'Zombie virus' frozen in permafrost revived after 50,000 years

Scientists have revived a "zombie" virus they say spent nearly 50,000 years frozen in permafrost, part of a new batch of research that identifies several newly discovered viruses that have been frozen underground for tens of thousands of years.

To better understand the risks posed by frozen viruses, Jean-Michel Claverie, a French professor of medicine and genomics, tested earth samples taken from Siberian permafrost – also called permanently frozen ground – in search of what he describes as "zombie viruses."

Permafrost can be found on land and below the ocean floor in areas where temperatures rarely rise above freezing. It's often found in the Arctic, Greenland, Alaska, Russia, China and Eastern Europe.

The Arctic's permafrost, a frozen layer of soil, is melting because of rising temperatures, scientists say, potentially awakening viruses that have been dormant for millennia.

Research published by Claverie, emeritus professor at the Aix-Marseille University School of Medicine in Marseille, and his team in February show ancient viruses from Siberian permafrost samples were collected in the study.

They found the oldest of the virus strains – collected from an earth sample at the bottom of an underground lake – was almost 48,500 years old.

Samples taken from the stomach of woolly mammoth remains were 27,000 years old.

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A reanimated virus

In 2014, Claverie and his team reanimated a virus from permafrost that had been dormant for 30,000 years by introducing it into cultured cells. He studied a virus that targeted only single-cell amoebas as a safety measure.

The next year, in 2015, repeated the experiment with a different virus type.

In his latest research, published on Feb. 18, Claverie and his team isolated several strains of ancient viruses from seven locations in Siberian permafrost.

According to the study, the latest strains belonged to five virus families – pandoravirus, cedratvirus, megavirus and pacmanvirus, and the new pithovirus strain – in addition to the two he had revived earlier.

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Could unfrozen ancient viruses threaten public health?

According to Claverie, viruses that remain infectious after being frozen for so long could pose a public health threat as the viruses that infect amoebas are stand-ins for all other viruses that could be in the permafrost.

"One can reasonably infer that many other eukaryotic viruses ... may also remain infectious in similar conditions," the study reads.

“We see the traces of many, many, many other viruses,” he told CNN. “So we know they are there. We don’t know for sure that they are still alive. But our reasoning is that if the amoeba viruses are still alive, there is no reason why the other viruses will not be still alive and capable of infecting their own hosts."

Go deeper

Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.

The tricky science behind reviving 'zombie viruses' | The Week UK

Scientists have revived a virus that has lain dormant in the Siberian permafrost for nearly 50,000 years, sparking fears that global warming could lead to ancient pathogens being released.

The cultivating of so-called “zombie viruses” by French researchers has “renewed fears of another pandemic”, reported The Sun, with the New York Post warning about the dangers of “potentially prying open Pandora’s box”.

What have they done?

Researchers led by microbiologist Jean-Marie Alempic from the French National Centre for Scientific Research examined ancient samples collected from the Siberian permafrost and revived and characterised 13 new pathogens, which they termed “zombie viruses”.

The oldest had been trapped beneath a lake bed in Yakutia in eastern Siberia for 48,500 years, “a world record” said Professor Jean-Michel Claverie, of Aix-Marseille University in France, who co-authored the study which has yet to be peer-reviewed but was published in ScienceAlert.

While posing no direct threat to humans, the virus remained infectious despite spending many millennia trapped in the frozen ground, researchers said.

Why are they doing this?

Up to a fifth of the land in the northern hemisphere is underpinned by permanently frozen ground, known as permafrost. With the Arctic warming twice as fast as the global average, the permafrost is now thawing at an alarming rate, releasing organic matter that has been locked away for up to a million years.

When this decomposes it releases carbon dioxide and methane, which contribute to global warming. It also contains viruses and other microbes that have remained dormant since prehistoric times.

“Scientists have long warned that the thawing of permafrost due to atmospheric warming will worsen climate change by freeing previously trapped greenhouse gases like methane,” said Live Mint, “but its effect on dormant pathogens is less well understood.”

“In order to study these awakening organisms, scientists have, perhaps paradoxically, revived some of these so-called ‘zombie viruses’ from the Siberian permafrost,” reported the New York Post.

After studying the live cultures, scientists found that all the so-called “zombie viruses” are potentially infectious, and therefore present a “health threat”.

This means, said the New York Post, “that we could see more Covid-19-style pandemics in the future as ever-melting permafrost continues to release long-dormant viruses like a microbial Captain America”.

Are they going to kill us all?

Known as a pandoravirus, the 48,500-year-old virus revived by the research team only infects single-cell organisms “and should pose no threat to humans,” said The Times.


NCAA Tournament winners and losers from Saturday's Elite Eight

Hoot!

No. 9 Florida Atlantic beat No. 3 Kansas State 79-76 in the East Regional finals to book one of the craziest and most unexpected Final Four berths in NCAA men's basketball tournament history.

Making just the program's second tournament appearance, the Owls now lead Division I with 35 wins and are the first Conference USA team to reach the national semifinals since Memphis in 2008.

Despite the loss, this has been a remarkable season for Kansas State. Picked last in the preseason Big 12 poll, the Wildcats laid the foundation for a long and successful run under first-year coach Jerome Tang.

In the second game Saturday, No. 4 Connecticut embarrassed Gonzaga 82-54 to reach the Final Four for the first time since 2014.

The Owls and Huskies lead the first round of winners and losers from Saturday's Elite Eight action:

Winners

Connecticut

The hottest team in the tournament has to be seen as the favorite to win it all regardless of which teams win Sunday to round out the Final Four. The 28-point win against Gonzaga marks a new high for the Huskies, who were very good during the regular season but have taken things to a different stratosphere the past two weeks. After dismantling the Bulldogs, Connecticut becomes the seventh team to win all four regional games before the Final Four by 15 or more points. Coincidentally, the last team to do that was Gonzaga in 2021.

Adam Sanogo

Even while struggling from the field, Sanogo continued to spark the Huskies' with his second double-double of the tournament. The junior forward scored 10 points on 3 of 11 shooting with 10 rebounds and a career-high six assists, taking advantage of Gonzaga's attention to find teammates Jordan Hawkins (20 points) and Alex Karaban (12 points). Stopping the Huskies entails stopping Sanogo — and the best of luck in that.

Florida Atlantic

Coach Dusty May has pushed back against the Cinderella label, but the slipper fits. FAU has been one of the worst programs in the country since joining Division I in 1993, posting just one season with more than 19 wins and ranking near the bottom of three successive conferences — the Atlantic Sun, Sun Belt and then Conference USA. May has steadily built a winner, however, posting half of the 10 winning seasons in program annals and compiling a deep but very young roster full of overlooked and under-recruited prospects. While the Owls looked the part of a Top 25 team throughout the regular season, this still ranks among the most impressive postseason runs in modern tournament history.

Markquis Nowell

Even in the loss, the Kansas State senior put on a show. With teammate Keyontae Johnson battling foul trouble — the All-America forward scored nine points in 18 minutes before fouling out with just over two minutes left — Nowell took on an even larger role as a scorer, putting up a season-high 21 attempts and finishing with 30 and 12 assists. The former Arkansas-Little Rock transfer averaged 23.5 points and 13.5 assists during these four games and is easily the tournament's breakout star.

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Conference USA

Every win by the Owls means more money for Conference USA, which is set to earn at least five “units” worth $337,000 each across the next five seasons, or more than $2 million overall. This is a very nice parting gift from Florida Atlantic, which will leave the league this summer for the American Athletic Conference.

Losers

Kansas State

This loss won't overwrite what has been an outstanding debut season for Tang or diminish what seems like an incredibly bright future for the program. But while Kansas State has reached the regional finals three times since 2010 under three different coaches, there is a bitter finality to coming this close to the Final Four but coming up a possession short — leaving Tang and his staff responsible for building off this disappointment as the Wildcats head into next season as an established contender.

Tang knows what it takes to rebound from this moment: With him as an assistant under Baylor coach Scott Drew, the Bears reached the Elite Eight in 2010 and 2012 but did reach the Final Four until winning the national championship in 2021.

Gonzaga

The Bulldogs were run off the court and into oblivion by the Huskies. What did Gonzaga do well? Try nothing. The Bulldogs shot 33.3% from the field, including just 2 of 20 from deep, and made 12 of 22 free throws. The game went south quickly after the Bulldogs lost forward Drew Timme to foul trouble minutes into the second half; what was then a 12-point lead ballooned to 23 points after a 14-3 Connecticut run. The first national title in program history will again have to wait.

Mark Few

Gonzaga's longtime coach has won nearly 84% of his games overall but is now 2-3 in Elite Eight games, with no single March moment worse than this shellacking at the hands of the Huskies. With Few in charge, the Bulldogs recruit at a high level, develop NBA talent and memorable college scorers — Timme is just the latest — and play a fast-paced offensive style that can overwhelm the many less-talented teams on a typical regular-season schedule. So what is preventing this program from finally cashing in and winning a championship? If not already, at some point Few will be defined by his inability to get Gonzaga over this last hurdle.

FAU Owls play Memphis Tigers in NCAA Tournament in Columbus ...

Zach Weinberger

Special to The Post

BOCA RATON — The brackets for March Madness are set and no team wants to prove the doubters wrong more than Florida Atlantic.The ninth-seeded Owls (31-3) will travel to Columbus, Ohio to take on the eighth-seeded Memphis Tigers (26-8 ) in their NCAA Tournament opener on Friday night.

The university held a watch party for the team and fans to witness the announcement live on CBS Sunday night and they were featured on-camera.

Despite the facts that no team seeded lower than eighth has ever won the national championship and the Owls opened as 125-1 longshots to be cutting down the nets in Houston, the FAU sports community was very excited.FAU Vice President and Athletic Director Brian White said that what head coach Dusty May and his team has done for the university is unprecedented.

