Momentum can be a valuable weapon in the men's NCAA tournament.

A hot streak down the stretch has shot some teams up seed lines and improved their overall standing. For other teams, a late push will be necessary just to be part of the March Madness conversation, and that includes the long list of mid-major standouts from one-bid leagues that have no choice but to finish strong to earn their spot.

Ahead, we've ranked the hottest teams in the nation entering Selection Sunday, based on a combination of performance over the last 10 games, quality of opponent and current trajectory. Included is a look at how each team has fared against projected tournament competition during that stretch, per Bracket Matrix as of Thursday afternoon.

We'll start with some mid-major programs on a roll that are still trying to clinch a spot and take it from there.

 

1-Bid League Standouts Still Playing for a Spot

These mid-major teams are playing extremely well of late, but they will be on the outside looking in for the NCAA tournament unless they can run the table in their conference tournament to claim the automatic bid:

  • Kent State (Last 10: 10-0, Win Streak: 13)
  • Nicholls State (Last 10: 9-1, Win Streak: 2)
  • North Texas (Last 10: 9-1, Win Streak: 1)
  • Vermont (Last 10: 9-1, Win Streak: 7)

 

Other 1-Bid League Standouts That Have Clinched a Spot

Bryant Bulldogs (22-9, 15-2 in NEC)

Last 10: 9-1; Win Streak: 7

The Bulldogs have the nation's leading scorer in Peter Kiss (25.1 PPG) and a 14-1 record in their last 15 games. They are in the NCAA tournament field for the first time in team history following a 70-43 win over Wagner in the NEC title game.

     

Colgate Raiders (23-11, 16-2 in Patriot)

Last 10: 10-0; Win Streak: 15

The Raiders rank second in Division l with a blistering 40.3 percent clip from beyond the arc, and all five starters are averaging double figures. After an ugly 4-10 start to the year, they've lost just once since early January.

      

Georgia State Panthers (18-10, 9-5 in Sun Belt)

Last 10: 10-0; Win Streak: 10

After four straight losses to begin conference play, the Panthers went 9-1 the rest of the way before picking up three wins in three days in the Sun Belt tournament to secure the automatic bid. Leading scorer Corey Allen enters the NCAA tournament coming off back-to-back 29-point games.

     

Longwood Lancers (26-6, 15-1 in Big South)

Last 10: 9-1; Win Streak: 8

An eight-point road loss to North Carolina A&T on Feb. 12 was the only blemish on Longwood's conference slate. They went 15-1 in the Big South and ran the table in the conference tournament, closing things out with a lopsided 79-58 win over Winthrop in the title game.