolina State
► Duke (In – No. 12 seed): 11-8 (9-6) 48 NET 66 SoS 55 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to Virginia, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Notre Dame
- The Unhealthy: Losses to Miami, Michigan State
► Georgia Tech (Out for now): 12-8 (8-6) 36 NET 71 SoS 301 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to Florida State, Clemson, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Kentucky
- The Unhealthy: Losses to Georgia State, Mercer
► Syracuse (Out for now): 13-7 (7-6) 57 NET 129 SoS 157 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Win in opposition to Virginia Tech
- The Unhealthy: Losses to Pittsburgh (2)
► Pittsburgh (Out for now): 9-9 (5-8) 84 NET 109 SoS 304 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to Syracuse (2), Virginia Tech, Duke
- The Unhealthy: Losses to Wake Forest, Saint Francis (Pa.), North Carolina State
► North Carolina State (Out for now): 10-9 (6-8) 81 NET 166 SoS 249 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Win in opposition to North Carolina
- The Unhealthy: Loss to Miami (Fla.)
Large East
Locks: Villanova | Possible: Creighton
► Xavier (In for now – No. 10 seed): 12-4 (5-4) 52 NET 80 SoS, 131 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to Oklahoma, Toledo, St. John’s
- The Unhealthy: No dangerous losses
► Seton Corridor (In for now – No. 12 seed): 13-9 (10-6) 51 NET 42 SoS 61 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to Penn State, Xavier, Connecticut, St. John’s
- The Unhealthy: Losses to Windfall, Rhode Island
► Connecticut (Out for now): 11-6 (8-6), 46 NET 61 SoS 85 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to Southern California, Xavier
- The Unhealthy: Loss to Windfall
► St. Johns (Out for now): 14-10 (8-9) 79 NET 167 SoS 256 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to Villanova, Connecticut, Xavier
- The Unhealthy: Losses to Marquette, Butler, Georgetown, DePaul
Large Ten
Locks: Michigan, Ohio State, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Purdue | Possible: Rutgers
► Minnesota (In – No. 12 seed): 13-10 (6-10) 61 NET 12 SoS 172 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa, Purdue
- The Unhealthy: No dangerous losses
► Maryland (In – No. 12 seed): 14-10 (8-9) 30 NET Eight SoS 29 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to Illinois, Wisconsin, Purdue, Minnesota (2), Rutgers
- The Unhealthy: No dangerous losses
► Indiana (Out for now): 12-10 (7-8) 52 NET, 73 SoS, 163 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to Iowa (2), Maryland, Penn State, Stanford, Minnesota
- The Unhealthy: Loss to Northwestern, Michigan State
► Michigan State (Out for now): 12-9 (6-8) 75 NET 168 SoS 287 NonCon SoS
- The nice: Wins in opposition to Illinois, Duke, Indiana, Rutgers
- The dangerous: Loss to Northwestern
Large 12
Locks: Baylor, Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, West Virginia | Possible: Kansas, Oklahoma State
Bubble: N/A
Mountain West
Locks: N/A | Possible: N/A
► Boise State (In – No. 9 seed): 18-4 (14-3) 32 NET 83 SoS 1 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to BYU, Colorado State, Utah State (twice)
- The Unhealthy: Losses to Nevada (2)
► San Diego State (In – No. 9 seed): 17-4 (11-3) 23 NET 68 SoS 41 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to Colorado State, UCLA, Saint Mary’s
- The Unhealthy: No dangerous losses
► Colorado State (In – No. 11 seed): 14-4 (11-3) 45 NET 37 SoS 148 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to San Diego State, Utah State, Boise State
- The Unhealthy: No dangerous losses
► Utah State (Out for now): 14-7 (11-4) 56 NET 119 SoS 78 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to San Diego State (2), Colorado State
- The Unhealthy: Losses to UNLV, South Dakota State
Pac-12
Locks: USC, UCLA | Possible: Colorado
► Oregon (In – No. 10 seed): 14-5 (9-4) 45 NET 116 SoS 158 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to Seton Corridor, Arizona, Stanford, Colorado
- The Unhealthy: Losses to Washington State, Oregon State
► Stanford (Out for now): 14-9 (10-7) 58 NET 62 SoS 67 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to Alabama, Arizona (2), UCLA
- The Unhealthy: Losses to Utah, Arizona State
SEC
Locks: Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri | Possible: Arkansas, Florida, LSU
► Mississippi (Out for now): 13-9 (8-7) 59 NET 77 SoS 247 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to Tennessee, Auburn (2), Missouri (2)
- The Unhealthy: Losses to Georgia (2), Mississippi State
► Georgia (Out for now): 14-9 (7-9) 83 NET 95 SoS 266 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to LSU, Mississippi (2), Missouri
- The Unhealthy: Losses to Auburn, Mississippi State, South Carolina
Mid-majors
Assume these groups don’t win their convention match to safe the automated bid.
Locks: Gonzaga | Possible: BYU
► Loyola-Chicago (In – No. Eight seed): 19-4 (14-2) 11 NET, 142 SoS 182
- The Good: Win in opposition to Drake
- The Unhealthy: Loss to Indiana State
► Drake (In – No. 10 seed): 23-2 (14-2) 34 NET 261 SoS 312 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Win in opposition to Loyola-Chicago
- The Unhealthy: Loss to Valparaiso
► Western Kentucky (In – No. 12 seed): 15-4 (8-2) 74 NET 113 SoS 209 NonCon SoS
- The Good: Wins in opposition to Alabama, Marshall (2), Memphis
- The Unhealthy: Losses to Louisiana Tech, Charlotte
***
NCAA Match language explainer:
- Quadrant 1 wins: Dwelling video games vs. 1-30 NET groups; Impartial-site video games vs. 1-50 NET; Away video games vs. 1-75 NET
- Quadrant 2 wins: Dwelling video games vs. 31-75 NET; Impartial-site video games vs. 51-100 NET; Away video games vs. 76-135 NET
- Quadrant Three wins, losses: Dwelling video games vs. 76-160 NET; Impartial-site video games vs. 101-200 NET; Away video games vs. 136-240 NET
- Quadrant Four wins, losses: Dwelling video games vs. 161-plus NET; Impartial-site video games vs. 201-plus NET; Away video games vs. 241-plus NET
***
Word: Most statistical information is used from WarrenNolan.com. The NET (NCAA Analysis Instrument) rankings are also a reference level.
About our bracketologist: Shel Mast has been projecting the sphere since 2005 on his web site, Bracket W.A.G. He joined USA TODAY in 2014. In his eighth season as our nationwide bracketologist, Mast has completed as one of many prime three bracketologists up to now seven March Madnesses. He’s additionally predicted for The Indianapolis Star, collegeinsider.com and is an inaugural member of the Tremendous 10 Choice Committee. Observe him on Twitter @BracketWag.
Observe faculty basketball reporter Scott Gleeson on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.
