It was a massive week for ACC bubble teams \u2026 and a treacherous one for those sitting near the top, whether it be conference standings, the Associated Press Top 25 poll or the top 16 NCAA Tournament team list.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
With one week remaining in the regular season, teams are feeling the pressure and some healthy desperation. At this point, they know where they stand and what they need to do within their control to secure the best possible outcome.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clemson and Virginia each did that in quick succession on Sunday, boosting their fringe NCAA Tournament r\u00e9sum\u00e9s with wins over the conference\u2019s three best teams. They were two of four unranked teams to upend an AP Top 25 team last week, joined by bubble buddy Colorado and Texas A&M. In all, 12 teams lost, as did three of the next five to receive votes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clemson secured the best win in head coach Shawn Poppie\u2019s tenure by handing previously ranked No. 9 Duke its first conference loss of the year, 53-51. Hannah Kohn, left alone in the backcourt as a driving Mia Moore drew attention at the rim, hit the game-winning 3-pointer with three seconds left. She had yet to score, missing all four 3-point attempts. The defense busted up Duke\u2019s last scoring try.\u00a0<\/p>\n
OH MY GOODNESS\ud83e\udd2f HANNAH KOHN IS HER!#NCAAWBB<\/a> x \ud83c\udfa5 ESPN2 \/ @ClemsonWBB<\/a><\/p>\n pic.twitter.com\/rNGXKfl129<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) February 22, 2026<\/a><\/div>\n The Blue Devils tore through ACC play after a brutal non-conference schedule and led Clemson by as many as 14 points. Defensively, they kept Clemson to eight points in the first, seven in the third and a 32% field goal percentage over the course of the game (29% from 3). But Clemson tore off a 23-point fourth quarter, won the points off turnovers and allowed Duke a near-season low five steals.\u00a0<\/p>\n A similar late-game scene played out in Louisville earlier in the day. Virginia senior guard Romi Levy made the 3 on an assist from Paris Clark, and secured the defensive rebound on Louisville\u2019s last play to secure the 74-72 win. They shot 50%, nearing a season-best, and were 8-of-17 from 3. Louisville had only lost within the conference to Duke.\u00a0<\/p>\n Should Clemson and Virginia remain on the right side of the bubble, they would each make their first NCAA appearances in quite some time.\u00a0<\/p>\n Clemson hasn\u2019t been back since 2019, when it reached the second round. It was their only appearance since 2002, and the Tigers have been poking up through the bottom of the ACC the last few years. Virginia last appeared in 2018, which was also its only showing since 2010.\u00a0<\/p>\n For the ACC collectively, it\u2019s a pro that more teams are likely to make the NCAA Tournament field. But it also comes at a cost: their only two in the first Top 16 reveal<\/a> probably won\u2019t be moving up. And they already trail the SEC and Big Ten powers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Louisville was ranked No. 7 in the first reveal as the second-to-last 2-seed, while Duke was ranked No. 10 and the 3-seed line. The second reveal is Sunday at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN.\u00a0<\/p>\n Colorado helped its bubble case with a 75-68 win over then-No. 20 Texas Tech, while Minnesota boosted its mid-seed-line resume with its 74-61 signature win over then-No. 10 Ohio State.\u00a0<\/p>\n Combined with Iowa\u2019s 62-44 statement win over Michigan in the race for the Big Ten\u2019s second-best, there is a sense that while the group in contention for the Final Four seems set, the rest of the field feels wide open. It bodes well for early-round close calls and upsets.\u00a0<\/p>\n Two-bid Summit?<\/em> South Dakota State can boost its bubble chances this week when it travels to league-leader North Dakota State on Wednesday. The Jackrabbits (22-6, 12-2) lost the first meeting, 76-68.<\/p>\n They\u2019re looking up at the Bison, (25-2, 14-0) who clinched at least a share of the Summit League regular season title as well as the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. Their 23-game winning streak is second-best in DI, and projects them as the tournament victor and automatic bid earner. South Dakota State is six spots behind them in NET and on the verge of a spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Lady Vols are on a four-game losing streak, with their NCAA Tournament seeding in jeopardy. (Photo by Bryan Lynn\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)<\/p>\n Tennessee\u2019s fall:<\/em> The Lady Vols are on a four-game losing skid and solidly out of a top-16 true seed. Their great collapse could push them down as far as a No. 8 or 9 by the time the regular season is done. They finish with LSU and Vanderbilt, both teams ranked in the top 10.\u00a0<\/p>\n UConn is always up to something when it comes to winning streaks. It extended its run of dominance against Providence on Sunday with an 81-38 win that marked the 40th consecutive victory in the series. The last time Providence won, in March 1993, the Huskies had yet to win even one of their 12 national championships.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Huskies are winning by an average of 42.3 points per game in Big East play, but faced their two closest final scores in the past 10 days. Marquette lost by 15 on Feb. 14. Villanova, a bubble team that should make it into the field, lost by 14 on Wednesday at home. No other Big East opponent has come within 32 by the final buzzer.\u00a0<\/p>\n The answer to every Michigan comeback attempt was Ava Heiden, the sophomore center who was named to the Naismith Trophy Women\u2019s College Player of the Year late-season team<\/a>\u00a0<\/a>earlier in the week. Heiden scored 20 of her 24 points in the second half to send then-No. 13 Iowa over then-No. 6 Michigan, 62-44. She added 10 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks. It was her third consecutive 20-point double-double, a dangerous sign for the Big Ten as the tournament arrives.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Ava Heiden 4th quarter show \ud83c\udf7f\ud83c\udfac @IowaWBB<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udcfa: FOX pic.twitter.com\/54fQHgnOli<\/a><\/p>\nBracketology: Two-bid Summit, and Summit\u2019s Tennessee<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Stat of the week: 40 consecutive wins<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Performance of the week: Ava Heiden, Iowa<\/strong><\/h2>\n