We were clear in saying it this week: Utah had to beat UCLA on Thursday in Salt Lake City to have a realistic chance of getting an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Utah did beat Arizona, but that’s about all the Utes have achieved this season. They missed crucial nonconference win opportunities against Mississippi State, TCU, and BYU. Their home-court loss to Sam Houston State hurts. Their home-court loss to Stanford is a crusher.
Going 2-5 in their last seven games also does not help the Utes.
They needed a win over UCLA to put some real meat on the bone of their portfolio. They lost to the Bruins, 78-71, which very likely pops Utah’s bubble. If it doesn’t fully end Utah’s bubble candidacy, it at least forces the Utes to win each of their next five games: versus USC, versus Colorado, first-round Pac-12 Tournament game, Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal, Pac-12 semifinal.
If Utah wins the first four of those games but doesn’t win the Pac-12 semifinal — presumably over UCLA or Arizona, either one — it won’t get in.
This leaves Arizona State as the only Pac-12 bubble team other than USC with a half-decent chance of making the field. ASU plays at Arizona on Saturday.
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