Connoracketology Week 17 (Mar. 4)

This edition of Connoracketology uses games played through March 3rd to determine its seed rankings.

The bubble has shrunk.  It’s the phrase no one wants fighting for the last few tournament spots wants to hear.  But that’s exactly what has happened.  By taking the lead in their respective conferences, Boise State and Tulsa (two previous bubble teams) have automatic bids at the moment.  This means that there are two fewer at-large spots to fight for, meaning no one can afford to lose, or they will fall out of the field.  The situation is great for Boise and Tulsa, but for a team like BYU, who just knocked off Gonzaga, it means they still aren’t in the field.  They would have passed Tulsa had they not had an auto-bid.
Texas saved their season with a come from behind victory over Baylor, but it might be too little too late for the Longhorns, 7-10 in Big 12 play.  They might not be the only team that threw their chances away in Big-12 play either.  If Oklahoma State loses against TCU, that would make 5 straight losses for the Cowboys, and could put them in the same situation Texas is currently in.
We’re getting ever so close to Selection Sunday, now only 11 days away, so I have much more to talk about.  However, that will have to wait until the next edition of Bracket Breakdown on Youtube, which I will be releasing tomorrow.  For now, here’s the bracket.