The top National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One mens basketball teams in the nation, which include University of Kentucky, University of Virginia, Gonzaga University, and Duke University, each have at least 24 wins under their belts and are definitely expected to hold top positions in the NCAA’s annual March Madness tournament bracket this year. For this tournament, only the best 68 teams in college basketball make the cut and are given the chance to play for the tournament championship. Yet, as most college basketball fans know, even these top teams need to look out for upsets by the not-so-high ranked “bubble teams”, or teams that are unsure of whether they will even make an appearance in the tournament or not.

The top three bubble teams this year are University of Dayton, Stanford University, and Xavier University.

Dayton currently sits at a record of 20-6 losing four of their last nine games. They recently were upset by Duquesne University and lost by 10 points but have also currently beat three fellow bubble teams, with one being Texas A&M. Dayton is on the bubble with some unexpected losses but as long as they win their next three games against fluffier teams, they could just barely be a part of the 68 teams in the tournament.

Stanford, who lost to Dayton in last year’s tournament, holds a 17-9 record and would be more than happy to have the chance to redeem themselves this year. But they will most likely not be given the opportunity. Stanford needs to win their upcoming games in order to even be considered, but knowing that they are facing tough competition and are not playing on their home court, their odds of being a part of the madness are slim.

Lastly, Xavier has 18 wins and 10 losses but still has a much higher chance of making it to March Madness. The difficulty of their schedule and their recent big-wins have allowed the team to come closer to receiving one of the 68 spots. Recently, Xavier has won as the underdog in games against Butler University, Georgetown University, and Seton Hall University who are all strong, competitive teams.

Teams such as Dayton, Stanford, or Xavier, do not have definite positions in the March Madness tournament, but each has a chance to clench a spot. Everything depends on how each school finishes their regular season. Look out for these bubble teams as they have the possibility of being major contenders in the upcoming weeks.