SI:AM | Whose Bubble Will Burst?

The selection committee will face several tough choices when building this year's men's NCAA tournament bracket.

DAN GARTLAND Good morning, I'm Dan Gartland. I think it's pretty funny how disastrous the Big 12's experiment with a glass basketball court was.  In today's SI:AM: 🤞 Miami falls, but should be in 🏀 Latest Bracket Watch 🏈 Vikings add Kyler Murray Bubble teams on notice Sam Greene/Imagn Images The internet's various bracketologists have their work cut out for them this year.  With two days left before the brackets are announced on Sunday, the field for the men's tournament is full of question marks. The bubble is so weak this year that teams like Auburn (17–16) and Indiana (18–14) are earning at-large consideration. The situation is made even more complicated by the potential for "bid stealers." Among the teams balancing on the bubble are Missouri, Oklahoma, Miami (Ohio), Texas, New Mexico, San Diego State and Seton Hall. Some of them are still alive in their respective conference tournaments, with a chance to either earn a résumé-boosting win or clinch an automatic bid, while some are forced to sit at home and keep an eye on their fellow bubble teams.  The situation with Miami (Ohio) is the most fascinating. The RedHawks went 31–0 in the regular season before losing in the opening round of the MAC tournament on Thursday against UMass, suddenly throwing them into the bubble conversation. There was plenty of conversation about whether Miami deserved at-large consideration even before the team lost, and being eliminated from the auto-bid picture made those conversations no longer hypothetical.  CONTINUE DAN'S COLUMN ON SI The best of Sports Illustrated Albert Breer says quarterback Kyler Murray's arrival in Minnesota should light a fire under J.J. McCarthy, who enters a critical third year. He also has notes on how the Raiders and Maxx Crosby are moving forward and the best bargain free agent signings. Pat Forde argues that a one-loss Miami (Ohio) team should qualify for the men's NCAA tournament—or college basketball is broken. In his daily bracket watch, Kevin Sweeney identifies who is in and out of the men's NCAA tournament. Duke survived its first ACC tournament game without starters Patrick Ngongba II and Caleb Foster. Bryan Fischer wonders how far this shorthanded Blue Devils team can go in March. Our women's college basketball staff breaks down the biggest questions facing the selection committee, including who should be the No. 1 overall seed and which schools will get the right to host the first and second rounds. Justin Thomas is playing in just his second event since returning from offseason back surgery, and he looked comfortable at an event he's won before, writes Bob Harig. After a shocking first-place pool-play finish by Italy and dominant showings by Japan and the Dominican Republic, Kyle Koster reseeds the WBC quarterfinal teams. Jenna Tonelli sat down with Guro Reiten ahead of the star winger's move from Chelsea to Gotham FC. Theo Lloyd-Hughes and Tonelli make their way-too-early NWSL predictions for the upcoming season, including who will take home the Shield. Get the print edition of Sports Illustrated delivered to your door. CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE! Winslow Townson/Imagn Images 👀 The top five ... … things I saw last night:  5. The final seconds of Duke's narrow victory over Florida State.  4. A clutch shot by Kansas star Darryn Peterson to help seal the Jayhawks' win over TCU.  3. The final 30 seconds of the Celtics-Thunder game. (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn't play the hero, but he did break Wilt Chamberlain's record for most consecutive 20-point games.) 2. Mitch Marner's goal while falling to the ice.  1. An even better goal by the Sharks' William Eklund.  The best of SI Video Reddit co-founder and venture capitalist Alexis Ohanian joins Sports Illustrated to discuss the business opportunity behind women's sports and why he believes the next generation of sports growth will come from underinvested leagues and digital native fans. Ohanian also discusses emerging sports formats, his investments in track and field and golf and how technology and AI could shape the future of sports. Join the SI Boxing Newsletter Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix provides a weekly spotlight, featuring in-depth reporting and sharp commentary, on the biggest fights and stories inside the ring. CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE W We may receive compensation for some links to products and services included in this email. Sports Publishing Solutions Inc. 625 Broadway, 10th floor New York, NY. 10012 You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to the SI:AM newsletter. You can unsubscribe here  . 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