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NCAA teams living week-to-week

Posted By HOOPSWORLD On February 11, 2013 @ 3:01 pm In All,Wirenews | Comments Disabled

by Patrick Stevens, Special for USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to the first week of USA TODAY Sports’ annual Bubble Tracker breakdown.

Five weeks remain before Selection Sunday, a 35-day scramble to determine the 68-team NCAA tournament field. For now, plenty remains murky and subject to some wild fluctuations.

Take Illinois, which was in far shakier shape a few days ago before toppling Indiana and Minnesota and checks into today’s bracket projection as a No. 10 seed with a bit of a cushion. Another recent winner on the surface is the Atlantic 10, which has six teams earning spots in this projected field — with only two (Butler and Virginia Commonwealth) comfortably included. Plenty can (and likely will) change in the days and weeks to come.

Two things bear repeated mention: No team exists in a vacuum, and the tournament selection committee is going to take 37 at-large teams no matter what. There is value in knowing the strengths and weaknesses of borderline tournament teams, and that’s what the daily Bubble Tracker is for.

Atlantic Coast:

Secure: Duke, Miami (Automatic Qualifier)

Solid For Now: North Carolina

Borderline: Virginia, Maryland

Long shot: Florida State

Team Resumes (W-L/RPI; Plus/Minus; AT-L Board; Next Game):

Virginia: Record: 17-6, RPI: 95
Plus: Beat N.C. State, UNC, 6-0 vs. T100.
Minus: 6 100+losses, No. 321 NC SOS
At Large Ranking: 40 | Next game: Va. Tech (Feb. 12)

Maryland: Record: 16-7, RPI: 65
Plus: Beat N.C. State, No 100+ losses.
Minus: No. 292 NC SOS, 2-5 on road/neutral
At Large Ranking: 46 | Next game: Duke (Feb. 16)

Florida State: Record: 13-10, RPI: 61
Plus: 2 wins vs. Maryland, Michael Snaer.
Minus: 6-6 at home, 8-4 vs. 100+
At Large Ranking: 50 Next game: Miami (Feb. 13)

Atlantic 10:

Secure: Butler (AQ)

Safe For Now: Virginia Commonwealth

Solid For Now: None

Borderline: Saint Louis, La Salle, Temple, Massachusetts, Charlotte

Long shot: None

Team Resumes (W-L/RPI; Plus/Minus; AT-L Board; Next Game):

Saint Louis: Record:18-5, RPI: 56
Plus: Beat New Mexico, 6-4 vs. T100.
Minus: Lost to Rhode Island, 10 wins vs. 150+
At Large Ranking: 31 | Next game: vs. Charlotte (Feb. 16)

La Salle: Record:16-6, RPI: 34
Plus: Beat Butler, 6-4 on the road.
Minus: HTH vs Mass./Charlotte, Lost to Central Connecticut
At Large Ranking: … [For more on Bubble Tracker: Teams living week-to-week with Big Dance hopes, click here.]

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