Miami (OH) got through its regular season with a perfect 31-0 record.
It can officially clinch an automatic bid by winning the MAC Tournament, though it may solidify an at-large bid, which would be much to the chagrin of several high-majors.
However, several of those high-major squads didn't do themselves any favors on Saturday, as seven of nine teams on the bubble lost.
Now, they will all be rooting for Miami (OH) this week.
While the RedHawks have gotten the bulk of the attention (for good reason), Akron is 26-5 as well and actually the betting favorite to win the MAC Tournament. If so, that would possibly give the MAC two teams and knock someone off the bubble.
The conference most affected is the SEC, with four teams on the bubble.
And that will be the focus of Wednesday's NCAA bubble watch, as Auburn and Texas look to play themselves into the NCAA Tournament.
NCAAB Bubble Picks
SMU vs. Louisville (Over 163.5), 2:30 p.m. ET
Mustangs' Projected Seed: 11
SMU entered the ACC Tournament projected as one of the last four teams in the NCAA Tournament field.
A loss to a Syracuse squad below .500 likely would have ended those hopes, but the Mustangs pulled away for an 86-69 victory. Guard Boopie Miller led the way with 25 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
Miller has enjoyed facing Louisville this season, averaging 21.5 points and 6.5 assists in two meetings with the Cardinals.
The teams split the regular season series, with each team winning on its home floor.
In the third matchup, SMU will catch a slight break, as Louisville will be without Mikel Brown Jr.
However, Louisville defeated Miami, the third seed in this tournament, on Saturday, scoring 92 points without Brown. It took the Cardinals shooting 60% from the field, but they also knocked down 12 3-pointers, matching their season average.
The Cardinals get 41.5% of their points off 3s, the 11th-highest rate nationally.
Since SMU joined the ACC, all three head-to-head games with Louisville featured at least 162 points.
We may get to 164 on Wednesday. But that might be easy, given that both teams rank in the top 20 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, top 40 in shortest offensive possession length, and are both proficient 3-point shooting teams.
A high total is not out of the ordinary for Louisville, as seven of its past 10 games have had a total of at least 159.5, and five have gone under.
Meanwhile, SMU is 19-13 to the Over this season and 7-3 in its past 10 games, which includes its opening ACC round game on Tuesday.
With the elite shotmaking that should be on display today, I expect that trend to continue.
Pick: Over 163.5
Mississippi State vs. Auburn (Over 159), 3 p.m. ET
Tigers' Projected Seed: 11
Auburn went 9-4 in non-conference play and started 5-3 in SEC play.
Since then, the Tigers have lost eight of 10.
There aren't many bracket projections that still have the Tigers in the field, but they are still an 11 seed per BracketMatrix and the last team in per Joe Lunardi. They got some help yesterday with Stanford falling to Pitt in the ACC Tournament.
The Tigers will look to play themselves into the field, and that starts with avenging a 91-85 loss to Mississippi State.
In the first meeting, Josh Hubbard went for 46 points and drained 10 threes. He enters the SEC Tournament coming off another 40-point outing against Georgia. The junior led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament in each of his first two seasons.
Barring a Sundiata Gaines-like conference tournament, this streak will not continue, but he will look to go down swinging. Hubbard is the nation's 10th-leading scorer at 22.1 points per game. He has had to carry the offense on his shoulders, as the team ranks 104th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency.
Despite that, the Bulldogs have scored 74 points or more in seven of their past 10 games.
When you add that to a defense that is also outside the top 100 in adjusted defensive efficiency, you tend to get a lot of Overs. Mississippi State is 5-2 to the Over in its past seven games, and it has allowed 85 points in each of the last six.
Auburn's defense has not been much better during its tailspin, allowing 85.9 points per game over its past 10. It ranks last among SEC teams in adjusted defensive efficiency in conference play.
But Auburn's offense is no slouch, ranking 12th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency this season.
Sophomore guard Tahaad Pettiford will look to match Hubbard as he has scored 19 points in seven of his past nine games, including 21 against the Bulldogs.
The Tigers have four double-digit scorers, led by senior forward Keyshawn Hall, who is averaging 20.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. He played the entire game against Mississippi State, scoring 29 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
Mississippi State's win over Auburn was just its second in the last 10 meetings.
Though Auburn needs one, I don't have much interest in backing them as a sizable favorite when the Tigers are 2-8 outright and 1-9 ATS entering this tournament.
However, like Mississippi State, Auburn Overs have been profitable, going 5-1 in its past six games.
The Over is 7-3 in the past 10 head-to-head meetings, and cashed comfortably with 176 points in the first meeting.
Pick: Over 159.5
Ole Miss vs. Texas (Over 145), 7 p.m. ET
Longhorns' Projected Seed: 11
After a slow start to the year, Texas appeared to play itself off the bubble, starting 8-5 in the SEC.
However, it dropped four of its final five games to close the regular season at 18-13 entering the SEC Tournament.
Texas still may be smarting from an overtime loss to rival Oklahoma on Saturday, though it may take some solace in its lone recent win coming against Texas A&M.
Most projections now have the Longhorns as either a 10 or 11 seed, and they are one of Lunardi's last four byes. They may be safely in the field with a win on Wednesday, and they will take on an Ole Miss team they defeated 79-68 in Austin last month.
Texas managed to win that game despite just seven points from leading scorer Dailyn Swain.
Sophomore center Matas Vokietaitas led the way with 27 points on 9-for-10 shooting from the field, combining with Tramon Mark and Jordan Pope for 59 of the team's points.
The Longhorns shot 53% from the field, which is not out of the norm. They rank 10th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency this season.
The Longhorns play at a slower pace, and so does Ole Miss.
However, that has not stopped Rebels' games from going Over. Nine of their past 10 games have landed Over, and they are averaging 85.8 points per game during that stretch.
Ole Miss has lost 12 of its 13 games, and its defense is likely why it will not make the NCAA Tournament, as it ranks 73rd nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency.
However, it will have the better defense in this game, as Texas is 109th in adjusted defensive efficiency and 10th in SEC play.
The Longhorns do not force many turnovers, nor do they guard the 3-point line well. They have allowed 84 points in five of their past six games and have gone 7-3 to the Over in their past 10 games.
KenPom projects 152 points for tonight's matchup.
Pick: Over 145.5
