The dearth of quality at-large candidates from the major conferences brings up an interesting question: which mid-major conference will benefit? Will the A-10, Missouri Valley or Conference USA swoop in and grab three or more bids? Not if the NCAA bigwigs have anything to say about it, but they might be left with no choice.
On to the bubble.
ACC
Locks: Duke, North Carolina, Virginia
Near Locks: None
Bubble: NC State (14-5, 3-1, 0-0 RPI 61); Florida State (12-6, 3-1 RPI 44)
Treading Water: Miami (10-6, 1-2 RPI 56)
Atlantic 10
Locks: None
Near Locks: Temple (12-5, 2-2 RPI 20); Dayton (12-5, 2-1 RPI 28)
Bubble: Xavier (13-5, 4-1 RPI 36);
Treading Water: St. Joseph’s (12-7, 2-3 RPI 51); St. Louis (13-4, 2-2 RPI 55); LaSalle (13-6, 2-2 RPI 70); Massachusetts (14-5, 3-2 RPI 65)
Big East
Locks: Syracuse, Georgetown, Connecticut, Seton Hall, Marquette, West Virginia
Near Locks: None
Bubble: Louisville (14-5, 2-4 RPI 50)
Treading Water: Cincinnati (15-4, 4-1 RPI 85)
Big Ten
Locks: Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois, Michigan
Near Locks: Indiana (15-4, 3-4 RPI 23)
Bubble: Wisconsin (15-5, 4-3 RPI 39); Northwestern (12-6, 2-4 RPI 34); Purdue (14-5, 4-2 RPI 47); Minnesota (14-5, 2-4 RPI 49)
Treading Water: None
Big 12
Locks: Missouri, Baylor, Kansas,
Near Locks: Kansas State (13-4, 2-3 RPI 28)
Bubble: None
Treading Water: Texas (12-6, 2-3 RPI 62); Iowa State (13-5, 3-2 RPI 53); Oklahoma (12-5, 2-3 RPI 68)
Conference USA
Locks: None
Near Locks: None
Bubble: Southern Miss (14-3, 3-1 RPI 17); Memphis (12-6, 3-1 RPI 30); Marshall (12-5, 4-0 RPI 46); UCF (13-4, 4-1 RPI 59)
Treading Water: None
Missouri Valley
Locks: Creighton
Near Locks: None
Bubble: Wichita State (15-3, 7-1 RPI 25)
Treading Water: Northern Iowa (12-7, 3-5 RPI 40)
Mountain West
Locks: UNLV
Near Locks: San Diego State (14-2, 2-0 RPI 31)
Bubble: Colorado State (12-4, 2-0 RPI 17); New Mexico (14-3, 1-1 RPI 58)
Treading Water: None
PAC-12
Locks: None
Near Locks: California (16-4, 6-1 RPI 27)
Bubble: Arizona (13-6, 4-2 RPI 66); Stanford (15-4, 5-2 RPI 74); Oregon (14-5, 5-2 RPI 52)
Treading Water: Colorado (10-6, 4-2 RPI 67)
SEC
Locks: Kentucky, Alabama, Vanderbilt
Near Locks: None
Bubble: Florida (14-4, 2-1 RPI 44); Mississippi (12-6, 2-2 RPI 41); Mississippi State (15-4, 2-2 RPI 54); LSU (12-6, 2-2 RPI 76)
Treading Water: Arkansas (13-5, 2-2 RPI 79)
West Coast
Locks: Gonzaga, St. Mary’s
Near Locks: None
Bubble: BYU (14-5, 5-2 RPI 54)
Treading Water: None
Others
Locks: Murray State
Near Locks: Harvard (14-2, 1-0 Ivy RPI 43)
Bubble: Oral Roberts (17-4, 9-0 Summit RPI 45); Iona (14-4, 6-1 MAAC RPI 37); Davidson (12-4, 7-0 SoCon RPI 38); Long Beach State (11-6, 6-0 Big West RPI 48); Denver (15-4, 5-1 Sun Belt RPI 63); Middle Tennessee State (17-2, 7-0 Sun Belt RPI 60)
Treading Water: Wagner (15-3, 6-1 NEC RPI 75); Norfolk State (13-4, 6-0 MEAC RPI 78); Cleveland State (14-4, 5-2 Horizon RPI 64); New Mexico State (13-5, 4-0 WAC RPI 73); Nevada (13-3, 4-0 WAC RPI 77)
