When we discuss bubble results and explore a path for the USC men’s basketball team to make the NCAA Tournament, we have to be precise and careful.
Some bubble games involve two bubble teams on relatively equal footing, which means that even though one team will lose and fall to a lower spot on the bubble, the winner will rise. That doesn’t necessarily help USC.
The Trojans want one of two things to happen. First, they will want teams in very good position on the bubble to beat teams in a weak position on the bubble. Teams likely to get in can simply solidify their position. USC and other teams squarely on the bubble don’t want the weaker bubble teams to fortify their positions and move up the ladder. That’s where extra at-large bids can come from, crowding USC out of the field.
Second, if USC lost to a specific team earlier in the season, the Trojans need that team to not only improve its position, but also bump off other bubble candidates.
Hello, Wisconsin.
The Badgers defeated USC in the Battle 4 Atlantis event in late November. USC won’t mind if Wisconsin solidifies itself as an NCAA Tournament team. USC’s resume looks better if the Trojans have a loss to an NCAA team. Meanwhile, Wisconsin can — in the process of gaining an NCAA bid — prevent other bubble teams from getting at-large spots.
Tuesday night, USC received that kind of result from Wisconsin.
The Badgers improved their NCAA Tournament prospects while denying bubble-hugging Penn State a key win. As our friends at Badgers Wire noted, Wisconsin’s 63-60 win over Penn State was very important for UW.
Some bubble results contain mixed or ambiguous meanings, but this particular bubble game clearly broke in the right direction for USC.
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