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Not that long ago, I was fairly certain Xavier was playing for seeding in rather than entry to the NCAA tournament. Some factors have complicated that view, most notably Xavier's current run of rather poor form. With less than three weeks between now and Selection Sunday, it's once again the time of year where Muskie fans start watching games around the nation with special interest.
Desperation makes for strange bedfellows. For instance, you'll probably find yourself at some point in time this week cheering for Kentucky to do something other than re-secede from the union. Here are the matchups to watch tonight, who you want to lose, and what it means to Xavier.
7:00 PM Oklahoma State at TCU
Pull for the Cowboys to lose this one. I know Marcus Smart is fun to watch and I personally think the dude he pushed in the stands had it coming, but OK State is sitting in the last four in, just eight spots behind Xavier on the s-curve. TCU is exceptionally bad at basketball this year, so there's almost no chance of them getting this win. If they did, it would be a serious dent in a fellow bubble team's resume.
9:00 PM Oklahoma at (5) Kansas
This is a reach, as Oklahoma is currently about a dozen places ahead of Xavier on the s-curve, depending on which bracketologist you love the most. It's unlikely that they could play themselves onto the bubble, but it's not out of the realm of possibility. It's hard to see how a loss on the road against Kansas could hurt a resume, but every slide has to start somewhere.
There you have it. It's a quiet night on the bubble today, but tomorrow is a different story. The biggest bubble game tomorrow is, of course, Xavier against St. John's, but we'll have you caught up and ready to know who else to cheer against as the ball goes up. Good night, and good luck.