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"We could not be prouder of our men's basketball program for this tremendous accomplishment. The leadership of Coach May and his staff as well as the competitiveness and relentlessness of our players is second to none,” White said. “This has been a historical season in so many ways for FAU men's basketball, and we can't wait to see the rest of this run."

May said that Sunday's announcement was "really cool" for the fans, the community and the university. But he also added that the work is far from done.

“We are very, very excited for them,” May told The Palm Beach Post. “But our guys have such a workmanlike approach that they're already thinking about the game on Friday. They're not just happy with the admission ticket. They want to go make some noise.”From a player’s perspective, standout Alijah Martin said that he was speechless afterthe announcement.

"Last year, we planned on being here, where we're at right now,” Martin said. “Just to see it unfold, you can't really put words to it."

FAU hopes its depth leads to upsets in NCAA Tournament

Martin led the way in the Conference USA tournament, earning MVP after scoring 30 points and pulling down 11 rebounds in the win over Alabama-Birmingham Saturday night in Frisco, Texas.

The Mississippi-native is confident that FAU can turn heads, especially because of his teammates.

"Our depth scares a lot of teams because we have a good, solid team, a nine/10-man rotation,” Martin said. “Anybody can go off, not even just me; Nelly (Johnell Davis), Nick (Boyd), Mike (Michael Forrest), B.J. (Bryan Greenlee), Vlad (Goldin), 'G' (Giancarlo Rosado), it's just deep."

Even though the suspense wasn’t truly present Sunday night since a conference title grants an automatic bid, it was still exciting for the team and fans to see FAU represented on the national stage.

May was most eager to know their opponent. Coincidentally, Memphis, which upset Houston for the AAC championship, is a member of the Owls' new conference so the teams will see a lot more of each other going forward.

"Obviously, Memphis is a great opponent, a storied program, well-coached," May said. "We're excited to see how we stack up with our future AAC opponent."

While a time for celebration was in order after making the tournament, May said that the players won’t enjoy the moment if they perform poorly in the first round. He also said that even with the stage as big as this that the Owls are going to execute what’s been working for them from the beginning.

“We learned early on that there is no stage too bright or stage too big," he said. "We were on a 20-game winning streak and they never deviated from their day-to-day approach. And that's a testament to their character and also the fact that they enjoy the work and the process that goes with being successful.”

As for all the history and odds stacked against FAU, May said the team has had “boulders on their back since day one.” He said he hopes the players “feel disrespected” if they are seen as the underdogs in this tournament because the Owls think they can take on anyone.

Friday's gameFAU vs. MemphisColumbus, Ohio,. 9:20 p.m.TV: TNT.

March Madness: 10 questions for the committee on Selection Sunday

Nicole Auerbach

USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK — A visit with the Division I men’s basketball committee Saturday morning made one thing crystal clear: This year’s NCAA tournament field might not have too many surprises.

A few prominent bubble teams, such as Vanderbilt and Xavier, played their way into the field of 68 during their conference tournaments.

Others played their way out. Clarity along the bubble is nice — and not always common — and means we can instead shift our attention to the top, where there’s more uncertainty.

Here are 10 important questions to keep in mind as the countdown to the bracket unveiling continues on this Sunday, one of the most maddening days of the year in sports:

1. Who will be the No. 1 overall seed?

Villanova. For a while, it was neck-and-neck between the Wildcats and Kansas … until conference tournament results made this fairly straightforward. With its win vs. Creighton in the Big East tournament final, Villanova not only looked the part of a No. 1 overall seed, but it also secured its 11th win of the season against RPI top-50 opponents, which is three more wins of that caliber than Kansas has.

It’s kind of crazy how under the radar Villanova has been flying, despite being the defending national champion, winning the Big East regular-season title for the fourth consecutive year and having guys named Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins and Jalen Brunson on the roster.

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The Wildcats have hit a couple of bumps along the way this season — most notably two losses to Butler and injuries that thinned the rotation — but remain better positioned than anyone since Billy Donovan’s Florida teams in 2006 and 2007 to win back-to-back national titles. And their run to the Big East tournament title, which happened while Kansas sat at home after being knocked out in the Big 12 quarterfinals, should have boosted their résumé enough to let them start their title defense with the best possible position: the No. 1 overall seed.

2. Will Gonzaga end up on the top seed line?

Moving past Villanova and Kansas — who are No. 1 seed locks — the Zags did all they could to put themselves in position to land a top seed. They scheduled and played a tough non-conference schedule, picking up wins against Florida, Iowa State and Arizona, and went unbeaten in non-league play for the first time.

Gonzaga’s only loss came to Brigham Young in its regular-season finale, which the team rebounded well from to win yet another West Coast Conference tournament title. It’s a strong résumé, which includes six RPI top-50 wins, which the committee will likely compare to that of North Carolina (27-7 overall, with 11 top-50 wins) and Duke (27-8, with 13 top-50 wins and three top-25 wins this week alone). You have to like Gonzaga’s chances in this scenario. (We think.)

3. Should we trust the Zags?

Yes. There is an outdated perception that Gonzaga is a perennial underachiever in the NCAA tournament, a sentiment that seems to ignore a Sweet 16 appearance last season and the Elite Eight the year before that.

But, again, there are doubters, despite this being a talented, deep and balanced team. Five players average double figures in scoring. Washington transfer Nigel Williams-Goss has been one of the best players in college basketball all season. And Przemek Karnowski remains, quietly, one of the best bigs in the sport now that he’s healthy.

Sure, Gonzaga has never reached a Final Four. But that’s no reason to think it never will.

Why not this year, and this team?

4. What will the selection committee do with Duke?

The Blue Devils are one of the most polarizing teams in the country, and it’s only partly because of Grayson Allen. You have a coaching absence — because of Mike Krzyzewski’s back surgery — during which time Duke went 4-3 under associate head coach Jeff Capel. You have a series of injuries that affected some outcomes (for example, Kansas) and overall player availability, which is something the selection committee takes into consideration when it is determining a team’s seeding.

Will the committee give the Blue Devils a boost since they finally look dominant now that they’re as healthy as they’ve been, during their run to the ACC tournament title? Could Duke climb all the way up to the No. 1 seed line? It’s going to be fascinating to see how the committee answers these questions.

5. Which league will get the most bids?

The Atlantic Coast Conference. But it will likely get only nine bids, down from the 10 or 11 the league had a shot to land before a few bubble teams fell out of consideration.

As many as 13 teams were considered at various points this season, but seven were on the bubble, meaning the league’s strength is not necessarily at the top but rather in the middle.

You’ll likely hear a lot about the depth of this conference as the NCAA tournament begins, but it will be very hard to replicate the ACC’s success a season ago: Seven teams made the Big Dance, with six advancing to the Sweet 16. No conference had ever sent so many through the first weekend before. So, sure, there likely will be nine dancing this year.

But does regular-season depth necessarily lead to deep runs?

Time will tell.

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6. Which Pac-12 team will be the league’s highest seed?

The answer is Arizona, the Pac-12 tournament champion and co-champ of the regular season. But, in reality, the Wildcats are one of three legitimate Final Four contenders — along with Oregon and UCLA — and the only significant point regarding which team finishes with the best seed is because it affects which team gets assigned to the West regional (in San Jose).

Travel always is a factor and potential issue in the NCAA tournament, and this could end up mattering quite a bit. Or it won't. It's too soon to know, especially since the Bruins still have Lonzo Ball, and Oregon (even in its first game since Chris Boucher's season-ending injury) still nearly knocked off the Allonzo Trier-led Wildcats, who are peaking at exactly the right time. Perhaps all three will end up in Phoenix after all.

7. How low will the highest-seeded Big Ten team land?

It’s probably Purdue, and the absolute highest seed the Boilermakers could land looks like a No. 4. We got a glimpse of the selection committee’s disinterest in the top of the Big Ten last month with its bracket preview show — which had zero Big Ten teams among the top four seed lines with a month remaining in the regular season.

What that means is the league is kind of the opposite of the ACC this year; there were few opportunities for top-25 wins in league play, and in some cases, fewer opportunities for top-50 wins than the Big Ten is used to. Purdue lost twice to Michigan in its last four games heading into Selection Sunday, and Maryland lost four of its last six games.

Wisconsin lost five of six to close out February and start March, though the Badgers appear to have righted the ship during their run to the Big Ten tournament final. Still, seeding is affected by all of those rough patches — and the Big Ten will feel that come Sunday evening.

8. Northwestern will make its first-ever NCAA tournament. Now what?

It’s one of the great stories of the season — a team doing something it’s never done before. And that’s why Sunday will be extra special: Northwestern will hear its named called as an NCAA tournament participant for the first time in program history. The Wildcats are the lone power-conference team never to have made the NCAA tournament, a speck of infamy that will fall away Sunday evening.

And while making the Big Dance certainly is an accomplishment to celebrate on its own, Northwestern coach Chris Collins and the players that carried the program to this point won’t be satisfied with just showing up. They believe they can win big games, and as evidenced by the memorable win vs. Michigan that likely clinched the bid and, later, the program’s first run to the Big Ten tournament semifinals, they’re capable of doing just that.

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9. Which mid-majors could become Cinderellas this year?

Per usual, there was some carnage in the smaller conference tournaments, meaning we lost a few mid-majors who were dominant throughout league play but ran into a hot team in the league tournament, costing them the league’s automatic bid. So, unfortunately, we don’t have teams such as Belmont, Monmouth, Texas-Arlington and Oakland as potential tournament darlings.

So, of the teams who will be in the field … let’s go with Middle Tennessee State — you’ll recall the Blue Raiders pulled off a big 15-2 upset of Michigan State a year ago — as well as Vermont, Nevada and Iona as this year’s most likely double-digit seed Cinderellas.

