Indiana

In Joe Lunardi’s bracketology, Indiana is currently listed as the last team out. Darian DeVries is in his first year as head coach, but the fanbase in Bloomington was expecting a Year 1 tournament bid considering the amount of NIL resources the program has. Led by flame-thrower Lamar Wilkerson (21 PPG), the Hoosiers will likely need to win at least three games in the Big Ten Tournament to feel safe on Selection Sunday.

Cincinnati

As I mentioned in my last college basketball article, since Wes Miller addressed the fans, Cincinnati has been playing at a very high level. Since that moment they are 6-2, ranking 7th in the country over that span according to Bart Torvik’s filter. They did suffer a road loss to TCU this weekend, but the path is still there. Three wins in the Big 12 Tournament likely makes them a lock, while two would have them sweating it out. With how well they’re playing right now, it would feel like a disservice if they were left out. I like to favor teams that are peaking late.

Auburn What a collapse it has been for Auburn, losing eight of their last ten games to close the regular season. This is still a top-35 caliber roster talent-wise, but their refusal to defend consistently has cost them all year. They do have three wins over ranked teams, including victories over power-conference champions St. John’s and Florida, but that alone won’t be enough. Auburn and Tahad Pettiford will need to make a real run in the SEC Tournament to keep their hopes alive.

Missouri

Missouri looked safely in just two games ago, but disaster struck with a 16-point loss at Oklahoma followed by a brutal missed opportunity at home against Arkansas without Darius Acuff. If a few bid stealers emerge during conference tournament week, Missouri could find itself in real danger on Selection Sunday. One win in the SEC Tournament should lock them in, but anything less could make things very uncomfortable.

Thinking about placing a bet on DraftKings? Bet $5 Get $200 in Bonus Bets If Your First Bet Wins!