Bracketology didn't feel any earthquakes Friday, but a few tremors shook up Champ Week a bit. Some teams nailed down berths, while others might have played themselves out.
Winners
Oregon: If there was any question about the Ducks making the NCAA tournament, they emphatically answered it, upsetting 11th-ranked Washington in the Pac-12 quarterfinals. Behind guards Lexi Bando and Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon erased a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to cut Kelsey's Plum stay in Seattle's KeyArena short -- and assure that the Pac-12 will have six teams in the NCAA tournament.
Purdue: The Boilermakers came back in the second half to beat Indiana and more seriously enter the discussion for inclusion in the field amidst a struggling and weak collection of bubble teams. The win also gave Purdue 21 victories on the season and, perhaps more significantly, six in a row. None of the other teams contending for the last couple of spots in the bracket can say that.
Auburn: The Tigers didn't even play, having already lost their second-round SEC tournament game Thursday. But sitting at home watching Indiana, Cal and George Washington lose was almost as beneficial. Auburn sneaks back into the field on the back of Purdue's win over the Hoosiers. The Tigers are just 17-14 and struggled mightily at the end of the season, but they scheduled better than anyone else in the mix and have four top-50 RPI wins, also best on the list of bubble teams. Auburn shouldn't feel comfortable, but for now it still looks to be the best candidate for last team in the field.
Kentucky: Perhaps the Wildcats caught a break not having to face Tennessee in the SEC quarterfinals, but they took advantage with a solid win over Alabama. That victory, coupled with losses by NC State and Missouri, was probably enough to wrap up a top-16 seed and NCAA tournament games in Lexington, Kentucky, on opening weekend.
Losers
Florida State: A late rally against Miami fell short, and the Seminoles were ousted in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament by a team they had twice beaten in the regular season. With Stanford, Duke and Maryland winning on Friday, Florida State slid from a No. 2 seed to a No. 3 -- with the potential to slip further if teams like UCLA and Louisville also keep winning. A loss to Miami by itself is not a huge blow, but it confirms that the struggles the Seminoles suffered through the end of the regular season were real. They have now lost four of their last six games. Some can wonder whether Florida State ever recovered from blowing a late lead and losing at home to Texas in overtime on Feb. 13.
Indiana: The Hoosiers' résumé was suspect already with just one top-50 RPI win and a poor nonconference strength of schedule. But they did win five of their last six games of the regular season. That doesn't look as strong now after collapsing in the second half against Purdue. Indiana essentially squandered the bye it earned in the Big Ten tournament and now sits outside the field.
George Washington: Like Indiana, the résumé is a little thin, so a quarterfinal loss to Duquesne in the Atlantic 10 tournament could prove costly to the Colonials, who led by nine midway through the fourth quarter. With two top-50 RPI wins and more challenging schedule than most in the mix, George Washington stays in the field for now, but the margin got significantly narrower Friday.