10. Is this the last year we’ll be hearing about the RPI?

It’s possible. There was a bit of fanfare over the NCAA hosting a metrics summit with some of college basketball’s most innovative information-sorters this season.

And though nothing definitive came out of it, NCAA vice president for men’s basketball championships Dan Gavitt said there could be possible final recommendations presented and considered at the group’s summer meeting.

The idea — and it might not take effect in time for next season, especially since schools would be almost completely finished with scheduling by the time it could be adopted — is that there is some composite analytic tool or third-party analytic system that exists (KPI, KenPom, etc.) that could replace the Rating Percentage Index, which is how the selection committee sorts and ranks every team in college basketball.

Gavitt described the process of figuring out which way to go in the future, at this point, as “a work in progress.”

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WEEK IN COLLEGE HOOPS

College basketball winners, losers: Michigan, Purdue, Houston lead ...

The event officially known as March Madness won’t get underway until a little over a week from now. But Sunday’s array of wild finishes and buzzer beaters around men’s college basketball left little doubt that it is, in fact, March, and the madness just comes with the territory.

Top-ranked Houston provided one of the day’s biggest highlights as Jamal Shead’s last-second jumper gave the Cougars a 69-67 victory at Memphis. Houston completed the regular-season sweep of the Tigers despite the best efforts of Kendric Davis, who scored 26 points including the bucket that had tied the game just seconds before Shead’s game-winner. Houston already had the top seed in the upcoming American Athletic Conference tournament locked up, but this high-end road triumph likely assures the Cougars of a No. 1 regional seed regardless of outcome in the league tourney. The only question is whether they could be the top team overall in tournament given losses by Alabama and Kansas during the weekend.

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Here are some other winners and losers from Sunday.

Winners

Purdue

Having witnessed a number of failures to close out games, fans of the Boilermakers had to be nervous once again as they watched a 10-point lead against Illinois melt away in the final six minutes. But Zach Edey provided a go-ahead basket in the last minute, and a key steal by Ethan Morton enabled Purdue to seal the 76-71 win from the free-throw line. The win at least keeps the Boilermakers in the conversation for a No. 1 seed, as Saturday losses by Alabama and Kansas might have left the door ajar.

Penn State

Trailing Maryland at home by 16 points as the first-half clock ticked toward 0, the Nittany Lions’ bubble case appeared to be on life support. But a Jalen Pickett three-pointer from just inside the half-court line as the period expired was the spark Penn State needed. Cam Wynter’s last-second putback completed the second-half rally for the 65-64 win. The Nittany Lions still might need a win or two in the Big Ten tournament to feel secure, but with virtually no distinction between seeds 2 and 12, nothing can be ruled out.

North Carolina-Asheville

Three more NCAA bids were officially handed out Sunday, starting in the Big South. The top-seeded Bulldogs overcame a 14-point deficit in the second half to outlast Campbell 77-73. Drew Pember scored 29 and Tajeon Jones added 24 for UNCA, which will be making its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance.

Drake

These Bulldogs didn’t need a comeback. Drake and Bradley had split their regular-season meetings and shared the top spot in the Missouri Valley Conference. But the Bulldogs took charge from the outset, building a 20-point halftime cushion and coasting to a 77-51 victory over the Braves to close out Arch Madness in St. Louis. Tucker DeVries led the way for Drake with 22 points.

Kennesaw State

The last of Terrell Burden’s team-high 19 points was the biggest, a go-ahead free throw with a second to go as the Owls defeated Liberty 67-66 to claim the Atlantic Sun title. It is the first trip to the Big Dance in program history for Kennesaw State.

Losers

Michigan

In the span of four days, the Wolverines played two games on the road that included three overtimes. First, they fell short in two extra periods Thursday at Illinois after blowing a lead in the first overtime. Then Indiana rallied in second half against Michigan to extend the game and the Hoosiers prevailed. The two near-misses of Quad 1 opportunities left the Wolverines with some serious work to do in the Big Ten tournament. At 17-14, at least a couple wins are likely needed in Chicago to reach the field of 68 and even that might not be enough.

Memphis

A two-point loss to the nation’s No.-1 team isn’t damaging to an NCAA at-large résumé on its face. But the Tigers entered the last day of the regular season with just two quadrant-one wins to their credit. Despite ice-cold perimeter shooting before intermission, they briefly held a five-point lead in the second half but couldn’t close the deal, representing a huge missed opportunity and possibly leaving some work to do in the AAC tournament.

Iowa

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more puzzling team than the Hawkeyes, who shot the lights out at Indiana’s Assembly Hall earlier in the week but were outscored by Nebraska at home on Sunday. It was a season sweep for the Cornhuskers against Iowa, which saw its eight-game winning streak at Carver-Hawkeye Arena snapped.

Maryland

The loss at Penn State cost Maryland any shot at a top-four seed and accompanying bye to the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten tournament. The Terrapins are not in bubble trouble by any stretch, but their lack of success away from College Park is a major concern heading into the postseason.

Kansas basketball vs. Texas: Jayhawks went for Big 12 tournament ...

KANSAS CITY — Kansas men’s basketball competed for the Big 12 Conference tournament title Saturday against Texas.

The No. 1-seed Jayhawks (27-6) came in after a win against 5-seed Iowa State. The No. 2-seed Longhorns (25-8) came in after a win against 6-seed TCU. Kansas and Texas split the regular season series the two programs played.

Were the Jayhawks able to sweep the Big 12’s regular season and tournament championships? Were the Longhorns be able to keep Kansas from doing that? The Jayhawks won the Big 12 tournament last season.

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Here's what happened inside the T-Mobile Center:

FINAL: Texas 76, Kansas 56

Texas leads 70-52 against Kansas with 3:47 left in 2nd half

At some point, Kansas needs to think about resting the starters it has in the game. Eighteen points, with the way this game has gone in the second half, is too much to overcome. And even if the Jayhawks do make a run, they'd likely run out of time.

Getting healthy ahead of the NCAA tournament is the most important thing Kansas should focus on right now. Just because it lost this game, doesn't mean it can't win back-to-back NCAA championships. All in all, it's just one game.

Texas leads 62-48 against Kansas with 7:57 left in 2nd half

It's just not Kansas' night at this point. The Jayhawks' scoring has been dominated by Jalen Wilson and Joseph Yesufu, and in the second half neither has been what they were in the first. Texas is up 14 points with a little less than eight minutes left in regulation.

It's evident, defensively, just how much Kansas is missing Kevin McCullar Jr. Of course, the officiating at times hasn't helped on either end. But this isn't all on the officiating, just like it never is all about the officiating.

Texas leads 53-43 against Kansas with 11:27 left in 2nd half

The crowd is trying to do its part to will Kansas back into this game. At different points during this most recent stretch, they've risen to their feet and gotten loud. But at this break, the Jayhawks are still down 10 points with about 11 and a half minutes remaining in regulation.

There's still plenty of time for Kansas to make a comeback, but it's unclear if the Jayhawks are going to have what it takes to make that happen. Doing better from behind the arc would help. Right now, Kansas is 0-for-4 on 3s in the second half.

Texas leads 49-41 against Kansas with 15:57 left in 2nd half

Dajuan Harris Jr. has yet to score. There's a little less than 16 minutes left in regulation, and Harris is 0-for-2 from the field. While Harris doesn't need to score to be an effective player, him doing so makes Kansas that much better and he also hasn't been the player elsewhere tonight that he normally is.

It's in part why Kansas trails by eight points right now. Texas appears to have all the momentum. The Jayhawks haven't led since they were up 28-25 in the first half.

HALFTIME: Texas 39, Kansas 33

Texas leads 30-28 against Texas with 3:34 left in 1st half

Now it's Kansas that's having an issue scoring the ball. The Jayhawks haven't scored in a little more than two and a half minutes. They've missed their last six shots from the field.

More trips to the free-throw line could help Kansas ensure those kinds of stretches from the field don't have the effect they are right now, but the Jayhawks haven't been able to get those calls. They're only 2-for-2 from the free-throw line, while the Longhorns are 6-for-6. Texas has been called for five fouls, and Kansas five fouls.

Kansas leads 24-23 against Texas with 7:46 left in 1st half

Kansas has made its last three shots from the field. Texas has missed its last for, not making one from the field for almost four minutes. And that's helped the Jayhawks get back into this, and take a 24-23 lead into a break with 7:46 left in the first half.

Ernest Udeh Jr. just showcased his guarding skills on the perimeter, forcing Texas' Tyrese Hunter to turn the ball over with the two matched up one-on-one. The Longhorns have three turnovers so far, that Kansas has yet to score any points off of. The Jayhawks have four turnovers so far, that Texas has scored four points off of.

Texas leads 19-16 against Kansas with 10:21 left in 1st half

Without Jalen Wilson and Joseph Yesufu offensively, Kansas would be in a rough position. The two each have seven points. Yesufu just recently hit a huge 3-pointer that ended what had become a 9-0 run for Texas.

Dajuan Harris Jr. and Gradey Dick each need to be more aggressive offensively for the Jayhawks. Harris is a great playmaker, and Dick a great shooter. Without them performing, it's going to be tough for Kansas to win.

Texas leads 17-13 against Kansas with 12:34 left in 1st half

Kansas was able to retake the lead at 11-10 after a great play by Joseph Yesufu offensively, and then extend that lead to 13-10. However, Texas just went on a 7-0 run. At a timeout with 12:34 remaining in the first half, the Longhorns are up 17-13 against the Jayhawks.

Ernest Udeh Jr. and Bobby Pettiford Jr. are Kansas' first two substitutions off the bench. They came in just now, for KJ Adams Jr. and Gradey Dick. That means the Jayhawks are playing with three smaller guards on the floor, in Pettiford, Yesufu and Dajuan Harris Jr., alongside Jalen Wilson and Udeh.

