SMU has picked the worst possible time to go on a 3-game losing streak. At one time, SMU was 19-8 (8-6) with a top 35 NET. Then the losses started mounting. They went 0-2 in their West Coast swing between Cal and Stanford, but were still in good shape if they could get a split with Miami at home and FSU on the road.
You expect to hold serve at home, but the Mustangs didn’t in a listless 77-69 loss to Miami. Now, SMU has a real problem with a road game at rapidly improved FSU. At 19-11 (8-9) NET 37 with a 7-11 record against the Q1-Q2. That’s a resume that’s going to leave SMU in some trouble. What was once a near lock has turned into a mess for SMU, who may now need a deep ACCT tournament run if they don’t beat FSU.
Cal, on the other hand, did their damage on Saturday, losing to Pitt at home, but after a sloppy start against Georgia Tech, they cruised to a 76-65 win that has Cal 20-9 (9-8) NET 64 with a 6-8 record against the Q1-Q2. The win over Georgia Tech doesn’t get Cal into the NCAAs, but keeps them on the bubble. In a year with the bubble falling apart, if Cal gets to 21-9 (10-8), which would require a win at Wake Forest, then the Bears would be squarely on the bubble.
Does any bubble team in the ACC want to make the NCAAs?
Maybe it’s Stanford who have won 3 in a row to improve to 19-11 (8-9) NET 65 and a 8-6 Q1/Q2 record. Though they probably want to win at NC State Saturday.
