The March Madness bubble is led by teams that are mainstays in the NCAA Tournament. North Carolina, Clemson and Oregon risk being left off the final bracket if they lose their respective conference tournament games Thursday.
With three days until the official March Madness 2023 bracket is released, North Carolina is the biggest name on the bubble. After making seven of eight possible NCAA Tournaments, Oregon is at risk of missing the field for a second straight year. Clemson, Rutgers and Arizona State are also viewed as bubble teams that can play their way into March Madness during conference tournament week.
North Carolina plays No. 13 Virginia in the ACC Tournament at 7 p.m. ET. Their contest will be followed by an ACC Tournament matchup between NC State and Clemson. Oregon plays Washington State at 5:30 p.m. ET in its first Pac-12 Tournament game.
The Tar Heels are one of the first four teams out of the March Madness field, according to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi’s bracketology projections. North Carolina could take a significant step in earning a spot in the final bracket by beating Virginia. The Cavaliers are projected to be a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament.
North Carolina beat Virginia a few weeks ago. Because Thursday’s game is on a neutral court and in postseason play, it would be the Tar Heels’ biggest victory of the season.
After losing to Kansas in last year’s national championship game, North Carolina was named the nation’s preseason No. 1 team. Despite bringing four starters back, the Tar Heels failed to establish themselves as a clear NCAA Tournament team. UNC went 19-12 overall and 11-9 in conference play.
North Carolina blew out Boston College 85-61 Wednesday in its first ACC Tournament Game. The Tar Heels showed last year that they have the talent to get hot and make a Final Four run following an up-and-down season. North Carolina was a No. 8 seed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
Both Clemson and Oregon are on Lunardi’s list of the next four teams out. That could mean that the Tigers and Ducks will need at least two more wins apiece in order for the Selection Committee to make them part of the March Madness field.
Clemson has a better overall record than North Carolina. The Tigers are 22-9 overall and the No. 3 seed in the ACC with a 14-6 conference record. Clemson has played poorly down the stretch, going 4-5 in its last nine games. The Tigers have suffered bad losses to Louisville and Boston College.
North Carolina beat Clemson 91-71 on Feb. 11. The rivals will meet Friday if they both advance to the next round of the ACC Tournament.
Oregon has kept its March Madness hopes alive by riding a three-game winning streak into the Pac-12 Tournament. The Ducks are 18-13 overall and fourth in the conference with a 12-8 record in conference play.
If Oregon beats Washington State, the Ducks will likely face UCLA, the Pac-12’s top team, on Friday.
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