Busting Brackets
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Bracketology Bubble Watch: Breaking down who remains in at-large contention

By Lukas Harkins

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 05: Justin Simon #5 of the St. John's Red Storm dunks the ball in the second half against the Marquette Golden Eagles at the Fiserv Forum on February 05, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 05: Justin Simon #5 of the St. John's Red Storm dunks the ball in the second half against the Marquette Golden Eagles at the Fiserv Forum on February 05, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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VILLANOVA, PA – DECEMBER 05: S Temple Owls high five. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
VILLANOVA, PA – DECEMBER 05: S Temple Owls high five. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

American Athletic Conference

Lead-pipe lock: Houston

Firmly in the field: Cincinnati

Some perspiration: None.

Double the deodorant: Temple, UCF

Cincinnati Bearcats (20-3, 9-1 AAC)

NET: 25 | KPI: 23 | SOR: 28 | BPI: 24 | KP: 30 | Sag: 23

Q1: 3-1 | Q2: 3-1 | Q3: 8-0 | Q4: 6-1

Another strong week from Cincinnati keeps them very firmly in the NCAA Tournament at this point in time. The Bearcats took down two more AAC opponents over the past few days (SMU and Memphis) to bring their winning streak up to eight games. With only a month remaining until Selection Sunday, it would take a collapse for Cincinnati to miss the tournament. They are not quite a lock given their remaining schedule but very close.

Temple Owls (17-6, 7-3 AAC)

NET: 51 | KPI: 39 | SOR: 44 | BPI: 59 | KP: 70 | Sag: 64

Q1: 1-5 | Q2: 5-0 | Q3: 4-1 | Q4: 7-0

Temple took care of business this week with victories over Tulane (away) and UConn (home). On the whole, this does not move the needle much for this team. The Owls are sitting right on the NCAA Tournament bubble at this point in time despite their outstanding record. Looking ahead at their remaining schedule, Temple is in a tough spot because they lack high-quality opportunities remaining and there are plenty of bubble-bursters in the AAC. The Owls should hope to win the vast majority of their remaining contests to get in.

UCF Knights (16-5, 6-3 AAC)

NET: 42 | KPI: 39 | SOR: 54 | BPI: 47 | KP: 50 | Sag: 40

Q1: 0-1 | Q2: 3-2 | Q3: 7-0 | Q4: 6-1

UCF had a major opportunity for a quality win during their only contest of this past week but they were unable to defend their home court against Houston. This was a massive missed opportunity for the Knights, who have just one win over the KenPom top-50. Despite a great overall record, UCF’s resume is quite weak and that is why they are right around the cutline right now. With seven remaining KenPom top-100 games on their schedule, UCF will have the opportunity to play their way in or out of the field.

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