Bubble Teams Fight for NCAA Tournament Spots

0:00On March 11th, as the men's college basketball regular season wraps up, several teams on the NCAA tournament bubble are fighting hard in conference. Tournaments to earn at large bids. Over the past month, safe spots seemed available, but most squads failed to grab them, leaving more than a few in must-win territory this week. Stanford's quest is already over, but others have key games today. In the ACC, North Carolina State faces Pittsburgh at noon Eastern on ESPN 2. The Wolfpack have struggled lately with just one win in their last seven, though they're probably still safe amid the bubble chaos. A loss to the lower-ranked Panthers could hurt badly, later at 2.30 pm. Eastern on ESPN, Southern Methodist takes on Louisville, giving the must-things a chance to build their resume after dodging a bad loss earlier. Meanwhile, Cincinnati meets Central Florida at 3 p.m. Eastern on ESPN 2 in the Big 12. The Bearcats have rebounded with six wins in eight games, and a victory keeps them alive

1:02without guaranteeing a spot. Over in the SEC, Auburn Battles misses to be state at the same time on SEC Network as both push for stronger cases heading into March Madness. Indiana vs. Northwestern rounds out the watch list at 5.30 p.m. Eastern on Big 10 Network. The Hoosiers need a deep tournament run and can't afford a slip against the Wildcats who could use the win too. Bracket experts see Indiana on the edge already. These matchups across four power conferences could shift the bubble dramatically, deciding who dances and who watches from home as Selection Sunday.