Bubble Teams 2013: Squads That Will Sneak Their Way into Big Dance

Being on the bubble is never fun in college basketball, but a small handful of teams on it will definitely sneak their way into the national tournament later this month. These teams have gone above and beyond the necessary efforts to set themselves apart from the rest of the bubble pack, and the selection committee will surely reward them accordingly.

Take the defending champion Kentucky Wildcats, for example. They have played like anything but a championship team all season long and lost star player Nerlens Noel to a torn ACL in February. However, they find themselves as a No. 2 seed in the SEC tournament with a key March 9 win against Florida under their belt. Their conference may be weak, but it's going to be hard to keep them out unless they get destroyed in their tournament.

Similarly, San Diego State could be headed for a fourth straight tournament appearance now that they have clinched a spot in the Mountain West Conference semifinals following a win over Boise State.

That said, while this small handful of bubble teams may not look like much on paper, they have definitely performed well enough to tiptoe their way into the national tournament.

San Diego State

The Aztecs have become a tournament fixture over the past three years, even making the Sweet 16 in 2011, but appeared to take a step back this season. The team finished fourth in the Mountain West and despite a 22-9 overall record, went 9-7 in conference play.

However, as was mentioned earlier, San Diego State is now in the Mountain West semifinals and set to take on regular-season champion New Mexico. The odds may seem against them, as the Aztecs are just a No. 4 seed in the MWC tournament, but it should be noted that they handily defeated the Lobos on Jan. 26.

Even if they lose their upcoming game, don't be shocked if San Diego State makes the Big Dance. Head coach Steve Fisher's men have played some solid basketball all season long, and a good game against New Mexico in the semis will all but punch their ticket, win or lose.

Kentucky

To give you an idea of how weak the SEC was in basketball this season, the Kentucky Wildcats went 21-10 overall and 12-6 in conference play and somehow entered the SEC tournament as a No. 2 seed. Moreover, the Wildcats' lone signature wins came against Ole Miss on Jan. 29 and Florida on March 9.

Believe me, this is not the deeply talented team that won a national championship last year.

Just the same, the Wildcats are in a position to write their own ticket to the tournament. The SEC may be weak this season, but being a No. 2 seed gives them a favorable draw and a potential rematch against Florida should both teams reach the championship game.

It's not necessarily SEC Championship Game or bust for Kentucky, but it certainly would help their chances at getting a spot.

Minnesota

Finally, we come to the biggest question mark of them all. The Golden Gophers went 20-12 on the year and 8-10 in the Big Ten this season, and those numbers don't really translate to a tournament berth.

It also doesn't help that head coach Tubby Smith's men lost a stunner to Illinois in the first round of the conference tournament.

However, Minnesota is not dead quite yet. As bad as their record looks on paper, this team has quite a few signature wins under its belt.

Not only did the Golden Gophers defeat the Memphis Tigers on Nov. 23, but they also took down Wisconsin on Feb. 14 and the ever dangerous Indiana Hoosiers on Feb. 26.

That said, don't write off Minnesota just because of their early exit from the conference tournament. When push comes to shove, it's going to be hard for the selection committee to ignore just what Minnesota has accomplished in a hit-or-miss season.