ESPN’s Joe Lunardi updates Oklahoma’s bubble status after win over Texas A&M
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Since the calendar turned to March, college basketball fans have been begging someone (anyone!) near the NCAA Tournament bubble to make a push toward the bracket. For the most part, tourney hopefuls have fallen flat. Indiana losing to Northwestern, Texas slipping against Ole Miss and Stanford dropping its ACC Tournament game versus Pittsburgh have been the status quo.
If there’s one school playing like it actually wants to partake in March Madness next week, it’s Oklahoma. The Sooners have come roaring toward the field with six straight wins — five of which were by double-digits — and victories in 8 of their last 10 contests.
Thursday night’s 83-63 demolition of Texas A&M gave Oklahoma a fourth triumph over a conference foe seeking an at-large bid (Auburn, Texas, Missouri) since Feb. 24. Those notches on the Sooners’ belt have, in ESPN’s Joe Lunardi’s estimation, put them right on the NCAA Tournament cut line. He currently has Oklahoma as his “first team out” of the bracket.
Lunardi called tonight’s SEC quarterfinal between Oklahoma and Arkansas the “most important game of the day.” A win over the Razorbacks “could put the Sooners in the [NCAA Tournament].” An Arkansas victory would presumably keep John Calipari’s team in contention for a No. 4 seed in said tournament. The Razorbacks and Sooners tip off at appx. 9:30 p.m. ET (SEC Network).
Which bubble teams from the SEC will make the NCAA Tournament? Kalshi is taking prediction action!
