The 2012 NCAA Tournament is just around the corner and as usual, there are a multitude of college teams that are squarely on the bubble of whether they will make the cut and receive an invite to March Madness. Several Kansas City area schools are either shoo-ins or squarely on the cusp for inclusion.
Andy Glockner at SI.com recently posted an in-depth Bubble Watch on which schools are likely to make it into the annual NCAA tournament.
Introducing the SB Nation YouTube Channel | Subscribe Now | Follow @SBNStudios
Glockner includes both the Kansas Jayhawks and the Missouri Tigers as locks for the Big 12. Here's what he has to say:
Locks: Kansas, Missouri, Baylor
Kansas' massive second-half rally edged Missouri and a Monday night win gave the Jayhawks an eighth straight Big 12 title and the inside track to a No. 1 seed in the NCAAs. It also makes you want to see Part 3 in the Big 12 final ... and Part 4 in New Orleans? Baylor's fine for a high seed and Iowa State and Kansas State took big steps to make this at least a five-bid league. Do I hear six, Texas?
He further suggests that the Kansas St. Wildcats should be in.
Kansas State (19-9, 8-8; RPI: 45, SOS: 41)
The Wildcats looked to have punched their way into the NCAAs with the most impressive back-to-back wins of the season (at Baylor and at Missouri), but then they fell again to Iowa State, this time at home. Things still look pretty solid. Both games this week (at Texas A&M and against Oklahoma State) are very winnable. If they get both, hard to see the Wildcats needing more than that in this bubble year. Even a split might be fine, barring a first-round crash out in the Big 12 tournament on top of that.
If the Wildcats can win out the remainder of their season, they should be in fine shape for March Madness.
For complete coverage of the NCAA basketball season and the NCAA Tournament, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated college hoops blog.