The Sunday Men's College Basketball selection is round the corner. Before the 2025 NCAA Tournament Bracket was announced on March 16th, some of the sport's biggest names are still fighting to enter the field from the bubble.
The conference tournament season is here and is brilliant. Our Mike Rutherford has the best breakdown of Championship Week that you will find. There are still many large bids for the big dance grabs heading into the final weekend of the regular season at major conferences, some of which will not be decided until the outcome of the league tournament begins.
Check out the coverage of the National Championship, the most disappointing team in the country, and the teams that can beat this year's groundbreaking freshmen. So let's dive into the bubble boy doing what he has to do to get into the bracket.
Xavier Musketeer
Online ranking:47
In parentheses projection: The last four (SB Nation, ESPN))
Most of Xavier's rosters won't be next year. Six of the team's major rotation players are fifth-grade seniors who have not qualified since this season. The Musketeers have won several solid victories over Marquette (on the Road) this season. uconn (at home), and Clayton (at home), and they seem to play the best basketball at the right time. Xavier scored six straights over the weekend into the must-see regular season finale against Providence. Even if they get that victory, it feels like they still have more work to do in the Big East Tournament.
Xavier is 20-10 overall and 12-7 at the meetings that will take part in the finale. Loss of TCU And Georgetown doesn't look good, but they were both on the road. Sean Miller's team has been shooting the ball very well recently, and according to Kenpom, it is the second most experienced team in the country. For Xavier, all games are a must-see, and so far they're challenging.
Boise State Broncos
Online ranking:43
Projection in parentheses: The last four (SB Nation, ESPN))
Mountain West In New Mexico, Colorado, Boise and Utah, New Mexico, Colorado and Boise State have held top-heavy meetings all year round, with less than five losses. There's no way for all of these teams to get in. This makes Autovid's race at conference tournaments one of the most thrilling things you can see this year. Boise State University is Boston College Washington Statehowever, with a big overtime victory against St. Mary's in December and a 13-point victory over Clemson in November, they give them a massive chance.
The Broncos have a true mid-major star in forward Tyson Degenhart, who has been sticking with his program for four years. The regular season finale between Boise and Colorado will be electric. Anyone who wins will have the advantage due to the large berth heading into the conference tournament.
Oklahoma Souler
Online ranking:50
Projection in parentheses: The first four (SB Nation, ESPN))
The SEC is far best meeting in the country, and Oklahoma feels the weight of the competition this year. The Sooners are a talented team led by the NBA lottery pick in Jeremiah's Fear, but they're just 5-12 must-see teams for both teams in the regular season finale and conference heading for Texas.
Oklahoma won a major victory over Missouri No. 15 this week, keeping his massive dreams alive. The team felt destined for a tournament run after a 13-0 start, including victory in Arizona, Louisville and Michigan, but SEC play has settled. Can anyone who's 18 years old in the season bring another signature performance together to lead his team to a critical victory with the Longhorns? He has many talented seniors around him. This is a must-see TV.
North Carolina tar heels
Online ranking:38
Projection in parentheses: The first four (SB Nation, ESPN))
ACC's down year hurt the Tar Heels' resume. UNC is 13-6 at the conference and is 20-11, which will be in the final weekend overall, but most forecasts are still outside the 68 fields. The rare gulp season finale vs. Duke gives them the opportunity to grab a massive bid. Otherwise, if they want to dance, they would be better off going for the long term in the ACC tournament.
Carolina's best victory this year is against the UCLA team, who is ranked only 27th in Kenpom. Heels lost against all the good teams they faced, but they have looked after the business by most names, except for a slip-up with Stanford Wake Forest. UNC plays the fast, fun branded ball led by senior RJ Davis. I have the funny feelings they are in the field of tournaments, but I'm still looking out for now.
Arkansas Razorbacks
Online ranking: 39
Projection in parentheses: The last four (SB Nation, ESPN))
Kentucky fans will have a field day if John Calipari misses the NCAA tournament in his first year in Arkansas. The Razorbacks are just 7-10 in the SEC, with an overall of 18-10 in the regular season finale against Mississippi State. Their best victory is against Michigan, Kentucky and Missouri, but they also have a disappointing loss LSU And South Carolina.
Calilpari's team is talented, but DJ Wagner and Johnell Davis' guard tandem are overwhelming. It's time for Davis to make his money while focusing on the SEC tournament. It will be a wild scene in Nashville for the SEC tournament. Arkansas is at risk of slipping or being excluded from the field.
Texas Longhorns
Online ranking:40
Projection in parentheses: The first four (SB Nation, ESPN))
Texas vs. Oklahoma is the most important regular season finale. It is also a showdown between Jeremiah's Fear and Tre Johnson's two lottery choices. Johnson has been spectacular in Texas recently, showing takeover scoring ability against Kentucky (32 points), South Carolina (29 points) and Arkansas (39 points). Unfortunately, the Longhorns still lost six of their last eight games and went outside looking for most predictions.
Nebraska Corn Huskers
Online ranking:57
Projection in parentheses: The first four (SB Nation, ESPN))
It was a roller coaster season for Fred Hoyberg's Nebraska team after winning an eighth seed in Big Dance last year. The Cornhuskers are only 7-12 in the Big Ten, which will be in the regular season finale against Iowa, and will need a few more and a few more in the conference tournament.
Nebraska's hope was to look up after beating Clayton, Indiana and UCLA by early January, but the six-game winning streak, coupled with the program's current four-game slide, is now at risk. All games are a must-see for the Huskers from now on.
Indiana Hoosiers
Online ranking:55
Projection in parentheses: The last four (SB Nation, ESPN))
The Indiana Hoosiers also deserve to be mentioned among the Bubble Boys. IU has 55 net rankings heading into the regular season finale against Ohio State. The recent victory at Purdue and Michigan State gives Hoosiers hope, but this team is still under .500 games at the Conference before facing the Buckeyes.
Mike Woodson doesn't want to go out to NIT. It's been an annoying season in Bloomington, but the team is beginning to find their identity with just one big thing on the floor. This summer I spent a lot of money on the transfer portal. It's time to count that.
