Syracuse Bubble Watch: March 11th Games to Watch & Desired Outcomes
Here are the games that Syracuse fans should be focused on for Thursday, March 11th. Note: all times listed are eastern standard time.
NET Update
Syracuse’s win over NC State moved the Orange up 10 spots to 39 in the NET rankings. NC State dropped only four spots to 72, keeping them a quad one win for Syracuse.
North Carolina moved up to 32, just two spots away from being a quad one win for Syracuse.
Louisville dropped to 57, Xavier to 62, and Duke stayed at 51.
March 11th Games
Syracuse vs Virginia (12:00 p.m., ESPN2): This one is self explanatory. Win and you're in. Syracuse is probably in anyway, but this would remove any doubt.
Michigan State vs Maryland (11:30 a.m., BTN): Michigan State likely solidified its spot in the field with Sunday's win over Michigan. Maryland, however, last two straight to teams with losing records to end the regular season. Another loss would make Maryland 14-13 and give the committee a reason to exclude them. The Terps have four quad one wins, but also have four losses to teams with a losing record.
Georgetown vs Villanova (12:00 p.m., FS1): If Georgetown wins this game perhaps another, they have an outside shot of cracking the top 75 and becoming a quad two win for Syracuse.
Seton Hall vs St. John's (3:00 p.m., FS1): Both teams are on the outside of the bubble looking in. The loser is eliminated while the winner still has work left to do.
Wyoming vs San Diego State (3:00 p.m., CBSSN): In the Mountain West Conference Tournament, Syracuse fans want chaos. Except for San Diego State. The Aztecs are getting into the NCAA Tournament regardless, so Orange fans should hope they win the conference tourney.
Miami (OH) vs Buffalo (4:00 p.m., ESPN+): Buffalo winning moves them to a quad two win for Syracuse.
Nevada vs Boise State (5:30 p.m., CBSSN): Boise State is another bubble team, so Syracuse fans should hope for a Nevada upset.
Duke vs Florida State (6:30 p.m., ESPN): Duke helped Syracuse by knocking off Louisville on Wednesday. That puts the Cardinals fate in jeopardy. To prevent Duke from getting back in the bubble mix, Syracuse should want a Florida State win here.
North Carolina vs Virginia Tech (9:00 p.m., ESPN): Two teams that Syracuse beat that are both in quad two currently. A win from either pushes them closer to quad one. UNC is closer, so Syracuse is pulling for them.
South Carolina vs Ole Miss (9:00 p.m., SECN): Ole Miss is another bubble team with a comparable resume to other bubble squads. South Carolina is not making the big dance without an SEC Tournament Title. Syracuse wants Ole Miss to lose.
UNLV vs Utah State (9:00 p.m., CBSSN): Just like Boise State above, Utah State is a bubble team battling with Syracuse for positioning. Syracuse should be big UNLV fans in this one.
Fresno State vs Colorado State (11:30 p.m., CBSSN): The third Mountain West bubble team to play on Thursday, Syracuse fans will want Fresno State to pull the upset.
Wednesday's Results
Syracuse 89 NC State 68: This was an impressive statement win by Syracuse. They looked every bit the part of an NCAA Tournament team.
Miami 67 Clemson 64: A big surprise as the Hurricanes upset Clemson, thus ending any hopes of the Tigers becoming a quad one win for Syracuse.
UNLV 80 Air Force 52: UNLV is the better team, and provides a more realistic shot of Utah State losing in the second round.
Butler 70 Xavier 69: That sound you heard was Xavier's bubble popping. This was a significant result for Syracuse and likely solidifies the Orange's position in the field.
Duke 70 Louisville 56: Louisville's resume should not have them as a lock. There is nothing that separates it from other bubble teams. Losing this game should have the Cardinals very concerned about its NCAA Tournament hopes.
Fresno State 85 New Mexico 77: Fresno State provides a better opportunity to upset Colorado State.
North Carolina 101 Notre Dame 59: North Carolina dominating Notre Dame helps push the Tar Heels closer to the top 30, and moving that win to a quad one victory for the Orange.
