Bracketology Bubble Watch: Where do teams stand relative to the field?

With bracketology season heating up, let’s take a look at each team in consideration for an at-large bid in this edition of the Bubble Watch.

Welcome to the 2019 Bubble Watch! As a bracketology nut, this is one of my favorite weekly pieces to write every single year. My bubble watch breaks down every team in consideration for the NCAA Tournament and works in coordination with my bi-weekly bracketology updates (this week’s update is here). Each team considered receives its own breakdown regarding play to date, current resume, and schedule moving forward. They are also all placed in one of three categories based on where they stand in the field.

Here is a quick breakdown of what each of the categories in this piece signifies:

Firmly in the field: These teams have the potential to reach the “lead-pipe lock” category in next week’s edition of the bubble watch. Through the first few months of the season, they have put together a great resume and are in just about everyone’s projected bracketology field. They usually hold No. 1-6 seeds.

Some perspiration: Teams in this category might not be on the verge of missing the NCAA Tournament but they cannot afford major slides in the coming weeks. As long as they play as they have been, an at-large bid is in their future. These teams usually currently hold No. 7-9 seeds.

Double the deodorant: These are the squads who would be sweating out Selection Sunday most if the tournament started today. They have work left to do in the coming months to secure a spot in the Big Dance and are usually either in the tournament as a No. 10-12 seed or on the outside looking in.

Because this is the first edition of the bubble watch for this year, I took the time to break down every team in consideration for an at-large bid. This even considers those teams like Duke and Michigan State, who are already definitely “locks” to make the Big Dance. I wanted to make sure I was able to get some words in regarding these teams prior to moving them into the “lead-pipe lock” category, which will make its season debut in next week’s edition of the bubble watch.

So, without any further ado, let’s dive into the first edition of the 2019 bubble watch! (Note: This bubble watch was last updated based on games completed through Thursday, Jan. 24. The NET and Quadrant records, though, had been last updated through Jan. 23 at the time of posting. These will be changed once the NET updates. Also, all statistics found in this article were found via Sports-Reference or KenPom unless otherwise noted.)