Texas leads 10-7 against Kansas with 15:49 left in 1st half

The Jayhawks are trailing early, but overall it hasn't been that bad of a start. With Kevin McCullar Jr. out, Joseph Yesufu has done well for himself on the offensive end. If that can continue, and Kansas can get some more stops defensively, things will trend in the Jayhawks' direction.

So far, Texas' Dylan Disu leads all scorers with six points. He's yet to miss a shot, from the field or from the free-throw line. The Longhorns haven't hit a 3-pointer yet, like Kansas, has, but haven't needed to.

The game is underway

Kansas won the opening tip-off.

This may feel a lot like a home game for Kansas

The crowd is leaning heavily toward Kansas as tip-off approaches. It's not Allen Fieldhouse, but it very well could feel like it at times for the Jayhawks tonight. There don't seem to be many Texas fans here, comparatively.

Bill Self is staying involved as he recovers

It doesn't look like Timmy Allen will play for Texas

Kevin McCullar Jr. is at the game, even though he won't play

It doesn't look like Kansas will have any surprises, with who's available

Without Kevin McCullar Jr., Kansas is turning to Joseph Yesufu

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

Bracket Briefing: Is Michigan State-Louisville championship ...

Scott Gleeson

USA TODAY Sports

In a year of parity among the best college basketball teams, it seems as though a No. 1 seed doesn't warrant favoritism.

That's the case for top seeds Virginia and Wichita State. Both squads were rewarded by the selection committee. but betting odds will tell you their likelihood to reach the Final Four isn't high. Meanwhile, many analysts consider No. 4 seeds Michigan State the East Region favorite and Louisville the Midwest Region favorite. Even President Obama picked the Spartans.

Much of the logic is based on skepticism of these two particular No. 1s.

The Cavaliers nabbed the final No. 1 seed but aren't a tournament regular, having missed the NCAA field last season. And despite an ACC regular-season and tournament title, coach Tony Bennett's slow-tempo offense and tough man-to-man defense are based on beating teams by grinding it out — meaning UVa won't be putting on an offensive spectacle.

And Wichita State, of course, has been criticized for playing in a mid-major league and becoming 34-0 with a weak strength of schedule.

Then factor in the fact that the Spartans and Cardinals are as hot as any teams in the country. Michigan State, riddled by injuries all season, has a championship team on paper. A Big Ten Conference Tournament title run signals that the chemistry coming together at the right time for Tom Izzo's group. Louisville, the defending national champion, failed to pick up a marquee win in non-conference play and never quite jumped into the national contender discussion in December-February. But the Cardinals put things together to win a share of the American Athletic Conference regular season before winning the AAC tourney title in a stretch in which they obliterate Rutgers by 61 points. Yes, 61.

Now, the NCAA tournament is all about matchups. So here's a look at what it will take for the outcome that has almost become a formality:

Michigan State's path to the title game

Second round: The Spartans start by facing a deceivingly tough Delaware. Expect a double-digit win.

The Spartans start by facing a deceivingly tough Delaware. Expect a double-digit win. Third round: Next up could either be defensively-sound Cincinnati or upset-favorite Harvard. An individual matchup between Gary Harris and Cincy's Sean Kilpatrick would be enticing, and a clash with the Bearcats could go down to the wire.

Next up could either be defensively-sound Cincinnati or upset-favorite Harvard. An individual matchup between Gary Harris and Cincy's Sean Kilpatrick would be enticing, and a clash with the Bearcats could go down to the wire. Sweet 16: Assuming top-seeded Virginia doesn't falter, this will be the test everyone's waiting for. Can Michigan State avoid falling prey to Virginia's tempo-control style? The Cavaliers, led by Malcolm Brogdon and Joe Harris, practice patience in the slow-paced offense. How MSU reacts to the Cavaliers' turnover-inducing defense will be the difference maker.

Assuming top-seeded Virginia doesn't falter, this will be the test everyone's waiting for. Can Michigan State avoid falling prey to Virginia's tempo-control style? The Cavaliers, led by Malcolm Brogdon and Joe Harris, practice patience in the slow-paced offense. How MSU reacts to the Cavaliers' turnover-inducing defense will be the difference maker. Elite Eight: Barring any surprise upsets (which are completely possible and almost likely), this will be Iowa State or Villanova. If it's the Cyclones, stopping Melvin Ejim and DeAndre Kane could be challenging. If it's Villanova, expect Jay Wright's group to use its dribble-drive offense to frustrate the Spartans.

Barring any surprise upsets (which are completely possible and almost likely), this will be Iowa State or Villanova. If it's the Cyclones, stopping Melvin Ejim and DeAndre Kane could be challenging. If it's Villanova, expect Jay Wright's group to use its dribble-drive offense to frustrate the Spartans. Final Four: Hypothetically, this should be Florida. It could be Kansas, but for argument's sake let's say it's the favored Gators. One area MSU where is better than Florida? Getting a bucket down the stretch. As good as Casey Prather and Scottie Wilbekin are, they don't have the same type of clutch gene that Harris and Keith Appling have. If this is a Final Four matchup, though, it'll be as good as a title game given both teams' veterans.

Louisville's path to the title game

Second round: Coach Rick Pitino doesn't like his second-round matchup one bit, and that's because it's against protege Steve Masiello, who runs a Louisville-esque system at Manhattan. Despite the reunion, this should be a double-digit win for Louisville.

Coach Rick Pitino doesn't like his second-round matchup one bit, and that's because it's against protege Steve Masiello, who runs a Louisville-esque system at Manhattan. Despite the reunion, this should be a double-digit win for Louisville. Third round: This could either be against veteran-laden Saint Louis or surging North Carolina State riding the momentum of their NCAA tournament inclusion and a subsequent First Four victory. N.C. State, a team that beat Syracuse, could make it close if T.J. Warren puts on a T.J. Warren-type performance.

This could either be against veteran-laden Saint Louis or surging North Carolina State riding the momentum of their NCAA tournament inclusion and a subsequent First Four victory. N.C. State, a team that beat Syracuse, could make it close if T.J. Warren puts on a T.J. Warren-type performance. Sweet 16: Ah, the big one. Louisville would face either rival Kentucky or would-be undefeated Wichita State. If it's the Wildcats, a neutral floor would benefit because the Cardinals lost to the Wildcats earlier in the season. If it's the Shockers, well, refer to last year's Final Four showdown to get a taste of how intense this defensive war could be. Wichita State's much better than last year in all areas. Louisville might not be as great overall, but there's more offensive life and that could be the difference.

Ah, the big one. Louisville would face either rival Kentucky or would-be undefeated Wichita State. If it's the Wildcats, a neutral floor would benefit because the Cardinals lost to the Wildcats earlier in the season. If it's the Shockers, well, refer to last year's Final Four showdown to get a taste of how intense this defensive war could be. Wichita State's much better than last year in all areas. Louisville might not be as great overall, but there's more offensive life and that could be the difference. Elite Eight: It'll either be Duke or Michigan. Both teams can get hot offensively. Real hot. So this will be where Louisville's defense comes in to trump any Jabari Parker or Nik Stauskas breakout.

It'll either be Duke or Michigan. Both teams can get hot offensively. Real hot. So this will be where Louisville's defense comes in to trump any Jabari Parker or Nik Stauskas breakout. Final Four: Arizona is the top seed from the West Region, and Sean Miller's savvy team would make for a major challenge. But there's also a chance it could be defensively stout Wisconsin or Doug McDermott-led Creighton. This is where Russ Smith will have to stop his new facilitating role and tell Pitino and his teammates to give him the rock and let him transform back into Russdiculous.

ON DECK: A look at Thursday's busy game slate.

12:15 (11) Dayton vs. (6) Ohio State, CBS (Buffalo)

12:40 (15) American vs. (2) Wisconsin, truTV (Milwaukee)

1:40 (9) Pittsburgh vs. (8) Colorado, TBS (Orlando)

2:10 (12) Harvard vs. (5) Cincinnati, TNT (Spokane, Wash.)

2:45 (14) Western Michigan vs. (3) Syracuse, CBS (Buffalo)

3:10 (10) Brigham Young vs. (7) Oregon, truTV (Milwaukee)

4:10 (16) Albany vs. (1) Florida, TBS (Orlando)

4:40 (13) Delaware vs. (4) Michigan State, TNT (Spokane)

6:55 (10) Saint Joseph's vs. (7) Connecticut, TBS (Buffalo)

7:10 (15) Wofford vs. (2) Michigan, CBS (Milwaukee)

7:20 (12) North Carolina State vs. (5) Saint Louis, TNT (Orlando)

7:27 (12) North Dakota State vs. (5) Oklahoma, truTV (Spokane)

9:25 (15) Milwaukee vs. (2) Villanova, TBS (Buffalo)

9:40 (10) Arizona State vs. (7) Texas, CBS (Milwaukee)

9:50 (13) Manhattan vs. (4) Louisville, TNT (Orlando)

9:57 (13) New Mexico State vs. (4) San Diego State, truTV (Spokane)

Scott Gleeson, a national college basketball writer/digital producer for USA TODAY Sports, is on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.

College basketball countdown: No. 55 Weber State

Scott Gleeson

USA TODAY Sports

Weber State quiet had a record-setting 2012-13 %u2014 finishing with a 30-7 overall record

Even though history was made%2C the Wildcats missed the NCAA tournament%2C as league foe Montana went

Weber State is the Big Sky favorite%2C returning three starters%2C including do-everything player Davion Berry

The first word: Despite losing All-American and eventual NBA Rookie of the Year Damian Lillard, Weber State quietly had a record-setting 2012-13 — finishing 30-7 overall record, the most wins in Big Sky Conference history, after falling to East Carolina in the title game of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.

