Bubble Struggles

Rejoice Maryland fans, following a tough but fruitless effort at Duke, we did not lose a whole lot of ground. Obviously a win would have been great, but a 12 point loss on the road to #2 is no embarrassment. Here are some other teams that wish they had the Terps' result tonight.

Syracuse - Ouch. Does anything say NIT quite like an 11 point loss at USF, previously 1-10 in the Big East? The Orange were one of the "last four in" according to the latest Bracketology. This is a very, very damaging loss.

Syracuse didn't jump high enough (Photo: ESPN)

Florida - Not really on the bubble yet, but sliding in that direction with a double digit home loss to lowly LSU. Losers of 3 of the last 4, they have some tough games remaining. With a young team, Donovan needs to hold things together down the stretch.

Ole Miss - A nine point loss at Alabama leaves the Rebels with 0 wins on the road in the SEC and losers of 5 of their last 6 conference games. Their undefeated record out of conference will only go so far to cover up a poor conference record (3-6 so far).

Houston - Had a lead on #1 Memphis at the half, but couldn't hold on. A marquis win would have done a lot for a team with a really weak schedule.

Dayton - Currently in free fall due to injuries (I think), a loss to Duquesne doesn't help. Strong computer numbers are good, but 4-6 in the A-10 gives you a 10 seed and falling.

Baylor - Started 16-2, but the tough part of the Big 12 schedule is taking its toll. Now losers of 4 of the past 5, Baylor could easily lose the next 3 in a row as well (TEX, @OKLA, KSU). Welcome to the bubble, Baylor. On the positive side, they have 0 losses outside the RPI top 50.

For the Terps, the Duke game wasn't critical. Wins at home against Virginia Tech and Florida State are. We need to put this loss behind us and focus on the task at hand.