With less than seven weeks to go until Selection Sunday for the 2023 NCAA Tournament, the halfway point of the regular season of college basketball has passed. Resumes are solid, but there’s still time for some teams outside the NCAA Tournament picture to turn things around and reach the big dance.
Every team that qualifies for a conference tournament will have the chance to secure an automatic bid, and teams that perform well in the regular season will advance to the big candidacy. This time last year, Virginia Tech Just 10-10 (2-7 ACC) and clearly on the other side of the bubble. However, the Hokies have won 9 of their last 11 regular season games, then won 4 in 4 days in the ACC Tournament and qualified for the NCAA Tournament as the 11th seed.
As it happens, the Hokies find themselves in a similar situation this season by needing a big finish to make a field of 68 teams. As we approach, we find ourselves firmly on the other side of the bubble.
In this week’s Dribble Handoff, the writers are currently featuring teams other than CBS Sports Bracket science They believe that the NCAA Tournament field planned by expert Jerry Palm will be played by the Big Dance.
Texas A&M isn’t even one of them. First 4 outs for Jerry Palm, which is perfectly understandable. As much as Aggie wrote to explain how much work needs to be done, he didn’t write to highlight perceived errors.
But they are clearly heading in the right direction.After a 6-5 start that featured multiple nasty losses, Texas A&M went 7-1 in their last eight games, with only one loss being kentuckyAccording to BartTorvik.com, the Aggies performed like a Top 10 team in their eight games. So at first he goes 3-4 in two quadrants, with one more loss in quadrant 3 (malay state) and another (Wofford).
That’s not great. However, a Texas A&M regular, his eight of his final twelve games of the season are in Quadrant 1 based on his current NET rankings. If the Aggies continue their high-level play in recent weeks, he should win enough quad-one games to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Buzz Williams. — Gary Parrish
I’m confident in the strength of the Big 12. There is no doubt that this league he is No. 1. Iowa, texas, Kansas, Kansas, TCU When BaylorAny of these teams could win the league and the other four are a level or two down.
That being said, I OklahomaOklahoma, west virginia When texas tech I’m trying to find an overall profile. TTU has yet to win the league. I am not dancing this season. West Virginia is 1-6 in the Big 12, and he’s 11-8 overall. Not very good. Oklahoma schools are shaky at 11 to 9. However, the Cowboys have the top 10 defenses in the country. They beat Iowa State and have more home games than the rest of the road games. There is quad 1 win.Even if I have to go at the last minute Dayton The first four ride with Poke. — Matt Norlander
Virginia Tech
In the ACC’s current composition, no team has won the open bid in the NCAA Tournament after starting 1-7 in league play. This is the result of nearly a decade after the reorganization, and such a slow start suggests March is the death knell for his Madness hopes. Virginia Tech’s entry into his 68-team field is unprecedented by modern standards. But at Hawkeyes I believe.
They ended their seven league skids with a win duke But if you dig a little deeper, the losing streak isn’t as bad as it sounds. 1 loss in overtime, 3 losses in 1 possession, 1 loss by 1 point, all 10 points or less.
This team is approaching a turning point. It is 49th in NET, 46th in KenPom, 46th in BartTorvik, and sits in the same district as the NCAA tournament team. With 2-7 ACC records and losses already amassed, Virginia Tech’s margin of error is small. But in a year when the league has been historically worse, one might wonder if this team is marginally better moving forward.
The schedule is on track and given the way Mike Young’s club has dealt with adversity, I’m buying as cheaply as I can. After starting 2-7 in ACC play, they finished the regular season 11-9, winning the ACC tournament outright and eventually earning the 11th seed. Do not write this program off right away. — Kyle Boone
At 14-7 (7-3 Pac-12), Utah is rounding into form after sweeping Washington School in a compelling way. Utes are just 4-7 against Quads 1 and 2, but a perfect 10-0 against Quads 3 and 4. Senior big man Branden Carlson is playing the best basketball of his career, averaging 17 points and his 7.6 rebounds on 56.8% shooting from the floor. He also blocks 2.3 shots per game and is shooting across the arc 43.8% of the time on 3.2 attempts per game. That’s a great number for him as a 7-footer.
Carlson’s rim protection is one of the reasons Utah’s defense is the best in the country. Opponents shoot only 37.4% from the floor against Utes and only 28% from beyond the arc. Both are among the top 10 nationally, but Utah scored just 62.3 points per game for him, which ranks him 28th in the nation.
Utah’s offense isn’t elite, but Utah shot more than 50% off the floor in an explosive victory State of Washington And Washington last week. If these performances mark an offensive tipping point, this team will soon find themselves on the right side of the predicted bubble. — David Cobb
