Villanova Bubble Watch: Indiana, Xavier Pick Up Wins

Villanova Men’s Basketball currently occupies the No. 76 spot in ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s NCAA Tournament bubble rankings, the most recent edition published on Sunday, Feb. 23.

With just three games left in the regular season along with at least one Big East Tournament game guaranteed, the Wildcats’ margin for error is nil. They have eight spots to climb to sneak into Lunardi’s field of 68, and he’s just one man: just because their résumé impresses him doesn’t mean the rest of the selection committee will feel similarly swayed. Their destiny might be out of their hands alone, as bid stealers in the various conference tournaments could deal their chances another blow… and they might even need losses from the teams ahead of them on the bubble in order to pave their path.

Unfortunately for Villanova and their fans, the Wildcats’ chances of an at-large bid dropped on Sunday, even though they didn’t play, falling from 1.3 percent to an even more miniscule 1.2 percent.

NCAA Bubble Drama

That’s because two of the teams ahead of them on the bubble, Xavier (No. 74) and Indiana (No. 75) picked up wins. Less damaging were the Musketeers, who squeaked past the pitiful Seton Hall Pirates 73-66 on the road. Indiana, on the other hand, picked up a major résumé booster, crushing No. 13 Purdue 73-58 at home behind a dominant defensive performance in the second half.

Villanova (No. 50) still ranks ahead of both Xavier (No. 53, actually dropping a spot due after their performance at Seton Hall) and Indiana (No. 56) in the NET rankings… but once again, they have no margin for error, and a feather in the cap of any of their opponents will turn into a direct hit to their tournament chances.

In happier news, Kansas State (behind Villanova in both Lunardi’s rankings and the NET) lost by double digits at home, diminishing the Wildcats’ chance of getting leapfrogged.