Bubble watch: Texas and North Carolina both lose, and now they await the committee’s verdict

By Canadian Press on March 14, 2025.

A look at the NCAA Tournament bubble picture:

The defense rests

Closing arguments are over for Texas and North Carolina. Both bubble teams lost Friday and must now wait until Selection Sunday to find out if they made the 68-team field.

Texas lost 83-72 to No. 8 Tennessee in the SEC Tournament, and North Carolina dropped a 74-71 heartbreaker to top-ranked Duke.

Texas and North Carolina will want to root for Memphis in the AAC and Virginia Commonwealth in the Atlantic 10, since those teams entering the at-large pool would be dicey for the Longhorns and Tar Heels. Memphis and VCU both won Friday in their conference tournaments.

The experts say …

ESPN’s bracket projection still had Texas and North Carolina in as of late Friday night, but Boise State — still alive in the Mountain West Tournament — was a real threat as one of the first teams out.

Automatic bids so far

SIU Edwardsville (Ohio Valley), Omaha (Summit), Lipscomb (Atlantic Sun), High Point (Big South), Drake (Missouri Valley), Wofford (Southern), Troy (Sun Belt), Robert Morris (Horizon), UNC-Wilmington (Coastal Athletic), St. Francis, Pa. (Northeast), Gonzaga (WCC), McNeese (Southland), American (Patriot), Montana (Big Sky).

Automatic bids at stake Saturday

America East (Bryant vs. Maine)

ACC (Duke vs. Louisville-Clemson winner)

Big 12 (Houston vs. Texas Tech-Arizona winner)

Big East (St. John’s vs. Creighton-UConn winner)

Big West (UC San Diego vs. UC Irvine-Cal Poly winner)

Conference USA (Liberty vs. Jacksonville State)

MAAC (Iona vs. Mount St. Mary’s)

MAC (Akron vs. Miami, Ohio)

MEAC (Norfolk State vs. South Carolina State)

Mountain West (New Mexico-Boise State winner vs. Colorado State-Utah State winner)

SWAC (Jackson State vs. Alabama State)

WAC (Utah Valley vs. Grand Canyon-Cal Baptist winner)

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Noah Trister, The Associated Press