Even though history was made, the Wildcats missed the NCAA tournament as league foe Montana ran through conference play — going 19-1 to win the regular season before clipping Weber State 67-64 for the Big Sky tournament championship.

The Wildcats' absence from the NCAA tournament surely will be a driving force for the team during the 2013-14 season, as coach Randy Rahe hopes to lift a team that has gone 32-4 in conference action for the past two years to a memorable run in the Big Dance. Weber State returns three starters, including do-everything player Davion Berry.

Coach's corner: "Usually you go 18-2, and you're winning a championship. Not last year. You have to be good enough to beat everybody. I think we are this year. I try to worry about the intangibles. Are we tough enough? Do we have enough leadership? If so, we can be pretty good. Without that, we'll get our ass kicked." — Rahe, in his eighth season with the Wildcats.

2012-13 in review: 30-7 overall, 18-2 Big Sky (second place), lost in CIT championship.

Tournament projection: No. 13 seed. Potential second-round upset. Sweet 16 is a stretch.

Path to the dance: Winning the Big Sky auto bid. Everything still goes through Montana, which lost its top players, Mathias Ward and Will Cherry. Still, the Grizzlies bring back a big catalyst in Kareem Jamar and should serve as the primary roadblock for Weber State, in the regular season and the ever-so-important conference tournament when any team can get hot and an auto bid to the tourney is on the line. North Dakota and Northern Colorado are also teams to watch.

Star watch: Berry (15.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.8 apg) is one of, if not the best players in the Big Sky. His versatility is a big reason Weber State's offense flows efficiently. Kyle Tresnak also returns. Rahe expects the 6-10 big man to take another leap after averaging 11.8 points and 5.5 rebounds.

Role players: Senior Jordan Richardson (7.2 ppg) and Gelaun Wheelwright (6.3 ppg) are steady guards who should take on bigger roles. Royce Williams and James Hajek are other players ready for bumps in minutes. Freshman Jeremy Senglin was a highly rated recruit whom Rahe expects to fit in nicely. Other freshmen Richaud Gittens and Kyndahl Hill have a chance to their way into the rotation.

Team strength/weakness: The Wildcats led the nation in field goal percentage and three-point shooting percentage last season. Much of that hot shooting came from long-range specialist Scott Bamforth, who graduated after eclipsing Lillard's school record for career triples. Scoring will be the team's bread and butter, as always, but it won't come as easily this season in the halfcourt setting. How does the team win on a cold shooting night? Rahe believes it comes with defensive intensity — forcing turnovers — and better rebounding.

X-factor: 6-9 Joel Bolomboy (7.0 ppg, 7.1 rpg) blossomed last season — finishing third in the conference in rebounds and blocks — and is poised for a breakout season after a strong freshman year. If Bolomboy has a huge surge, so will the Wildcats.

Tournament history: Weber State has reached the NCAAs 14 times, with the last appearance coming in 2007 — a blowout loss to UCLA. The Wildcats played Cinderella briefly in 1999, ousting North Carolina in a 76-74 thriller.

Trivia: Damian Lillard, Weber State's most notable former player, has a fear of statues, telling USA TODAY Sports last year that his trip to Washington, D.C., was "nerve-wracking" because of all the monuments.

About this post:Every weekday, one of the 68 teams in USA TODAY Sports' projected NCAA tournament field will be dissected. The final bracket will be revealed in November.

Glance at the dance: So far 14 teams, all auto-bids from mid-major conferences, have been selected to the USA TODAY Sports preseason NCAA tournament bracket. The seeding so far:

No. 16 seeds : No. 68 Robert Morris, No. 67 Charleston Southern, No. 66 Northwestern State, No. 65 Norfolk State.

No. 15 seeds : No. 64 Georgia State, No. 63 Boston U, No. 62 Vermont, No. 61 Texas Southern

No.14 seeds : No. 60 Elon, No. 59 Manhattan, No. 58 Toledo, No. 57 Towson

No. 13 seeds: No. 56 Florida Gulf Coast, No. 55 Weber State

***

Scott Gleeson, a national college basketball writer/producer for USA TODAY Sports, is on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.

Five potential first-round upsets for the NCAA men's tournament that ...

You know they’re coming. The upsets happen every year. Heck, they’re the reason this event is called March Madness. Your mission, Mr. Phelps – or I guess it’s Mr. Hunt for you young kids – is to pick the right ones and dominate your bracket.

Impossible? Well, we won’t lie – it’s often quite difficult. But some are more easy to spot than others.

It’s hard to pay attention to every team in college basketball throughout the long season that started way back in November when everybody was still focused on football. And, even when the gridiron action is done, the hardwood teams from big-name conferences snag most of the marquee TV slots. So a lot of you might not know about these so-called mid majors that are about to swoop in and grab their share of the spotlight, if only for a few days, or even the occasional power conference team that limps in as a double-digit seed but hits its stride at the right time. We’re here to help. Here are five candidates to consider strongly to pull off a first-round upset.

NCAA TOURNAMENT LIVE UPDATES:Let the bracket busting begin as men's March Madness tips off

No. 12 Virginia Commonwealth over No. 5 Saint Mary’s

Start with the fact that this is a return to the Big Dance two years in the making for the Rams, forced to withdraw from the 2021 tournament due to multiple positive COVID tests. Additionally, VCU is a program accustomed to tournament success, achieving the First Four to Final Four feat in 2011. But most important, the Rams are simply a tough matchup for Saint Mary’s. Led by the duo of Adrian “Ace” Baldwin and Jalen DeLoach, VCU is the kind of high-tempo, high-pressure team capable of getting the more deliberate Gaels out of their comfort zone. Saint Mary’s is worthy of its high seed, as it was a year ago, but this draw spells trouble if the Gaels can't match the athleticism of the Rams and are stretched out of their comfort zone.

No. 13 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. No. 4 Tennessee

Even before losing point guard Zakai Zeigler to a season-ending injury, the Volunteers struggled mightily at times to run their half-court sets. Their defensive continuity has also been affected, which showed in their SEC tournament quarterfinal loss to Missouri. Enter the Ragin’ Cajuns, the Sun Belt champs with a variety of weapons like big man Jordan Brown (19.4 ppg, 8.7 rpg) and sharpshooter Greg Williams, a 40% marksman from three-point range. This looks like another chapter in the unfortunate postseason history of Tennessee coach Rick Barnes, who has had more than his share of disappointing finishes, including just one Sweet 16 appearance in the past four tournaments despite the Volunteers being no worse than a No. 5 seed.

REGIONAL BREAKDOWNS: East | South | Midwest | West

MAJOR SURPRISES:10 bold predictions for March Madness

FIRST-TIMERS:Nine teams with great opportunity to win their first title

No. 12 College of Charleston vs. No. 5 San Diego State

This will be a popular choice for those who look at team records first. It is not without merit to be sure, as the Cougars enter on a 10-game winning streak. Before embarking on their Colonial Athletic Association campaign, they picked up non-league wins against Kent State (more on them below) and Virginia Tech. They also beat another Mountain West squad, Colorado State. This date with the Aztecs isn’t a gimme by any means, as San Diego State will be eager to do its part to erase the memory of the MWC’s winless tourney performance from a year ago and also notch its first tournament win since 2015. Charleston isn’t a particularly big team, but it is deep and might be able to maintain constant ball pressure throughout the game.

BRACKET TIPS:How to fill out your tournament projections and win your pool

BRACKETS ARE BACK: The USA TODAY Sports Bracket Challenge is back. $1 MILLION grand prize for a perfect bracket.

No. 11 Providence vs. No. 6 Kentucky

Admittedly, the Friars were not playing their best ball as the season wound down, which is why they slid to an 11 seed and narrowly avoided the play-in round. They’ve dropped four of their last five, with the lone win in that stretch coming against Big East cellar-dweller Georgetown. But count on Bryce Hopkins to play with a little extra pep in his step as he leads Providence against the school where his collegiate career began. After struggling to earn minutes at Kentucky, the 6-7 winger has become a key cog for Ed Cooley’s team, leading the Friars in scoring (16.1) and rebounding (8.5). While the Wildcats appeared to figure some things out in the latter half of their SEC campaign, they can still struggle to create shots and make free throws, often a bad combination in March.

No. 13 Kent State vs. No. 4 Indiana

The Hoosiers didn’t handle the opposite side of the upset equation last year, surviving a First Four game before being trounced by Saint Mary’s. They have higher expectations this time around as Trayce Jackson-Davis is enjoying an All-America caliber season. But they, like most of their fellow Big Ten squads, have been inconsistent, particularly on the defensive end. The committee did them no favor matching them with the Golden Flashes. In addition to the aforementioned two-point loss to Charleston, Kent State also played Houston and Gonzaga to single-digit contests. Suffice to say then there will be no intimidation factor against Indiana. The driving force for the Flashes is former Duquesne transfer Sincere Carry, who returned to his native Ohio and is putting up 17.6 points and 4.9 assists a game and will be a tough matchup for the Indiana backcourt.

March Madness: NCAA tournament bracket analysis, team capsules ...

USA TODAY Sports breaks down the NCAA West Regional.

Best first-round matchup: Marquette-Murray State. Marquette and high-scoring junior guard Markus Howard (25.1 points per game) appeared to be headed for the Big East Conference regular-season title, but the Golden Eagles lost their last four regular-season games -- including at home against Georgetown and Creighton. They routed NCAA at-large selection St. John’s in the conference tournament, then lost to Seton Hall -- and Howard seemed affected by an injured wrist. Marquette now faces the dynamic sophomore guard Ja Morant and a Racers team that has won 11 in a row, including beating NCAA at-large team Belmont in the conference tournament final. Morant averages 24.6 points, 10 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 36.5 minutes per game. Murray State averages 83 points per game, Marquette 78.

