Temple beat VCU (21st in AP Top 25) 84-76 to make it very likely the Atlantic 10 will have five teams in the NCAA tournament (see the others on the Breitbart Sports list of 45 teams that have locked in bids as of Saturday). Temple was ranked No. 2 in the Breitbart Sports Middle 20. There were 10 bids available for these teams until lock Middle Tennessee was upset in the Sun Belt semifinals, meaning two teams from the Sun Belt and only nine from the Middle 20 should get bids. Virginia beat Maryland in what was virtually an elimination game between two teams in the lower part of the Middle 20.
Middle 20 Team, Conf.–Sunday, March 10
1. St. Mary’s, WCC
2. Temple, A10 UP–huge 84-76 win over VCU Sunday.
3. Villanova, BE
4. Boise St., MWC
5. Tennessee, SEC
6. Baylor, B12
7. Bucknell, Pat–Rest of Middle 20 want Bucknell to win Patriot League title Wednesday, because a loss would put Lafayette into tournament and shrink the available bids from this list to eight.
8. Iowa St., B12
9. Louisiana Tech, WAC
TEAMS ABOVE THIS LINE LIKELY GET BIDS, BELOW DO NOT
10. Mississippi, SEC–Could be victim of 1st spoiler–FIU’s win over lock WKU means extra Sun Belt team will take a spot from Middle 20.
11. Kentucky, SEC
12. Providence, BE
13. Southern Mississippi, CUSA
14. Virginia, ACC–STEADY–Survives in OT 61-58 vs. Maryland at home Sunday.
15. Iowa, B10
16. Valparaiso, Horz
17. Alabama, SEC
18. Maryland, ACC–DOWN–Needed upset at UVA Sunday to stay alive, lost 61-58 OT.
19. Arizona St., P12
20. Detroit, Horz
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