NCAA Basketball: Teams who must win one or more games in their conference tournament to make March Madness.
Texas A&M Aggies
Making sense of Texas A&M’s resume is nearly an impossible task. The Aggies have five Q1 wins, six Q2 wins and a NET non-conference strength of schedule ranked 21st-best in the country. Yet, the sheer volume of losses -- including four Q3 losses -- has made Buzz Williams’ group stand firmly on the bubble at 18-13 (9-9). The Aggies are tasked with a rematch against Ole Miss, a game in which they won by 26 in Oxford, and will surely need a win, ideally two, in the SEC Tournament to feel good about their chances come Selection Sunday.
Utah Utes
Craig Smith and Utah Utes have slipped from the bubble conversation following a 4-8 stretch since the end of January. A NET non-conference strength of schedule -- the 27th best in the country -- keeps the Utes still in the at-large discussion despite a lackluster 18-13 (9-11) record. Thankfully for the Utes, opportunity awaits in a wide-open PAC-12 Tournament besides Arizona. Utah will take on Arizona State in the first round of the PAC-12 Tournament followed by a matchup against Colorado -- both are must-win games for the Utes. It’s not necessarily an auto-bid or bust situation for Utah, but it's pretty close.