HOUSTON — 68 teams will participate in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, and the next two weekends of college basketball will play a significant role in shaping which programs will be dancing and which will see their season end with a berth in the NIT.
High profile programs like North Carolina, Michigan, and Auburn could find themselves on the outside after a tumultuous regular season across the entire NCAA.
Locked on College Basketball host Andy Patton spoke with Brian Rauf of Heat Check College Basketball, previewing the games this weekend that will have the biggest impact on the bubble teams ahead of Selection Sunday and the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
1. Duke at North Carolina (March 4, 6:30 ET)
This might not be an absolute, must-win game for the Tar Heels, but a loss here means this team has to perform well in the ACC Tournament or else they risk joining a dubious club of preseason No. 1 teams to not make the Big Dance.
2. Michigan at Indiana (March 5, 4:30 ET)
Michigan's heartbreaking loss to Illinois in double-overtime set the stage for Sunday's battle on the road against Indiana. The Hoosiers have struggled as of late, but they are a strong home team. The Wolverines are in desperation mode, which should make for a very exciting game of basketball on Sunday.
3. Oklahoma State at Texas Tech (March 4, 6:00 ET)
Oklahoma State and Texas Tech are two Big-12 bottom feeders, but the strength of the conference has both these teams still on the bubble despite their 7-10 and 5-12 conference records, respectively.
Whichever teams wins on Saturday goes into next week on the right side of the bubble - while the other team should start preparing for an NIT bid.
4. Arizona State at USC (March 4, 11:00 ET)
Both Arizona State and USC are on the bubble right now, fighting to be the third team from the Pac-12 in the dance behind UCLA and Arizona. The Sun Devils are 20-10 on the year but only 11-8 in conference play, and a win over the Trojans would significantly help their resume ahead of Selection Sunday.
5. Maryland at Penn State (March 5, 12:00 ET)
Maryland is a monster at home but they struggle on the road, and a win by the Nittany Lions would significantly boost their odds of earning a bid in the NCAA Tournament, while also putting them at an even 10-10 in Big Ten play.