FROM BUBBLE TO TROUBLE: THREE THAT COULD WIN IT ALL
A bubble team sometimes finds a way.
Last year, UCLA squeaked into the field of 68 and turned its questionable NCAA tournament ticket into a Sweet 16 run. In 2014, bubble team Dayton went all the way to the Elite Eight.
Considering this season has been wild and unpredictable, it’s not that crazy to suggest a (February) bubble team could win the national title.
Here are three surging teams that have that potential. WISCONSIN (16-9) The difference between Wisconsin in November and Wisconsin in February is significant.
For a while, it seemed as though the Bo Ryan-less Badgers were deteriorating into Big Ten mediocrity. But coach Greg Gard has piloted this team to a sevengame winning streak that includes victories against Michigan State and Maryland.
The same cast that lost to Western Illinois and Milwaukee in non-conference play is looking the part of a Big Ten title contender. The selection committee considers the full body of work, which is why Wisconsin wasn’t even in the projected field of 68 last week.
But the way the Badgers looked on the road Saturday at national title contender Maryland makes a third consecutive Final Four — or a better finish — seem completely possible. CALIFORNIA (17-8) The Golden Bears were a preseason top 15 team on talent — top-10 recruits Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb joined a veteran core — but growing pains have kept Cuonzo Martin’s team from fully hitting its stride.
When elite scorer Tyrone Wallace broke his right hand in January, reaching the NCAA tournament seemed in doubt. But Wallace is back and team chemistry seems to be high, as Cal blew out Pac-12 leader Oregon by 20 points in the midst of a recent three-game winning streak.
A Pac-12 title is in reach considering how wide open the conference has been. And so is the national title. LSU (16-9) Projected NBA No. 1 pick Ben Simmons (19.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists) is arguably the best player in the country, and if the versatile 6-10 point forward can find the killer instinct he’s been lacking — mainly at the end of games — LSU will be diffi- cult to beat in March.
The Tigers have come a long way, and in spite of early-season losses that have them on the bubble — they were the nation’s most disappointing team during nonconference play — they are tied atop the Southeastern Conference standings with Kentucky. That’s how wild this season has been: A league leader in a power conference is on the bubble in mid-February.
Of all of LSU’s credentials, its narrow loss to Oklahoma could be the most telling. The game was at home, but the Tigers looked like the better team until the final minutes. If the Sooners are a title contender, LSU isn’t that far off.