A Collective Kick in the Groin

A Collective Kick in the Groin.
For Missouri State and all the other bubble teams.

That's how ESPN columnist Pat Forde describes Hofstra's win over George Mason in the Colonial Athletic Association semis on Sunday. The GMU loss essentially eats one of the precious at-large bids to the NCAA. Hofstra now plays UNC-Wilmington Monday in the Championship. MSU fans had better be rooting for Hofstra, because they are now in contention for an at-large bid even if they lose.

GMU is in. They are 23-7, have an RPI of 22. They beat Missouri Valley champs Wichita State in Wichita in the BracketBusters. That spot has gone.

Sunday night could have gotten even worse. Gonzaga went all the way to overtime before outlasting San Diego in the West Coast Conference semifinals. The Zags now face 12-17 Loyola-Marymount in the title game tonight. It goes without saying that a Gonzaga loss would take one more spot off the bubble.

Check the projections:
Dance Card Rankings
ESPN's Bracketology
ESPN's Bubble Watch
CBS Sportsline