Potential upset: After Murray State over Marquette, look to the second round. If Syracuse beats Baylor, it’s exactly the kind of team that can take down Gonzaga – it plays a zone defense that’s tough to prepare for in a short amount of time, and it’s fine playing at a slower pace.

REGIONAL BREAKDOWNS: East | Midwest | South | West

TOO HIGH OR LOW?:Five seedings the selection committee got wrong

BRACKET TIPS:Everything you need to dominate your office pool

The sleeper: Buffalo got a taste last year, when it routed fourth-seeded Arizona in the first round before running into Kentucky in the second. If the Bulls get past St. John’s or Arizona State – both intriguing sleepers – they would face a very tough task against Texas Tech, but they have the playing style to push the Red Raiders. Nevada has all of the components to give any team in this bracket a hard time, but if Jordan Caroline’s Achilles’ tendon – which kept him out of the Mountain West semifinals -- continues to be a big problem, the Wolf Pack won’t be the same.

NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET:See all 68 March Madness teams

PRINTABLE BRACKET:Get yours to fill out here

The winner: The easy choice here is Gonzaga, especially now that Killian Tillie is back from a foot injury. But in addition to a potentially tough second-round matchup, Florida State lurks in the round of 16. The Seminoles eliminated the Bulldogs from the tournament last year, so Gonzaga would have plenty of motivation in a rematch. But Florida State is just like it was last season – tall, athletic and deep. So the pick is Texas Tech.

Michigan is at least as good as it was last season, when it advanced to the championship game. And Michigan State – which has beaten the Wolverines three times -- is not in this regional. But with Jordan Culver, the Red Raiders have the kind of singular player who can be the difference-maker. Their loss to West Virginia in the Big 12 quarterfinals notwithstanding, the Red Raiders also just seem to have a certain toughness about them. And after losing to eventual national champion Villanova in the round of eight last year, they know they can take the next step.

The teams

1. Gonzaga

Nickname: Bulldogs. Location: Spokane, Washington.

Record: 30-3, 16-0. Bid: West Coast at-large.

Last appearance: 2018, lost to Florida State in Sweet 16.

Coach: Mark Few (28-19 in 19 appearances).

Overview: Notwithstanding a lackluster performance in the WCC tournament finale that saw their 20-game win streak end, the Zags, Sweet 16 fixtures in recent years, are quite capable of a deep run. They defend relentlessly, generate fast-break points and space the floor well. This group gets the bulk of its points from the frontcourt, led by WCC player of the year Rui Hachimura. They have capable perimeter shooters, but they’re more effective when the ball goes inside first.

Projected starters: F Rui Hachimura, 6-8, Jr. (20.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 61.3 FG%); F Brandon Clarke, 6-8, Jr. (16.6 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 3.2 bpg, 68.8 FG%); G Zach Norvell Jr., 6-5, So. (15.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 85.6 FT%); G Josh Perkins, 6-3, Sr. (11.0 ppg, 6.6 apg, 82.6 FT%); F Corey Kispert, 6-6, So. (8.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg).

2. Michigan

Nickname: Wolverines. Location: Ann Arbor.

Record: 28-6, 15-5. Bid: Big Ten at-large.

Last appearance: 2018, lost to Villanova in national championship game.

Coach: John Beilein (24-12 in 12 appearances).

Overview: Carry-overs from last year’s national runners-up and the emergence of freshman Ignas Brazdeikis helped make up for key losses. This team started the season 17-0 but hit some stumbling blocks in a tough Big Ten schedule. Michigan’s defense is top-notch, third nationally in points allowed (58.8), but its offense can fall under cold spells. Still, this is a group that hammered Villanova by 27 and North Carolina by 17.

Projected starters: G Jordan Poole, 6-5, So. (12.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 81.1 FT%); G Zavier Simpson, 6-0, Jr. (9.3 ppg, 6.3 apg, 5.0 rpg); Jon Teske, 7-1, Jr. (9.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg); F Isaiah Livers, 6-7, So. (8.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg); F Ignas Brazdeikis, 6-7, Fr. (14.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg).

3. Texas Tech

Nickname: Red Raiders. Location: Lubbock.

Record: 26-6, 14-4. Bid: Big 12 at-large.

Last appearance: 2018, lost to Villanova in Elite Eight.

Coach: Chris Beard (4-2 in two appearances).

Overview: After losing the bulk of the team that made a run to the Elite Eight last season, the Red Raiders rebuilt with key transfers and the emergence of sophomore guard Jarrett Culver, Big 12 player of the year. The Red Raiders’ stifling defense – they lead the nation holding opponents to 36.8% shooting and rank second in scoring defense, holding opponents to 58.6 points a game – is the backbone.

Projected starters: G Jarrett Culver, 6-6, So. (17.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.7 apg, 48.7 FG%); G Davide Moretti, 6-2, So. (11.6 ppg, 50.7 FG%, 48.1 3FG%); G Matt Mooney, 6-3, Sr. (10.9 ppg, 3.3 apg); F Tariq Owens, 6-10, Sr. (8.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.4 bpg); C Norense Odiase, 6-9, Sr. (4.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 56.1 FG%).

4. Florida State

Nickname: Seminoles. Location: Tallahassee.

Record: 27-7, 13-5. Bid: ACC at-large.

Last appearance: 2018, lost to Michigan in Elite Eight.

Coach: Leonard Hamilton (10-9 in nine appearances).

Overview: Despite coming up short in the ACC title game, the Seminoles did themselves a world of good in the tournament. Their win against Virginia improved their seed as well as their confidence. Hamilton is not afraid to use his bench; leading scorer Mfiondu Kabengele (12.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg) hasn’t started a game all year. Opponents will have a hard time keying on a particular scoring threat, but on the flipside FSU sometimes struggles to find a take-over guy when the game gets close.

Projected starters: G Terance Mann, 6-7, Sr. (11.2 ppg, 6-4 rpg, 2.5 apg, 78.5 FT%); G Trent Forrest, 6-4, Jr. (9.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.8 apg); G M.J. Walker, 6-5, So. (7.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg); F Phil Cofer, 6-8, Sr. (7.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg); C Christ Koumadje, 7-4, Sr. (6.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.5 bpg).

5. Marquette

Nickname: Golden Eagles. Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Record: 24-9, 12-6. Bid: Big East at-large.

Last appearance: 2017, lost to South Carolina in first round.

Coach: Steve Wojciechowski (0-1 in one appearance).

Overview: It’s been a breakthrough season in the Steve Wojciechowski era at Marquette. The difference-maker is national player of the year candidate Markus Howard, an explosive guard who had 45 points against Buffalo and Kansas State in December and 53 vs. Creighton in January. But this team saw how too much reliance on Howard can hurt in a four-game losing streak to close the regular season.

Projected starters: G Markus Howard, 5-11, Jr. (25.1 ppg, 4.0 apg, 90.7 FT%); G/F Sam Hauser, 6-8, Jr. (14.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 91.9 FT%); F Joey Hauser, 6-9, Fr. (9.7 ppg 5.3 rpg, 44.4 3FG%, 82.1 FT%); F Theo John, 6-9, So. (5.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.1 bpg, 60.9 FG%); G/F Sacar Anim, 6-5, Jr. (8.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg).

6. Buffalo

Nickname: Bulls. Location: Buffalo, New York.

Record: 31-3, 16-2. Bid: Mid-American champ.

Last appearance: 2018, lost to Kentucky in second round.

Coach: Nate Oats (1-2 in two appearances).

Overview: The tournament is becoming old hat for the Bulls. With four appearances in five seasons, they’re hoping to go farther after upsetting Arizona in the first round last year. This might be their best team in recent history as evidence by road wins at West Virginia and Syracuse. The bench is critical to their success.

Projected starters: G CJ Massinburg, 6-3, Sr. (18.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 42.2 3FG%, 78.0 FT%); G Jeremy Harris, 6-7, Sr. (12.9 ppg, 6.2 ppg); G Jayvon Graves, 6-3, So. (9.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg); G Davonta Jordan, 6-2, Jr. (6.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.6 spg); F Montell McRae, 6-10, Sr. (6.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 57.4 FG%).

7. Nevada

Nickname: Wolf Pack. Location: Reno.

Record: 29-4, 15-3. Bid: Mountain West at-large.

Last appearance: 2018, lost to Loyola-Chicago in Sweet 16.

Coach: Eric Musselman (2-2 in two appearances).

Overview: With most of the team back from last year’s deep tourney run and five seniors starting, the Wolf Pack spent much of the season ranked in the top 10. Their late-season slump, however, is concerning. Their ability to come back from big deficits on display last March is still there, but so is the alarming tendency to fall behind. They’re long, athletic and crash the boards well, though their collective shooting range is limited.

Projected starters: G Caleb Martin, 6-7, Sr. (19.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.9 apg); G Jordan Caroline, 6-7, Sr. (17.7 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 2.0 apg); G Cody Martin, 6-7, Sr. (11.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 5.1 apg); F Tre’Shawn Thurman, 6-8, Sr. (7.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg); F Trey Porter, 6-11, Sr. (7.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg).

8. Syracuse

Nickname: Orange. Location: Syracuse, New York.

Record: 20-13, 10-8. Bid: ACC at-large.

Last appearance: 2018, lost to Duke in the Sweet 16.

Coach: Jim Boeheim (60-32 in 33 appearances).

Overview: With its trademark zone defense, the Orange again will be a tough draw for any opponent that doesn’t play against it on a regular basis. This year’s squad will go as far as its occasionally spotty offense can take it. Top scorer Tyus Battle missed the ACC tournament with a bruised tailbone but should be ready for the opening round.

Projected starters: G Tyus Battle, 6-6, Jr. (17.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.5 apg); F Elijah Hughes, 6-6, Jr. (13.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg); F Oshae Brissett, 6-8, So. (12.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg); (12.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg); G Frank Howard, 6-5, Sr. (7.9 ppg, 2.9 apg); C Paschal Chukwu, 7-2, Sr. (4.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.8 bpg, 71.6 FG%).

