Miami (Ohio) can cap off a perfect regular season and take a critical step toward securing a spot in the NCAA Tournament on Friday night if it beats Ohio in a rivalry showdown on the road. The RedHawks are seeking to become the first college basketball team to end the regular season unbeaten since Gonzaga in 2021.
Getting to 31-0 would reduce the uneasiness around Miami’s at-large credentials. With a win Friday night, Miami could take a loss in the MAC Tournament and still enter Selection Sunday with a Wins Above Bubble (WAB) ranking likely in the 30s. No team better than 43rd in that vital resume metric was left out of the field last year.
However, a loss to the Bobcats, paired with a loss in the MAC Tournament, could make Selection Sunday uncomfortable for Miami, which has played zero Quad 1 games and just one Quad 2 game. With a predictive metrics profile hovering in the 80s, Miami doesn’t rate like a normal at-large team in services like KenPom and Torvik, which the selection committee looks at. But resume-based metrics like WAB, which are closely tied to selection, are in Miami’s favor.
Other bubble teams in action on Friday include VCU, UCF and Seton Hall. Here is the day’s bubble rundown.
Check out the CBS Sports Bracketology model’s latest bracket at the Bracketology hub
Last Four In
First Four Out
Next Four Out
All times ET
Bubble teams in action Friday
All times ET
VCU
at Dayton | 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Entering the day: Last Four In
Game status: Quad 1
This will go down as a fringe Quad 1/2 game for VCU, which enters with just four combined victories in the top two quadrants. The Rams should plan on making it to the Atlantic 10 Tournament title game either way, just to be safe. But a win here would greatly enhance VCU’s at-large viability and increase the A10’s chances of getting a second team in the field behind Saint Louis.
UCF
at West Virginia | 8 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
Entering the day: No. 10 seed
Game status: Quad 1
UCF still has a top-35 resume that is clearly at-large worthy as things stand now. But if the Knights lose to West Virginia and then go one-and-done at the Big 12 Tournament, they might wind up near the cut line. Without good predictive metrics to fall back upon, UCF would be wise to add another win before Selection Sunday.
Miami (Ohio
at Ohio | 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
Entering the day: No. 12 seed (autobid)
Game status: Quad 3
Closing the regular season at 31-0 would give Miami some at-large insurance. With a win here, the RedHawks could feel reasonably hopeful about making the Big Dance if they lost in the MAC Tournament and arrived at Selection Sunday with just one loss. But if Miami loses this one and then loses in the MAC Tournament, the debate would be interesting.
Seton Hall
vs. No. 19 St. John’s | 9 p.m. (FS1)
Entering the day: First Four Out
Game status: Quad 1
A win here would give Seton Hall a fighting chance entering the Big East Tournament. But the Pirates should still plan on sticking around in the Big East Tournament, perhaps even until the title game. This club’s only victory over a projected at-large team came on Nov. 24 against NC State, and the Wolfpack aren’t exactly killing it these days. A home win over St. John’s would be nice, but might not fully offset the damage of a couple Quad 3 losses.