Cincinnati, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Blow Opportunities Tuesday

Tuesday night was not a good one for several Bubble Watch teams, as Cincinnati and Minnesota all but assured themselves of places in the NIT, while Florida's hopes also took a damaging hit. The night's biggest winners are South Florida, even though they barely won at DePaul, and idle Mississippi State.

Team statuses are based on my Monday projection. 

First Four Out

Villanova 77, Cincinnati 73 (recap): The Wildcats snapped a two-game road losing streak by holding off the Bearcats (16-13, 7-10 Big East) , who are now 3-7 in their last ten and in need of a Big East Tournament run.

Michigan 83, Minnesota  55 (recap): The Golden Gophers (17-12; 8-9 Big Ten) bubble burst in Ann Arbor, as the Wolverines swept the season series after an uninspiring performance by Tubby Smith's charges.

On The Fringe

South Florida 63, DePaul 59 (recap): The Bulls (18-11; 8-9 Big East) didn't have an easy time in Rosemont, but they're in better shape thanks to the tumult above them. Saturday's home game against UConn looms large.

Other Matchups Of Importance

UTEP 80, Marshall 76 (recap) The Miners claimed the Conference USA regular season crown and staked their claim to an at-large with a hard-fought win over the Thundering Herd.

Vanderbilt 64, Florida 60 (recap): Florida's loss in Athens Saturday is looking more and more like a lost opportunity. This was the first time this season that the Gators (20-10; 9-6 SEC) lost a game they led with five minutes remaining. It didn't help matters that Florida only scored 5 (with no points from the field) in the last 8:24. At this point, UF needs to win at Kentucky or grab a couple at the SEC Tournament next week to get in.

Ohio State 73, Illinois 57 (recap): The Buckeyes used a big second half to pull away from the Fighting Illini (18-12; 10-7 Big Ten) and claim at least a share of the Big Ten crown. Given how well Ohio State's been playing lately, this wasn't an unexpected setback for Illinois. However, Saturday's home game Wisconsin looks more and more like a must-win for Bruce Weber's squad.

Marquette 69, Louisville 48 (recap): The Golden Eagles (20-9; 11-6 Big East) all but locked up a bid with a resounding home win over the Cardinals (19-11; 10-7 Big East). Louisville wraps up their regular season saturday with a home game against top-ranked Syracuse. Marquette hosts Notre Dame.