9. Baylor

Nickname: Bears. Location: Waco, Texas.

Record: 19-13, 10-8. Bid: Big 12 at-large.

Last appearance: 2017, lost to South Carolina in Sweet 16.

Coach: Scott Drew (10-7 in seven appearances).

Overview: The Bears, who enter on a four-game losing streak, lost big man Tristan Clark in January, forcing a radical shift toward a more guard-oriented attack. Makai Mason, a graduate transfer from Yale, has been the offensive catalyst. A nagging toe injury is a potential debilitating factor, though. If Mason can’t go, Jared Butler would likely start (10.1 ppg).

Projected starters: G Makai Mason, 6-1, Sr. (14.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 35.7 3FG%); G Mario Kegler, 6-7, So. (10.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.2 apg); G Mark Vital, 6-5, So. (5.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg); G King McClure, 6-3, Sr. (8.7 ppg, 5.3 ppg); F Freddie Gillespie, 6-8, Jr. (5.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg).

10. Florida

Nickname: Gators. Location: Gainesville.

Record: 19-15, 9-9. Bid: SEC at-large.

Last appearance: 2018, lost to Texas Tech in second round.

Coach: Mike White (4-2 in four appearances).

Overview: The Gators equaled the record for most losses by an at-large team in the tournament, proving their worthiness with two defeats of SEC regular-season champion LSU. If they are to advance, their defense is going to have be at an elite level. Florida does not shoot well and lacks a go-to scorer.

Projected starters: G KeVaughn Allen, 6-2, Sr. (12.0 ppg, 89.2 FG%); G Andrew Nembhard, 6-5, Fr. (8.1 ppg, 5.3 apg); C Kevarrius Hayes, 6-9, Sr. (8.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.9 bpg, 66.2 FG%); G Jalen Hudson, 6-6, Sr. (9.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg); F Keyontae Johnson, 6-5, Fr. (8.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg).

11. Arizona State

Nickname: Sun Devils. Location: Tempe.

Record: 22-10, 12-6. Bid: Pac-12 at-large.

Last appearance: 2018, lost to Syracuse in First Four.

Coach: Bobby Hurley (0-2 in two appearances).

Overview: Talented but enigmatic, the Sun Devils own non-conference victories against Kansas, Mississippi State and Utah State, but also lost to Vanderbilt (which lost 20 consecutive games to end the season). Guard Luguentz Dort is Pac-12 freshman of the year. Sun Devils average 77.7 points and hold opponents to 41.1 percent shooting. At their best, they’re fierce on the boards, outrebounding opponents by 4.8 a game and playing smothering defense.

Projected starters: G Remy Martin, 6-0, So. (13.4 ppg, 5.1 apg); G Luguentz Dort, 6-4, Fr. (16.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg); F Zylan Cheatham, 6-8, Sr. (11.8 ppg, 10.4 rpg); F Romello White, 6-8, So. (8.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg); G Rob Edwards, 6-4, Jr. (11.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 81.3 FT%).

11. St. John’s

Nickname: Red Storm. Location: New York City.

Record: 21-12, 8-10. Bid: Big East at-large.

Last appearance: 2015, lost to San Diego State in first round.

Coach: Chris Mullin (first appearance).

Overview: St. John’s seemed to be cruising into the NCAAs as the third-best team in the Big East before dropping three consecutive games to end the regular season and then suffering a 32-point loss to Marquette in the Big East tournament. This team doesn’t usually have any issue scoring, averaging more than 78 points a game thanks to Shamorie Ponds’ playmaking and an offense that features all starters averaging double figures. The downside to the Red Storm is teams with size can capitalize and the bench is short.

Projected starters: G Shamorie Ponds, 6-1, Jr. (19.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 5.2 apg, 2.6 spg, 84.1 FT%); G Mustapha Heron, 6-5, Jr. (14.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 42.1 3FG%); G/F LJ Figueroa, 6-6, So. (14.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 51.3 FG%); F Marvin Clark II, 6-7, Sr. (10.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg); G Justin Simon, 6-5, Jr. (10.4 pp, 3.2 apg).

12. Murray State

Nickname: Racers. Location: Murray, Kentucky.

Record: 27-4, 16-2. Bid: Ohio Valley champ.

Coach: Matt McMahon (0-1 in one appearance).

Last appearance: 2018, lost to West Virginia in first round.

Overview: The Racers have one of the top offenses in the country, ranking in the top 15 in scoring, assists and field-goal percentage. Ja Morant, projected as a high NBA draft pick, had 36 points in the Ohio Valley tournament title game. The Racers are no stranger to the NCAA field. This is their 17th appearance.

Projected Starters: G Ja Morant, 6-3, So. (24.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg,10.0 apg, 50.3 FG%); G Shaq Buchanan, 6-3, Sr. (13.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.8 spg); G Tevin Brown, 6-5, Fr. (11.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 80.0 FT%); F Darnell Cowart, 6-8, Jr. (10.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 56.9 FG%); F KJ Williams, 6-9, Fr. (7.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 69.6 FG%).

13. Vermont

Nickname: Catamounts. Location: Burlington.

Record: 27-6, 14-2. Bid: America East champ.

Last appearance: 2017, lost to Purdue in first round.

Coach: John Becker (1-2 in two appearances).

Overview: Vermont has benefited from the ascent of Anthony Lamb, 21.1 ppg and 7.8 rpg in his junior year. The Catamounts have more than held their own on defense as well, leading the conference in points allowed per game (63.1). Sharpshooting Ernie Duncan can catch fire at the flip of a switch.

Projected starters: F Anthony Lamb, 6-6, Jr. (21.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 52.1 FG%, 2.0 bpg); G Stef Smith, 6-1, So. (12.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 81.3 FT%); G Ernie Duncan, 6-3, Sr. (13.8 ppg, 42.5 3FG%, 83.2 FT%); G Ben Shungu, 6-2, So. (4.0 ppg, 50.0 FG%, 50.0 3FG%); F Samuel Dingba, 6-5, Sr. (2.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg).

14. Northern Kentucky

Nickname: Norse. Location: Highland Heights.

Record: 26-8, 13-5. Bid: Horizon champ.

Last appearance: 2017, lost to Kentucky in first round.

Coach: John Brannen (0-1 in one appearance).

Overview: Horizon player of the year Drew McDonald is the catalyst for the offense but gets help from three other double-figure scorers. Free-throw shooting is a major concern. The Norse make just 66.5% of their attempts, 312th in Division I.

Projected starters: F/C Drew McDonald, 6-8, Sr. (19.1 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 40.9 3FG%); G Tyler Sharpe, 6-1, Jr. (14.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg); G/F Jalen Tate, 6-6, So. (14.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 4.1 apg, 55.5 FG%, 42.1 3FG%); F Dantez Walton, 6-7, Jr. (11.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg); G Trevon Faulkner, 6-4, Fr. (4.9 ppg, 59.1 FG%).

15. Montana

Nickname: Grizzlies. Location: Missoula.

Record: 26-8, 16-4. Bid: Big Sky champ.

Last appearance: 2018, lost in first round to Michigan.

Coach: Travis DeCuire (0-1 in one appearance).

Overview: Montana repeated as regular-season and conference champs, despite senior stalwart Jamar Akoh being limited to just 15 games. He has not played Feb. 7. The team gets by with great shooting: The Grizzlies have knocked down 49.6 percent of their shots, among the top 10 in the nation. That extends to three-point shooting: Montana hits 38 percent beyond the arc, around 30th in the nation.

Projected starters: G Timmy Falls, 6-2, So. (4.5 ppg); G Bobby Moorehead, 6-7, Sr. (5.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg); G Michael Oguine, 6-2, Sr. (13.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 50.3 FG%); G Sayeed Pridgett, 6-5, Jr. (14.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 61 FG%, 47.4 3FG%); G Ahmaad Rorie, 6-1, Sr. (15.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4 apg, 80 FT%).

16. Fairleigh Dickinson

Nickname: Knights. Location: Madison, New Jersey.

Record: 20-13, 12-6. Bid: Northeast champ.

Last appearance: 2016, lost to Florida Gulf Coast in First Four.

Coach: Greg Herenda (0-1 in one appearance).

Overview: The Knights head to the tournament confident on all sides. Despite a turnover rate of 13.4 per game in their conference, they led the Northeast in steals and ranked among the top 30 in the country. One thing to look for as the tournament begins is how often the Knights shoot from the three-point line. They lead their conference with a 40.3% shooting from beyond the arc.

Projected starters: G Darnell Edge, 6-2, Sr. (16.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 46.9 3FG%, 89.3 FT%); G Jahlil Jenkins, 5-10, So. (13.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.5 apg, 87.4 FT%); F Mike Holloway Jr., 6-8, Sr. (12.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 51.5 FG%); F Kaleb Bishop, 6-8, Jr. (10.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 43.9 3FG%); F Elyjah Williams, 6-7, Soph. (8.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 52.9 3FG%).

16. Prairie View A&M

Nickname: Panthers. Location: Prairie View, Texas.

Record: 22-12, 17-1. Bid: Southwestern Athletic champ.

Last appearance: 1998, lost to Kansas in first round.

Coach: Byron Smith (first appearance).

Overview: Prairie View on Jan. 2 was 1-11, thanks in part to a brutal non-conference slate that didn’t see the team play at home until the New Year. The Panthers have lost just once since. Their biggest skill is they maintain a top-five turnover margin, with a ratio over five.

Projected starters: G Gerard Andrus, 6-5, Jr. (10 ppg, 5.7 rpg); G Gary Blackston, 6-2, Sr. (15.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.8 spg); F Iwin Ellis, 6-7, Sr. (3.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 75.0 FG%, 42.9 FT%); G Dennis Jones, 6-1, Sr. (8.6 ppg, 4.5 apg, 2.1 spg); F Devonte Patterson, 6-7, Jr. (13.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 17.9 3FG%).

