Editor’s note: This article is part of the Bracket Central series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s & women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.

The penultimate Bracket Watch projection is full of changes from Friday to Saturday. That doesn’t mean Friday’s action alone created those changes — we’ve got teams making moves by stacking results and looking for more as championship games approach.

Iowa State, welcome back to the 2-line. The Cyclones beat Texas Tech and took Arizona down to the last shot, which is enough to move up and replace Illinois — a loser in the Big Ten quarterfinals to Wisconsin and the sublime shooting/playmaking of Nick Boyd and John Blackwell. Iowa State moves a spot past Michigan State — a loser to UCLA — as well, but the Spartans retain the final No. 2 seed.

Gonzaga, welcome back to the 3-line, replacing Alabama, which fell to aspiring bid thief Ole Miss in the SEC quarters. Wisconsin leaps up to the 5-line, dropping Tennessee to a No. 6 seed.

There’s shifting deeper in the bracket as well. UCLA, which is getting outrageously good play from Donovan Dent, bumps up to a No. 8 seed, trading seed lines with Iowa. Ohio State is another Big Ten team rising away from the bubble and up to a No. 9 seed, while Texas A&M drops to a No. 10 seed.

As for the bubble, well, Oklahoma had a chance to replace Auburn as the last team in the field, but Arkansas freshman and SEC Player of the Year Darius Acuff Jr. had two enormous shots late among his 37 points to end the Sooners’ hopes. Then it was New Mexico’s turn to toy with inclusion … and fall short, 64-62, to rival San Diego State in the Mountain West semis.

So Auburn remains the last team in the field, for now. One more San Diego State win, against Utah State in Saturday’s title game to ensure two bids for the Mountain West, would end that. Jim Root’s Bubble Watch has plenty more on the teams sweating out the next two days.

 

Last four byesLast four inFirst four outNext four out

UCF

VCU

SMU

Indiana

Missouri

Miami (Ohio)

San Diego State

Virginia Tech

Santa Clara

Texas

New Mexico

Cincinnati

NC State

Auburn

Oklahoma

Seton Hall

Multi-bid conferences

SEC

11

Big Ten

9

Big 12

8

ACC

7

Big East

3

West Coast

3

Atlantic 10

2

MAC

2

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