Does anyone want to go dancing?

This is unbelievable. Fans of South Alabama, Illinois State and VCU ought to be jumping for joy, because today has been an absolute disaster for the bubble teams still in action. Almost nobody is playing their way in, and a lot of teams are playing their way out. If there is ever going to be a year when four low- or mid-majors (i.e., the three above-mentioned teams plus St. Mary's) can all reach the Big Dance despite disappointing conference tournament finishes, this is that year.

The list of bubble teams that have lost today now includes Oregon, UMass and -- in humiliating fashion -- Florida, in addition to the ones I've mentioned previously: Dayton, Villanova, UAB, Houston, and Arizona State... plus Baylor, which wasn't even a bubble team this morning, according to Joe Lunardi, but may be one now. (On the other hand, maybe not; who's going to take their place?)

The only bubble teams that have won today are Miami (which was at the very top of the bubble, per Lunardi, and presumably can now be considered a lock), Florida State and Temple (both of whom were at the very bottom of the bubble, but may have a realistic shot in this crazy environment), UNLV (barely!) and St. Joseph's.

Bubble teams with unfinished games tonight: Texas A&M (winning), Arizona (hasn't tipped off yet), New Mexico (hasn't tipped off yet), Mississippi (losing) and Maryland (losing).

Bubble teams who start their conference tournaments tomorrow: Arkansas, Ohio State, Virginia Tech.

What a crazy day of basketball this has been.

UPDATE: Of the five "unfinished" teams mentioned above, only Texas A&M won. Arizona, New Mexico, Mississippi and Maryland all lost! Unreal!

This reminds me a bit of a really compressed version of the last few weeks of college football season, when all one BCS contender after another kept losing, thus opening the door for teams who thought they'd been definitively eliminated from the championship picture. Remember when Illinois "crushed" Ohio State's title hopes, and when Arkansas "knocked out" LSU from any possibility of reaching the title game? Well, yesterday's bubble "eliminations" are similarly suspect, thanks to all the other losses. Arizona State, Villanova, UMass, etc. -- you may yet get in. After all, somebody's gotta! They aren't going to shrink the tournament to 60 teams just because no one seems to want the final few spots.

Comments

[MHiggo]

Andy Glockner's list of the 22 teams with the best shot at the eight at-large berths he deems still 'up for grabs':

Tier A (in relatively good shape today, March 13): Arizona, Kentucky, UMass, Texas A&M, Arkansas

Tier B (right on the cut line): Dayton, Illinois State, Ole Miss, UAB, Ohio State, Villanova, Oregon, Arizona State, New Mexico, Saint Joseph's, VCU

Tier C (long shots): Virginia Tech, Temple, Florida, Houston, Maryland, Florida State

Going by that, only one Tier A (TAMU), one Tier B (St. Joe's) and two Tier C (Temple, Fla. State) teams actually did their chances any favors. I don't know if CBS has enough cameras to go around for all the tension-filled bracket parties coming Sunday.

Also of note: Three of Joe Lunardi's "Last Four In" -- UMass, New Mexico and Arizona State -- bombed out (Ill. State is the other). That should open up room for St. Joe's, one of the "Next Four Out."

[jlr]

Let's not forget Maryland's lovely implosion. Up by 15 at the half in the first round of the ACC tourney to lowly BC, they manage to blow it.

Again.

NIT, here come the Terps.

[MHiggo]

Yahweh forbid, jlr.

Stoopid Terps, dragging down American's RPI like that....

[Marty West]

What happened to Butler is just unreal. Talk about collapse.

My Explorers lost to the friggin' Owls. Ugh. At least 2 teams from the Philly area have a shot now...better than 0.

[B. Minich]

I know a lot of disappointed Terps fans. I also know a very disappointed Orange Terp.

This is Maryland's MO over the past few years. Win some good games, lose some head scratchers, and always, ALWAYS epically collapse at the wrong time.

So far, I'm rooting for Pitt, Mount Saint Mary's, UMBC, and American to win and make it in (if they haven't made it in already). Pitt needs some confidence boosting wins, and seems to be getting them. Now if they can just beat Marquette.

Man, the fact that the Big East tourney is in NYC, in the Garden, is awesome. Their logo this year is the best.

[Marty West]

B Minich....it's always at the Garden.

[jlr]

B Minich... I'm one of those REALLY disappointed Terps fans. They've only made it to the dance a couple of times since winning the whole thing in '02.

[B. Minich]

Marty: I know its always at the Garden. That's what makes it even better. :D I was just commenting on the fact that I love this location. However the Big East got that venue locked up for their tourney, they pulled a coup with that one.

Plus, it helps that Pitt has an amazing win percentage at MSG over the past few years, making 7 of the last 8 Big East title games.