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Sunday, December 22, 2024
Part 6 of our year-by-year deep dives looking at the NCAA Tournament bubbles past brings us to the years 2010-14. The 68-team tourney arrives, TV commentators go ballistic about VCU’s selection in its Final Four year, and inspired picks in 2012 and 2013 are followed by a decided shift in committee philosophy the next year.
As conference tournaments get into full swing, the Mountain West takes center stage with its share of drama, including a shocker to end the day. Plus the Huskies get a big win to affect the top of their conference race, the Pac-12 is down to two for its regular season crown, and the Eagles soar above their competitors to control their own destiny in the Big Sky.
We just had one of the few truly wild Saturdays of the season thus far, in a season that has been full of surprises and unpredictability, and it happened from start to finish. Plus, a big announcement of a doubleheader to be played in London.
There was no shortage of urgency heading into the home stretch for NC State, and they certainly showed it in taking advantage of a big quality win opportunity. Plus the Wildcats have a bigger lead, a dramatic home win on a night with road wins in the Big East, and two league leaders go on the road and win to stay tied at the top.
It seems like so long ago that Memphis was thought to be a top 10 team and perhaps even a national title contender. Plus things are getting more interesting out west, a big win in the Big Ten for a team that has been up and down, and the challenges continue in Austin.
One conference had three games on the day that had various levels of surprise to end a weekend that had a lot of it there. Plus another surprise in the Big East, one team got a win they needed while another rallied to avoid a bad loss in the Big Ten, and an in-state rivalry closes out an early day.
Another long losing streak has come to an end, and against an unlikely opponent as well. Plus a tale of two halves in the ACC, some big shooting in the Big East and one Big Ten game, and a Big 12 team is finally on the board as well.
The Pac-12 is much better this year, but the competitiveness hasn’t changed and the standings are but one reflection of that. Plus a big day of action, one player apparently bit off more than he can chew, and a couple of injuries will keep players out until at least late in the season.
There’s little separation throughout the Big East, and Wednesday reminded us of that. Plus one team stays undefeated, a dubious record in the SEC, and twice the bad news in Madison.
Something happened on Thursday night out west that had not happened in about 13 years. Plus a key player in the Atlantic 10 will be out for a while, and some other results include key games in the CAA and a bunch out west.
