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BUBBLE BANTER: Big East, Atlantic 10 bids will be earned tonight

St Bonaventure Saint Josephs Basketball

St. Bonaventure’s Denzel Gregg celebrates after they defeated St. Joseph’s after an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016, in Philadelphia. (Charles Fox/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP) PHIX OUT; TV OUT; MAGS OUT; NEWARK OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

AP

This post will be updated throughout the night.

WINNERS


  • St. Bonaventure (KenPom: 82, RPI: 35, CBT Bracketology Seed: First Four Out): The Bonnies may have done enough to clinch an at-large bid tonight with their win over Saint Joe’s. They now have three top 30 wins -- two of which came on the road -- and an RPI that will be in the low-30s, which may be enough to make up for the two bad losses on their profile. I would strongly suggest, however, winning at Saint Louis this weekend and avoiding a loss in the opening round of the A-10 tournament.
  • VCU (KP: 39, RPI: 47, CBT: First Four Out): The Rams picked up a win over Davidson which, when combined with the loss Saint Joe’s took at St. Bonaventure, gave Will Wade at least a share of the Atlantic 10 regular season title. That said, VCU needs a win at Dayton this weekend to really feel comfortable about their tournament standing.
  • Butler (KP: 38, RPI: 56, CBT: Play-in Game): The Bulldogs gave themselves a bit of breathing room with a win over Seton Hall at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Wednesday. They now have just three top 50 wins to their name, but of their nine losses this season, five came against top ten teams and three more were road losses in league play. If they can win their next two, beating Marquette and getting to the semifinals of the Big East tournament, I think they’re in.
  • Providence (KP: 59, RPI: 46, CBT: 10): The Friars picked up a massive win over Creighton at home on Wednesday, a win that mattered not because beating the Bluejays was critical for their résumé, but because they’ve been slumping of late. Providence has now won two in a row after losing six out of eight. Can they right the ship in time for the tournaments?
  • Wisconsin (KP: 27, RPI: 32, CBT: 8): The Badgers beat Minnesota, which, for me, is enough to get them into the dance.

LOSERS


  • Pitt (KP: 40, RPI: 37, CBT: 8): After all that hard work whipping up on Duke, Pitt obviously went and lost at Virginia Tech on Wednesday night. And this is why the Panthers weren’t a lock with the Duke win. They now have fewer top 50 wins than they do sub-100 losses, and while that isn’t necessarily a barrier to getting into the tournament, it’s not usually a good sign. I don’t think they want the pressure that will come if they lose at Georgia Tech this weekend.
  • Alabama (KP: 81, RPI: 49, CBT: 11): The Crimson Tide lost to Arkansas at home on Wednesday, a brutal loss that might drop them onto the wrong side of the cut line. Alabama has now lost three of their last four games, and currently have three sub-100 losses. Their saving grace? Four top 50 wins, including Wichita State and Notre Dame in non-conference action.
  • Oregon State (KP: 60, RPI: 27, CBT: 9): The Beavers missed out on a chance to land a road win they needed when they fell at USC on Wednesday. OSU is trending directly for the bubble’s cut line.