It happens every year as Championship Week hits the final weekend. A spoiler -- or two -- emerges with its sights set on taking away one of the precious few at-large bids available to those who've worked so hard all season.

	Bubble at a glance
	Taking out the 17 automatic bids accounted for by the one-bid conferences, here's how the NCAA Tournament picture looks to the 14 conferences hoping for multiple bids:
	Available spots	46
	Automatic bids	14
	At-large bids	34
	Locks	40
	Open spots	8
	"Locks" include projected conference champions, which means 14 "locks" will receive automatic bids from conferences hoping for multiple bids.

Two years ago, it was Arkansas, which swept through the SEC as a .500 team to earn the automatic bid. Last year, Iowa won four in a row in the Big Ten tournament to force runner-up Michigan State to use an at-large bid. And this year, the Hawkeyes are at it again, while San Diego State already took one away by winning the MWC's automatic bid.

Suddenly, Boston College, Wyoming and Charlotte are sweating out the hours to Selection Sunday.

Iowa is one win from repeating its Big Ten run of a year ago after upsetting Indiana on Saturday afternoon, 62-60 -- less than 24 hours after upsetting No. 1 seed Wisconsin on Friday. The Hawkeyes, who've underachieved all season as a preseason top 10 club, have no shot at an at-large bid. But after going 5-11 in conference play, Iowa (19-14) get back in the dance with a victory over either Illinois or Ohio State on Sunday. Winning the automatic bid a day later would certainly end Minnesota's at-large chances, if the Gophers still have any after losing to Illinois on Friday.

Iowa also could take away a bid that was reserved for Wyoming, which now sits perilously close to the bubble after losing to San Diego State in the MWC semifinals. The Cowboys are still in the field of 65 as of Friday night, but is now rooting for at least one SEC favorite to win Sunday's title game.

The only good news on Saturday for bubble teams? The SEC's two spoilers lost, as LSU fell to Mississippi State and South Carolina gave Alabama a good run before falling.

So, as you can see, we are still far from sorting everything out on Sunday. Who's in, who's out. It's as simple as it gets. The size, shape and demographics of "The Bubble" will change on a daily basis, but here is what we know.

There are 65 spots in the NCAA Tournament bracket. No more, no less. And 31 of those spots are already spoken for via automatic bids. The rest? Well, the math can get tricky, but take out usual suspects and basically a dozen or so spots will be up for grabs over the next three weeks.

And, that's where the bubble begins for some, and ends for the rest of the country.

As for the formula, remember there are 31 conferences with automatic bids. Of those, ESPN.com's early projections show 18 will send just one school to the field of 64: America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Ivy League, MAAC, MEAC, Mid-Continent, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot League, Southern, Southland, SWAC and Sun Belt.

Taking those 17 bids out of the equation leaves 14 conferences capable of collecting their 14 automatic bids, plus 34 at-large bids. Add it all up and there are 48 bids available, creating the 65 total number of teams eligible for the NCAA Tournament. But remember, the No. 65 and No. 64 ranked teams must play Tuesday, March 12 in Dayton, Ohio to earn a spot in the 64-team bracket.

But before we get to Selection Sunday and "play in" games, here is the analysis by conference through games played on March 0.

Atlantic Coast Conference

In: Duke, Maryland, Wake Forest, N.C. State Bubble: Virginia

And now the wait starts for Virginia. Did beating Duke in the final week of the regular season do enough? Will the committee send a sub-.500 team in a major conference to the NCAAs. Does losing nine of its final 12 games of the season mean the NIT? The Cavaliers didn't get the win that would have locked up its at-large bid on Friday, losing to N.C. State 92-72 in the ACC quarterfinals. Virginia finishes 17-11, and with an RPI in the mid-40's. Virginia, however, did beat Georgetown, Rutgers, Wake Forest, and Duke -- something mid-major bubble teams that may take the Cavs' spot didn't do during 20-plus win seasons.

Atlantic 10

In: Xavier Bubble: None

Big 12

In: Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Missouri Bubble: None

Big Ten

In: Indiana, Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan State, Wisconsin Bubble: Minnesota

The Gophers will now root for the Illini (not to mention Indiana) after losing to Illinois in the quarterfinals on Friday. With its at-large hopes now slim at best, Minnesota can't afford Iowa winning the automatic bid and forcing one of the other Big Ten teams to use up an at-large bid.

