Latest Bubble Watch (archive.today webpage capture of ESPN+ article)
Work to do
Utah Utes
Craig Smith’s team is 16-11, 7-9 in the Pac-12 and down to its last chance. True, the Utes are 12-2 at home this season. Perhaps upcoming dates in Salt Lake City against Stanford and Cal can extend this conversation. Then again, Utah has lost seven of its past nine, including two home games. The Utes can still get it done, but to do so they’ll have to play more like they did in December and less like they have in calendar 2024.
Over all the years I’ve made a 300% gain playing Black Jack. I was driving through Las Wages the day I turned 21, bet one dollar, won three straight hands, and quit, and haven’t played since.
I did lose two dollars buying a 250 million dollar purse lottery ticket while in St. Louis on business in 1999. My co-worker walked into a 7-11 to buy 10 tickers for himself, 20 for co-workers, and one for me. When he came back to the car I questioned him, which 10 of those are yours, which 20 are the co-workers, and which one is mine. He retorted, don’t you trust me! At that moment I regretted even buying the damn thing. He suggested, O.K., record your serial number, which I did.
Utah Utes
Give Utah credit. After falling from “Should be in” all the way down to “first four out,” the Utes did what they had to do and took care of business at home. Wins in Salt Lake City over Stanford and Cal by a combined margin of 51 points halted the slide in the mock brackets and even boosted the NET ranking for Craig Smith’s group by seven spots. At 18-11, Utah has won three of four and is seen as right on the cut line as it embarks on a season-ending road trip to Oregon State and Oregon.
Utah Utes
Utah badly needs quality wins after an 0-2 road trip at season’s end dropped Craig Smith’s team to “next four out” status (or possibly even one tier below that). If there’s any glimmer of hope it’s that, relatively speaking, the Utes caught something of a break with their draw in the Pac-12 bracket. No, Utah doesn’t get Arizona in the quarterfinal. Still, If the Utes can advance against Arizona State they will get Colorado in the quarters. Win there, and a game against Washington State could be next if the bracket holds form. The Buffaloes and the Cougars are both top-50 NET opponents, the only ones in the league not named Arizona.
Not even listed at all in the next eight out on ESPN. Pretty much need to win the whole thing in Vegas. Even winning 3 games (which would not include the top seeded Wildcats) may likely not be enough.
…bubble showdown could unfold at the end of Thursday night in the Pac-12 tournament. Colorado could be paired with Utah in the quarterfinals, but first the Utes will have to get past Arizona State.
Utah smashed ASU tonight. It kinda feels like those two losses before didn’t even happen. Utah looked like an NCAA Tournament team tonight. That win coupled with losses across the country moved them into basically being the final team out of the tournament. A win against Colorado and they’d prolly move either into being one of the last four in or off the bubble completely. This is the biggest game of the season so far and is an absolutely must have for the Utes. The margin of victory against ASU moved Utah up from #52 to #48 in the NET. A win against Colorado likely would move them into the low 40’s or even maybe the high 30’s.
Utah Utes
With its faint postseason hopes hanging in the balance, Utah played accordingly. The Utes jumped out to a 47-22 lead at the half, Cole Bajema hit six 3s for the game and Craig Smith’s team overwhelmed Arizona State by 33. Utah now gets Colorado in the Pac-12 quarterfinals. To be clear, any conceivable postseason hopes are at stake for the 19-13 Utes, who on Champ Week Thursday are still virtually invisible in mock brackets. A win over a top-30 NET opponent like the Buffaloes would at least keep this conversation going.