Contributing: Jace Evans, Ben Soffer, Jay Cannon, Gabriella Novello, Erick Smith, Paul Myerberg, George Schroeder, Scott Gleeson, Eddie Timanus.

NCAA tournament bubble watch: Rutgers, USC help March ...

With Selection Sunday just a week away, NCAA tournament bubble teams are in the make-or-break phases of their seasons. Just one win or loss could be the difference between the NCAAs or NIT.

While every team's profile is unique with its set of strengths and weaknesses, there are intriguing head-to-head matchups between borderline teams in power conference league play that help the NCAA selection committee separate which teams are worthy. Such was the case on Saturday when several bubble teams faced off (Rutgers vs. Purdue and UCLA vs. USC).

Here's a look at all the teams that bolstered their credentials most and those that either stained theirs or didn't do enough to drift to the right side of the bubble Saturday before major conference tournaments begin next week.

College basketball's winners and losers:San Diego State and Baylor stumble, Duke rises

Bolstered résumé

Rutgers: An overtime game on the road against a fellow bubble team that's equally win-hungry in the Big Ten regular-season finale is a perfect indicator for how the madness is already in motion this March. The Scarlet Knights (20-11) escaped Purdue 71-68 to likely lock their inclusion in the NCAAs — for the first time since 1991 if it stands. Saturday's victory follows a Quadrant 1 home win over Maryland earlier in the week that snapped a three-game losing streak for the Knights. Now, Rutgers has five Quad 1 wins, a top-35 NET score and top-50 strength of schedule to entice the selection committee. Meanwhile, Purdue (16-15) is still in the hunt — barely — thanks to a NET score in the 30s.

USC: The Trojans (22-9) likely earned a trip to the NCAA tournament with a 54-52 win over a surging UCLA team that had won seven in a row and also entered Saturday on the bubble. USC has a solid NET score in the 40s and owns five Quadrant 1 victories, and a three-game winning streak (beating Arizona and Arizona State before UCLA on Saturday) was the best way this team could've closed out the Pac-12 regular season. UCLA, meanwhile, might be on the outside looking in as a result of this loss. While they ascended up the Pac-12 standings thanks to a dominant February, the Bruins (19-12, 77 NET) also had an ugly November and December that the selection committee won't ignore.

Utah State: The Aggies are officially off the bubble thanks to their Mountain West Conference tournament championship win over San Diego State. The upset was propelled by Sam Merrill's 27 points and game-winning 3-pointer. Now instead of waiting an entire week with a 50/50 shot of hearing its name called on Selection Sunday, USU has an auto bid to quell all that anxiety the rest of these teams are facing.

Cincinnati: The Bearcats (20-10) survived a scare to Temple 64-63 and after starting the day as one of the "first four out" in bracketology, this team is now extremely close to sneaking into the projected field. Overall, Cincinnati's credentials are right there with a top-25 strength of schedule and NET score in the 40s. The issue is there are only two Quadrant 1 victories and four Quadrant 3 losses on the résumé. Winning in the AAC tourney will be necessary.

Oklahoma: The Sooners (19-12) defeated TCU 78-76 to stay on the safer side of the bubble after entering the day as a projected No. 10 seed. OU has five Quad 1 wins, no bad losses and a top-25 strength of schedule that will bode well against other fringe teams on Selection Sunday. Avoiding a résumé stain in the Big 12 tournament will be a must.

Mississippi State: The Bulldogs (20-11) routed Ole Miss 69-44 to keep their NCAA tournament hopes alive. They've won three of their last four and are heading in the right direction but this profile still only showcases a NET score in the 50s and two Quad 1 wins. There's not enough quality to appease the committee at this time.

Rhode Island: The Rams survived a monstrous scare by beating UMass 64-63 on a night when Minutemen forward Tre Mitchell had 34 points. A loss, which would have been a third straight, would've all but sunk Rhode Island's at-large chances. The win doesn't necessarily put the Rams in the field, because this is still a borderline profile with a NET score in the 50s and just one Quad 1 win, but there's still hope heading into conference tournament week.

East Tennessee State: The Buccaneers (28-4, 39 NET score) are a likely No. 10 or No. 11 seed if they win the Southern Conference tournament. But if they don't secure their league's auto-bid then they'd fall into a similarly uncomfortable position that Northern Iowa finds itself in after exiting the Missouri Valley Conference tournament early. The Panthers were in the projected field before a 21-point loss to Drake on Friday and now find themselves on the outside looking in. Saturday's 70-57 win over VMI was necessary for ETSU to avoid major sweating until Selection Sunday.

Saint Louis: The Billikens (23-8) crushed St. Bonaventure to continue their late pursuit at an at-large bid. Saint Louis has a NET score in the 70s and just recently got a Quadrant 1 victory at Rhode Island to jump-start this late push. It should also be noted that Dayton, a team that just went unbeaten in Atlantic 10 play, barely beat Saint Louis 78-76 in overtime on Jan. 17.

Hurt résumé

Texas: The Longhorns (19-12) were a projected No. 11 seed prior to an ugly 81-59 loss to Big 12 doormat Oklahoma State. Now they're likely on the outside looking in as other borderline teams made significant pushes Saturday. Texas has five Quadrant 1 victories and no bad losses to go with a top-40 strength of schedule. But this team wasn't great in non-conference action and sports a poor NET score in the high-50s. Will the committee favor a power conference team with ample opportunity or a smaller school with less chances to bolster the profile?

Tennessee: The Volunteers (17-14) entered the day as one of the "first four in" before Saturday's 86-63 setback to Auburn. That's not a bad loss by any stretch but it's also not an outcome that pushes them into the projected field. Tennessee has a NET score in the 50s and just three Quad 1 victories, but a top-15 strength of schedule and no bad losses is helping its cause.

Florida: The Gators (19-12) lost to Kentucky 71-70 at home in an outcome that would've given them a tourney-securing Quad 1 win. Instead, Florida is still hanging around on the bubble as a No. 10 or No. 11 seed. Coach Mike White's team needs to win in the SEC tourney to put it fully in the safety zone ahead of Selection Sunday. A top-30 NET score and top-10 non-conference strength of schedule are huge positives on this profile.

Texas Tech: The Red Raiders (18-13) had the tournament's likely top overall seed, Kansas, on the ropes in a 66-62 loss, so it's difficult to imagine them not making the field of 68. But last year's national title runner-up is making it too close for comfort heading into conference championship week, having lost four consecutive games. Despite a NET score in the 20s, Texas Tech has just 18 wins and a non-conference schedule that ranks 178th. This is not a done deal yet.

Indiana: Coach Archie Miller criticized bracketologists after the Hoosiers' 60-56 loss to Wisconsin, and that's likely because his team finds itself squarely on the bubble as a projected No. 10 seed. Luckily this Indiana team (19-12) is better positioned than last year's that was one of the first four teams left out. The Hoosiers have five Quad 1 wins, no bad losses and a top-50 strength of schedule in 2019-20. But a NET score in the 50s is troublesome if other fringe teams climb.

Arkansas: The Razorbacks (19-12) fell to Texas A&M 77-69 and now enter the SEC tournament with work to do if they want to go to the Big Dance. That's two losses in three games that luckily were on the road against non-tourney teams so they won't qualify as bad losses. Arkansas has a lot to like with a NET score in the 40s and a non-conference strength of schedule of 13. But there isn't any signature win that could separate this team from other bubble foes.

South Carolina: The Gamecocks (18-13) all but killed their slim chances of making the field by losing to SEC bottom-feeder Vanderbilt 83-74. It's a résumé-staining loss that removes South Carolina from consideration – for now. A NET score in the 60s and lack of a challenging non-conference schedule are key deal-breakers.

Xavier: The Musketeers (19-12) were sitting at a comfortable No. 9 seed before Saturday's 72-71 home loss to Butler. And even though that outcome doesn't necessarily push them to an unsafe part of the bubble, it does leave the door open for a collapse. Beating Butler at home would have qualified as a Qudrant 1 victory – an outcome that would have solidified Xavier's at-large inclusion.

Georgetown: The Hoyas (15-16) were hanging by a thread on life support before Saturday's 70-69 loss to Villanova but now it will take winning the Big East tourney to reach the NCAAs as this profile is just too bare to make a case to the committee. A NET score in the 60s and a sub-.500 record are glaring. The Big East was the country's toughest conference, yet Georgetown's 5-13 mark in the league surely won't be enough.

Stanford: The Cardinal started the day as one of the "last four in" but failed to get a statement victory at No. 13 Oregon, losing by double digits. As it stands, Stanford has a NET score in the 20s (good), four Quad 1 wins (decent) but a non-conference strength of schedule that ranks 208th (bad). A good showing by Stanford (20-11) in the Pac-12 tournament could go a long way.

NCAA tourney explainer:

Quadrant 1 wins: Home games vs. 1-30 NET teams; Neutral-site games vs. 1-50 NET; Away games vs. 1-75 NET

Quadrant 2 wins: Home games vs. 31-75 NET; Neutral-site games vs. 51-100 NET; Away games vs. 76-135 NET

Quadrant 3 wins, losses: Home games vs. 76-160 NET; Neutral-site games vs. 101-200 NET; Away games vs. 136-240 NET

Quadrant 4 wins, losses: Home games vs. 161-plus NET; Neutral-site games vs. 201-plus NET; Away games vs. 241-plus NET

Note: Nearly all statistical data used is from USA TODAY Sports veteran bracketologist Shelby Mast. WarrenNolan.com and the NCAA's NET rankings are also a reference point.

Follow college basketball reporter Scott Gleeson on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.