Big East

In: Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Miami, Notre Dame, St. John's Bubble: Boston College, Syracuse, Georgetown, Villanova

Boston College will have to wait to see if its 20 wins will be enough for the NCAA selection committee after losing to Pittsburgh 76-62 on Thursday in the Big East quarterfinals. Georgetown (19-11) had a shot, a good shot, at upsetting Miami on Thursday afternoon. But the Hoyas let the Hurricane off the hook and now are destined to the NIT. Villanova (17-12) also made a late run with three straight wins, but couldn't hold off UConn, either, Thursday night. Syracuse is another odd-team likely out, losing nine of its final 13 games and four straight to teams it'll be stacked up against in the at-large pool. The Orange will become the first 20-win team out of the Big East to miss the NCAAs, and the Eagles could join them. The Big East is traditionally good enough to get six bids. Whether or not that sixth bid goes to the Eagles this season is still worthy of debate.

Conference USA

In: Cincinnati, Marquette Bubble: Charlotte, Memphis

At 2 a.m. ET on Friday morning, the 49ers went back on the bubble. Hours after losing to Cincy in the C-USA semifinals, the 49ers were likely asleep when UNLV beat Utah to push Charlotte out of the field into the land of uncertainty. Memphis, meanwhile, lost 80-74 to Houston in the quarterfinals. Memphis will be an interesting case to say the least. Winners of 22 games, but not one against a top 50 team, during the 251st ranked schedule in the country.

Horizon League

In: None Bubble: Butler

The Bulldogs need the favorites to win this weekend, and the selection committee to stand by its words and not look at simply the RPI. If it does, there is no way Butler gets an at-large bid with a number as big as 75. Butler does have victories over Ball State and Indiana, but it lost in the first round of the Horizon tournament.

Mid-American Conference

In: Kent State (automatic bid) Bubble: Ball State, Bowling Green

Kent State completed its tour de force in the MAC, winning the tournament title on Saturday night over Bowling Green, which beat Ball State in the semifinals. The Cardinals won't likely be dancing and Bowling Green was a longshot to get an at-large bid even before losing to Kent State.

Missouri Valley Conference

In: Creighton (automatic bid) Bubble: Southern Illinois

Creighton wasn't going to get an at-large bid, but it now doesn't need one after beating Southern Illinois in the MVC title game. The Salukis (25-7) now do. And SIU should get one after sweeping Creighton in their two regular season meetings and finishing with 26 wins. But the RPI is 51, despite doing pretty much everything a mid-major team is supposed to in the non-conference season. Southern Illinois played eight of its 12 non-conference games away from home. The Salukis won at Saint Louis and at Iowa State. They pushed Illinois to the final minute before losing in the championship game of the Las Vegas Invitational. They defeated Big Ten co-champion Indiana. Still, will it be enough?

Mountain West Conference

In: San Diego State (automatic bid), Utah Bubble: Wyoming

The MWC will get two teams into the dance, maybe three. We know San Diego State gets one, but what about Utah and Wyoming? Utah, which lost to UNLV in the semifinals on Friday, isn't as secure as it was 48 hours. But should get the second bid. And, while we put the Cowboys in the field on Thursday, they didn't do themselves any favors by losing to the Aztecs. Wyoming is back on the bubble after needing overtime to beat No. 8 seed Air Force and then losing to the sixth seeded Aztecs. Will the committee remember the Wyoming's last two games more than its regular season -- when it swept both Utah and BYU, and won 20 games and the regular season title? We'll ignore an the RPI in the 50's. And hope the committee does the same.

Pac-10

In: Arizona, Oregon, California, USC, Stanford, UCLA Bubble: None

SEC

In: Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State Bubble: None

West Coast Conference

In: Gonzaga (automatic bid), Pepperdine Bubble: None

Western Athletic Conference

In: Hawaii (automatic bid), Tulsa Bubble: None

Hawaii took the conference championship Saturday night with its third win over Tulsa this season. While the Golden Hurricane couldn't beat the Warriors, it won 26 times this season and should be in the field with the 'Bows come Sunday night. Yes, the WAC was good enough for two bids.