NCAA Bracket 2021: Latest Expert Bracketology and Predictions

The final week before the NCAA men's basketball tournament is always precarious for mid-major programs.

The Drake Bulldogs sit in one of the most unenviable positions this season, as they have to wait an entire week to see results unfold around them. Drake lost the Missouri Valley Conference tournament final to the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers on Sunday, a result that kept them squarely on the bubble.

The Mountain West tournament is one of the competitions Drake will have a close eye on since the Colorado State Rams, Boise State Broncos and Utah State Aggies are all on the edge of the projected field of 68.

If any of those bubble teams win the tournament crown and one or two bid-stealers emerge, Drake could be in a tougher position.

Bracket Predictions

Drake Holds On And Makes Field of 68

ESPN's Joe Lunardi and CBS Sports' Jerry Palm both have Drake listed on the "last four in" line entering Monday.

That status could change if the teams projected beneath the Bulldogs come away with wins in their respective conference tournaments.

The winner of the St. John's Red Storm-Seton Hall Pirates game in the Big East will get a shot at the Villanova Wildcats, the Syracuse Orange could make a run in the ACC and the Ole Miss Rebels enter the SEC tournament on a winning streak.

Drake needs most of the power-conference tournaments to go to chalk so that St. John's, Syracuse, Ole Miss and others are out by the semifinal round at the latest.

The good news for Drake is St. John's or Seton Hall and Syracuse will have to play No. 1 seeds. Ole Miss, meanwhile, resides on the same side of the bracket as two surefire March Madness teams in the Arkansas Razorbacks and LSU Tigers.

If those teams struggle to earn results, Drake would then turn its focus to the Mountain West, where as many as four teams could reach the field of 68.

Utah State won the last two Mountain West tournaments, and it is the No. 2 seed in this year's event. The Aggies are on the "first four out" columns at the moment, so they could be viewed as Drake's biggest threat.

However, if just one bubble team comes away with a few key wins, Drake should be in good shape.

Darian DeVries' program put together a 25-4 record and won one of three games with Loyola-Chicago, who locked in the MVC automatic bid Sunday. The Bulldogs' best nonconference win is over the Kansas State Wildcats, who were stuck at the bottom of the Big 12 all season.

Drake's resume is not great, but it does not have many bad losses, which is exactly what mid-major teams need to have.

Championship Week is still going to be stressful for Drake, but the lack of quality teams on the bubble from power conferences should help its cause.

Utah State Plays Its Way into March Madness

Utah State appears to be in the best position of the Mountain West bubble teams to secure a spot in the field of 68.

The Aggies have experience from winning the past two Mountain West tournaments, and they have beaten the two teams they need to defeat to win in Las Vegas. Utah State beat the top-seeded San Diego State Aztecs twice in the regular season and split contests with the Colorado State Rams.

The Boise State Broncos swept Utah State, but they are on the opposite side of the bracket and have to get through San Diego State to reach the final.

If Utah State wins its third matchup with Colorado State and then plays San Diego State tight or wins in the final, it should get into the field of 68.

Of course, the easiest path is for the Aggies to win three games and earn the league's automatic bid, but if they land a matchup with San Diego State, they should feel safe.

Lunardi has Colorado State and Boise State on the "last four in" column and Utah State as the "first team out."

If Utah State reaches the final and the Rams and Broncos do not earn a quality win, their roles could reverse ahead of Selection Sunday.

Potential losses by Colorado State and Boise State could also make life easier for other bubble teams, like Drake, that are out of action.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.