With the bubble season ramping up as the conference tournaments approach, here is a list of “bubbly” games to watch this week in college basketball:
TUESDAY
Texas A&M at Arkansas – Texas A&M has won four of its six games in February, after losing only two games in January. One of those was an overtime loss to Kentucky. With a strong SEC performance, the Aggies appear to have a strong case to enter the NCAA tournament. A win on Tuesday makes them a near-lock. This game airs on ESPN at 9 p.m.
Texas at West Virginia – Of its 17 wins, Texas still does not have more than one quality win in the Big 12. The Longhorns have only four road wins in the conference. Tuesday will give the Longhorns an opportunity to get one of each. West Virginia has been .500 this month and needs to pick up some wins before the conference tournament in order to bolster its seeding. WVU’s recent wins over Kansas and Oklahoma State have, however, solidified the Mountaineers’ place in the field. This game airs at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
N.C. State at North Carolina – A win at Louisville last weekend, combined with a victory over Duke earlier in the season, gives N.C. State two high-quality wins on its resume. However, the Wolfpack needs to pick up more wins to get into the Big Dance, since it has suffered a number of bad losses (Wake Forest being one). North Carolina would be a third quality win this season and ease a lot of bubble pressure for N.C. State. This game is at 8 p.m. on ESPN3.
WEDNESDAY
Florida State at Miami – Following a close loss at Louisville, Miami has to get some wins quickly. The Hurricanes have lost five of their last eight games, including a one-point loss at Florida State. The Seminoles have quietly played well, as they have won two of their last three games while giving Virginia a scare on Sunday. This game airs at 9 p.m. on ESPN3.
Georgia at Mississippi – Georgia has played .500 ball in February, but has picked up wins at Texas A&M and at Alabama in the month. Ole Miss has won eight of its last nine games coming in and has gone 5-2 on its home floor in SEC play this season. This game is at 9 p.m. on the SEC Network.
(NON-TV) Davidson at Rhode Island – Both Davidson and Rhode Island have identical 19-6 records, and come into the game equally hot. Davidson has won five straight games this month, while Rhode Island has won eight of its last nine games. This game does not air on television, but is at 7 p.m.
THURSDAY
Rutgers at Purdue – After some bad losses in the non-conference schedule, Purdue appears to have a strong bubble case after a recent win at Indiana. One thing Matt Painter’s team has to avoid: more bad losses. Falling to Rutgers at home would be devastating to the Boilermakers. This game is on ESPNU at 9 p.m.
Oregon State at Stanford – Oregon State’s last realistic chance at an at-large berth — if it ever existed — died with a home-court loss to Utah last Thursday. The Beavers are now reduced to playing the role of spoiler against a familiar bubble resident, Stanford. The Cardinal have lost three of their last five games this month, including a loss to Colorado. This game is at 11 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network.
