Luke Nevill and the Utes are one of a few teams left who could fluctuate between a seven- and 11-seed.
this is the penultimate edition of Dancing on the Bubble for the 2008-09 season. My final opinion on the matter will go up Saturday night, and my actual bracket prediction will go to press early Sunday morning. Here’s the glossy bubble surface according to my eyes as of Tuesday morning.
Locks:
Locks taking auto bids: 
Bubblers taking auto bids: 
That’s 27 locks from nine different conferences above. Meaning that 18 at-large spots are now taken. 34-18= 16 spots left. That assumes all teams above will win their conference tournaments.
Note: ALL RECORDS AND RANKINGS ARE AS OF TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
(Record vs. D-I, RPI, Pomeroy ranking, quality road/neutral wins)
RPI Top 25: While the RPI is not a perfect system, I do always have one rule: If you’re in the top 25 teams in the RPI, you deserve to get into The Tournament. The system is built too “well” to deny anyone that can crack this group.
(20-9, 11, 26, 0) There’s a hideous 80-79 loss to D-II Southwest Baptist, so I give it loss number nine, though the Committee might not factor that in? I don’t know. Wins over Vegas, BYU and Gonzaga help the cause, and the New Mexico W was also significant now. But the Utes are riding on an eight-game winning streak, that’s why they’re here. Blowing its last two to BYU and New Mexico hurt it, but the RPI is still surprisingly good. Would be blown AWAY if Utah didn’t make it, but a first-round MWC loss paired with SDSU or New Mexico winning it could leave the door open.
(25-6, 22, 80, 3) How does the Committee view the A10 this season? I think it’s a two-bid league. Seven losses shouldn’t keep the Flyers out, just avoid losing in the Thursday.
(20-10, 25, 31, 4) Pokes won six straight before falling to starving-for-a-W Oklahoma. Needs just one win.
A LEVEL BELOW:
(22-9, 32, 29, 4) I’m too hesitant. I should have Cal in the field, probably.
(21-8, 50, 55, 2) The Georgia win means the Vanderbilt loss wasn’t contagious. South Carolina is on pretty shaky ground for a major school with eight losses. To avoid catastrophe, it had been win two in the SEC.
(21-10, 57, 66 , 3) You think B.C. and you think it’s in. But a 57 RPI is something that always hesitates you. The Georgia Tech win last weekend was no clincher. I think it needs one more. So many teams need just one more.
(23-8, 28, 45, 2) Moving up a seed line by the game!
(19-12, 42, 53, 3) The Wolverines have been the most manic team for me this season. I don’t even know what I would do if they finished 19-13. I had them in, then out, then not even on the bubble … now pretty close.
(21-9, 41, 48, 3) Has been a miserable road team this season. Wouldn’t trust them come the first round, and it couldn’t seal the deal against Michigan, which swept the Gophers this season and vaulted ahead of them because of that season-finale win.
(21-9, 51 , 57, 2). The Mountain West was made to end this way. Vegas couldn’t beat San Diego State last weekend, which means there’s much more basketball to be played and more bids to be handed out. Someone’s going to be robbed in that conference.
(21-10, 76, 41, 3) I saw the way it played on the road at Gallagher-Iba. This teams deserves a nod, even though there’s nothing out of conference. I will definitely have this team in if it wins one more, but the RPI is a wet blanket.
(27-4, 27, 56, 0) The only good win on the entire schedule is over Utah. And I fear Utah State could see its history repeated: In 2003, the team was ranked in the Top 25 in the final weekend of the regular season and did not get a bid.
(19-11, 38, 28, 5) How big is that five? That’s more than any other team waiting to get in. I can’t believe I’m putting another BIg Ten team in.
(21-10, 66, 79, 2) Bobbing in and out of the water; beat Minnesota and Illinois, then lost to Purdue. Loses to Iowa to finish the season. Has wins over MSU, Purdue and Illinois, so it’s my last team in right now.
(22-9, 48, 44, 3) Only good out of conference win is over Washington. Has done all the losing it can afford to do, probably, but I have to put in a fourth SEC team.
(21-8, 43, 42, 2) Want to see this team play itself out.
—SEED 66 LINE—
(18-11, 53, 30, 2) Last time I said the pool was shallow, so Miami would get a bid. Now? Not so much. Michigan leapt into the picture. Last one out for me, and I think the Committee won’t give it to Miami unless it wins three in Carolina.
(19-12, 52, 34, 0) Gonzaga, Kansas, Washington and UCLA are such nice wins … but nothing good on the road. Couple that with losing three of four, and I still can’t bring myself to put them over the line.
(21-10, 58, 32, 4) New Mexico has to factor in here. What a run by the Lobos. Team’s won eight of its last night, and has four wins, all in conference, on the road against quality clubs. Still plenty of time for New Mexico.
(18-12, 67, 62, 2) As inconsistent as its feeble cousin, Virginia Tech. Needs a Wake, Duke or UNC win. Maybe even two.
(18-11, 69, 71, 1) Friars really needed that Nova win. But the Big East tournament provides opportunity.
(25-6, 45, 51, 0) Can’t do it. Looked too bad against Gonzaga, and I don’t believe it deserves it. It had Mills, and it wasn’t good.
Yep, once again, the bubble is that thin. Gonzaga and Siena winning really helped eliminate some clutter, which I think we’re all thankful for.
