So I had myself an interesting Tuesday afternoon. I traveled across the country to do a sit-down interview with this guy for FOX Sports:

Yup, that’s Cooper Flagg, Duke’s freshman phenom who on Saturday will play his first game in Madison Square Garden when the Blue Devils take on Illinois at 8 p.m. ET. I covered Flagg when he was in high school, but since his family kept him pretty closed off from the press (and understandably so), this was my first opportunity to interview him at length. His Duke teammates, Tyrese Proctor and Khaman Maluach, joined us for the conversation and then my camera crew and I watched the three of them play Ping Pong for about 10 minutes. You can see the finished product during our pregame studio show on Saturday, and I will have more to say about Flagg and the overall state of the ultimate blueblood program soon on Hoops HQ.

You know March is getting close because our own Brad Wachtel is once again watching that bubble for you. Brad has been a terrific addition to our squad and I promise we are going to keep him very busy over the next three-and-a-half weeks. There’s a lot to keep track of, including on the women’s side, which has seen a lot of upheaval at the top of the rankings and has a lot of big-brand programs primed for a run at the championship.

We have been working hard behind the scenes to gear up for March Madness, so be sure to keep reading our three weekly emails and daily website updates to learn the latest on what’s happening on the court and behind the scenes. Have a great Wednesday, and thanks as always for your support of Hoops HQ. —Seth

Bubble Watch: Teams On the Edge Are Running Out of Time

By Brad Wachtel

The bubble picture isn’t much clearer now than it was a few weeks ago.

The possibility remains that the SEC gets 14 teams into the field, though I also see a scenario where it gets as few as nine. The conference has a chance to go down as one of the best in the history of college basketball, but there’s no guarantee it sends the most teams ever. We learned a lot after last weekend’s top 16 reveal, and I think the big winner was St. John’s. While the Red Storm don’t have many top tier wins on their resume, their metrics are all top 25 and I think that played a significant role in the team landing a No. 4 seed.

Back to the bubble…. VCU and UC San Diego are two teams right on the cut line, but neither of them have any real opportunities left for key wins to “wow” the Selection Committee with. Other bubble teams like Arkansas, Georgia and Texas have numerous chances to boost its resume, which gives them an edge. Finally, there  are power conference teams such as Wake Forest, SMU and Xavier whose remaining schedules are relatively weak, so each can only do harm with each loss acquired. Let’s break it down….

Between the Lines

🕑 Time is running out! Hoops HQ has partnered with Visit San Antonio and the Hotel Valencia Riverwalk to offer you a chance to win a trip to San Antonio during the men's championship weekend. Four elite teams will battle it out on April 5 & 7 for college basketball’s ultimate glory, and you might be there. Enter here for your chance to win!*

🏀 The most-controversial coach in D1 is Green Bay's Doug Gotlieb. Twitter battles with LeBron James. A 21-game (and counting) losing streak. A trip to the Super Bowl during that streak... And only Hoops HQ has a first-person diary from Gotlieb.

🏀 Our Krysten Peek spoke to Duke star and presumptive No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft Cooper Flagg, his trainer and his parents about how he took his game to the next level.

No. 4 Alabama @ No. 15 Missouri: After a tough loss to No. 1 Auburn in Tuscaloosa, Alabama will try to bounce back on the road in Columbia, where Missouri is 16-1. A year after Dennis Gates' team went winless in the SEC, the Tigers are 8-4 in conference play with impressive wins over Florida, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Both of these squads rank in the top 15 in adjusted offensive efficiency (per KenPom) so expect a high-scoring affair. One thing to keep an eye on: Missouri is seventh in the country in steals per game and Alabama has struggled to take care of the basketball at times. If the Crimson Tide limit their turnovers, they should win. 9:00 p.m. ET on SEC Network.

*NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Open to legal residents of the 48 contiguous U.S./D.C., age 18+ (19+ in AL and NE, 21+ in MS). Void in AK, HI and where prohibited. Sweepstakes starts at 12:00:01 AM ET on 01/30/25; ends at 11:59:59 PM ET on 02/24/25. Total ARV of prize: $4,900. Odds of being selected a Finalist will depend on the total number of entries received. For full Official Rules, click here. Sponsor: 42-18 LLC, 1633 Broadway, 47th Floor, New York, New York 10019