Bracketology: Updated Bubble Watch and another mailbag

Even as the Bracketology season gets closer to Selection Sunday, the bubble remains as large as ever.

Welcome to another edition of the Bubble Watch and our mailbag!

In our mailbag, I took to Twitter looking for questions regarding Bracketology, the bubble, or just the general college basketball world. Below, I answer the questions I received prior to getting into the Bubble Watch for this week.

If you still have questions about any of these topics, we’ll be back soon for another edition. Well, without further ado, let’s get started.

Although it is a major throwback to the beginning of the year, I think the best win of the season by a Big Ten team is Indiana knocking off Kansas on the opening night of college basketball. Both teams have come a long way since then, but with Indiana now sitting firmly on the bubble, their early season wins over Kansas and North Carolina are proving to be extremely important.

How much stake should the committee put into the Hoosier team that won both of those games? I’m not sure, but right now, nobody in the Big Ten has as good of a win as Indiana beating Kansas, regardless of what their record is now or the injuries that they have suffered.

Will the Big East get 5+ teams into the dance? (asked by @luke_ockwood)

I think the answer to this question is yes. Villanova, Butler, Creighton and Xavier all look to be locks at this point and are the clear top four teams in the conference. After that, things get a little murkier, and Marquette’s stretch of three losses in four games doesn’t help all that much, but I think the Golden Eagles are that fifth team that gets in, and likely as a single digit seed.

As for six, Seton Hall and Georgetown are the frontrunners for that potential spot. With how weak the bubble is this season, both have legitimate chances, although I believe only one finds its way into the dance. I am going to say that team is Seton Hall, giving the conference six bids. Providence has an outside shot, but right now that seems rather unlikely. It is highly doubtful that the Big East could send seven teams, but I think that 5-6 is the most likely situation, with Georgetown/Seton Hall biting their nails the most on Selection Sunday.

That concludes our mailbag for this week, so let’s get into the Bubble Watch. Once again, here is a brief look at how the system works.

Categories for the Bubble Watch:

Lead-Pipe Lock: These are teams that are guaranteed to make the tournament and there is such a small likelihood that they miss the tournament that they are categorized as “locks.”

Some Perspiration: These are teams that should make the tournament. They are likely already in the Bracketology prior to this Bubble Watch and are usually in with room to spare.

Better Double Up On The Deodorant: These teams are very much on the fence. They could be in the tournament at the time, but there is very little room between them being in and them being out. Most of these teams are out of the tournament looking for wins to play their way in.

Also, if there is a team not mentioned in this edition of the Bubble Watch that should be, don’t worry. There is plenty of time left for teams to work their way up onto the bubble and potentially into the tournament.

For any questions or comments on this Bubble Watch, tweet your thoughts at @BustingBrackets or @hardwiredsports (that’s me!).