[bubble, bubble]

Toil and trouble. There were several so-called bubble teams, such as the unfortunate (or untalented) Buckeyes, that stood only a slight chance of making it into the tournament. American University got in, Ohio State didn't. University of Maryland-Baltimore County got in, Virginia Tech didn't. Austin Peay got in, Arizona State didn't. Those are the breaks, coach.

Like needing a last-second three-pointer to force overtime because you missed your free throws in the first half, those "bubble" teams put themselves in that position, so let's not blame the selection committee. Still, the contrast was interesting between the Arizona State coach, who cited the multiple factors and criteria in determining the 64 most deserving teams and refused to be drawn into making a case for his guys, versus the Virginia Tech coach, who in the heat of the postgame interview said anyone who doesn't believe his team belongs in the tournament is "certifiably insane." See you next year, coach.

Now that the brackets are set, there are a few matchups that are like little bubbles within the big bubble of those that got in. Teams that are seeded 8 and 9, in the the middle of the pack in their region, are essentially a toss-up. I'm talking about Indiana and Arkansas, Kent State and Las Vegas, Mississippi State and Oregon, Brigham Young and Texas A&M. By all the criteria, they are as even as they can get.

Which begs the question, why do I care about the cultural geography of basketball? (Did I mention that this is about basketball?) Besides all the statistical factors used in deciding who is in and who is out - RPI rating, strength of schedule, overall record, conference record, regular-season standings, conference tournament outcome, what have you done for us lately - it's cool to see how a bunch of guys from unlike places match up - places like Bloomington and Fayetteville, Kent and Vegas, Starkville and Eugene, Provo and College Station.

Equally bubblicious are the potential upsets. One must tread cautiously when picking upsets, and don't bet more than you can afford to lose. Kansas State (seeded eleventh) and Southern California (seeded sixth) both have hot-shot freshmen. I'm guessing that Michael Beasley can carry K State better than O.J. Mayo can carry USC, but the match-up should be fun to watch.

Can Davidson oust Gonzaga for the privilege of losing to Georgetown? Will St. Joe'e bounce Oklahoma and move on to be crushed by Louisville? And above all, will Bo Ryan's Badgers prevail against the bad guys and represent the Big Ten with honor? You can cut the tension with a knife!