I spent my Tuesday evening working in the Fox Sports studios in Los Angeles. At around 10:45 p.m. ET, the country was overtaken by a mass wave of Bubble-itis. Games between Texas and Mississippi State, Oregon and Indiana, Georgia and South Carolina, Ohio State and Nebraska, Baylor and TCU, Villanova and Georgetown, and Arkansas and Vanderbilt were all coming down to the wire. All of them had major bubble implications. At the same time, No. 1 Auburn was losing for just the third time all season (on the road to a Texas A&M squad that was very determined to break a four-game losing streak) and Iowa State was climbing back from a 21-point deficit at home to BYU... only to lose the game in overtime.

You know what month it is, right?

When we talk about March Madness, we’re usually referring to the NCAA Tournament. But we are very much in the throes of March Madness — and truth be told, the Madness really starts in the middle of February, when football season finally comes to an end and the bubble starts to come clearly into view.

Tuesday night also saw results from the postseason tournaments in the Sun Belt Conference, the Horizon League and the Patriot League. Those games and those from other mid-major conference tournaments will continue in the next few days to play on split screens alongside the bubble clashes, all of which will feed into the dizzying spectacle of power conference tournaments next week, which itself will tee us up for Selection Sunday and the greatest sporting event on the planet.

So take a deep breath, dive into our fresh batch of terrific stories on the website today and get ready to run it back all over again tonight and for the next four weeks. We’re just getting started.

Have a great Wednesday, and thanks as always for your support of Hoops HQ. — Seth

Bubble Watch: 11 Days From Selection Sunday, It’s Put Up or Shut Up Time

By Brad Wachtel

Life on the bubble is stressful. It’s full of uncertainty, drama and constant change. The one positive? Most teams control their own destiny. 

A little over a week ago, Georgia had lost four in a row and it seemed the Bulldogs were destined to stay home while a dozen or so other SEC teams made the Tournament. Then, they beat No. 3 Florida at home and won on the road at Texas. As a result, the Bulldogs went from being one of my “Next 4 Out” teams to a No. 10 seed.

The reality on the bubble is simple: Win basketball games and the rest will take care of itself.

Like Vanderbilt has. The Commodores followed up a massive win at No. 12 Texas A&M by defeating No. 14 Missouri, and IMHO, have locked up an at-large bid and a No. 8 seed. My friends, that’s how you bubble.

One of the bluest of the bluebloods would do well to follow Vandy’s path: North Carolina. The Heels are just 1-10 against Q1 opponents, which makes this weekend’s game against Duke a must win. With time running out, it’s time for a statement victory….

Between the Lines

🏀 HHQ NBA Draft expert Krysten Peek spoke to a number of NBA scouts and executives about the 2025 draft class. The result is our list of the 8 Most Polarizing NBA Draft Picks.

🏀 That viral video of the McNeese student manager rapping with the team on their tunnel walk? Pure gold. The conversation we had with that manager, Amir Khan? Informative, charming and inspiring.

🏀 Duke is firing on all cylnders right now, having won their last three games by an average of 35 points. But if there's one thing that could cause a distraction for the Blue Devils....

No. 5 Florida @ No. 7 Alabama: A highly-anticipated battle of offensive powerhouses and national championship contenders. The Crimson Tide lead the country in points per game (91.0) and the Gators rank ninth (83.8). This game features two of the best guards in college basketball in Florida senior Walter Clayton Jr. and Alabama senior Mark Sears. Auburn has already clinched the SEC regular season title but whichever team wins this one will be in the driver's seat to lock up second place. 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.