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Bracketology Bubble Watch: Indiana, Creighton sitting on the edge

By Lukas Harkins

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 19: Romeo Langford #0 of the Indiana Hoosiers prepares to shoot a free throw against the Purdue Boilermakers at Assembly Hall on February 19, 2019 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 19: Romeo Langford #0 of the Indiana Hoosiers prepares to shoot a free throw against the Purdue Boilermakers at Assembly Hall on February 19, 2019 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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RICHMOND, KY – FEBRUARY 16: Morant of the Murray State Racers is seen. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
RICHMOND, KY – FEBRUARY 16: Morant of the Murray State Racers is seen. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Others to consider

Lead-pipe lock: Nevada, Buffalo, Gonzaga, Wofford, Houston, Cincinnati, UCF, VCU.

Firmly in the field: None.

Some perspiration: Utah State.

Double the deodorant: Arizona State, Temple.

Make your tournament final: Belmont, Murray State, Lipscomb, Toledo, Furman, UNCG

Utah State Aggies (25-6, 15-3 MWC)

NET: 30 | KPI: 45 | SOR: 40 | BPI: 48 | KP: 38 | Sag: 51

Q1: 3-2 | Q2: 1-3 | Q3: 8-1 | Q4: 12-0

Utah State did exactly what it needed to during this past week. First, they defended their home court in a massive victory over nationally-ranked Nevada. This marked the best win on the year for the Aggies and pushed them into just about everyone’s projected field. Then, they followed that performance up with a hard-fought overtime road win over Colorado State. The victory certainly did not come easy but they were able to get it done and move in a relatively safe position. Utah State has won 14 of their last 15 games and will be a very tough team to handle in the NCAA Tournament. They probably need one more win to feel “safe” but they might not even need it to get in. Current Bracketology Status: No. 10 seed.

Arizona State Sun Devils (20-9, 11-6 P12)

NET: 71 | KPI: 37 | SOR: 58 | BPI: 68 | KP: 63 | Sag: 54

Q1: 3-3 | Q2: 7-2 | Q3: 4-2 | Q4: 6-2

Even though Arizona State is currently featured in most bracketology fields, I am not yet a believer. I understand that the Sun Devils have a tremendous 10-5 record in Q1/2 games but it is hard to ignore that they have four bad losses, more than just about every other bubble team, and their metrics are far from special. In fact, I am curious to see how the committee weights the NET rankings because that could greatly impact Arizona State’s potential for selection. Considering how weak the Pac-12 is this season, it might be vital that the Sun Devils reach the semifinals of the conference tournament before dropping another game.

Current Bracketology Status: First Four Out.

Temple Owls (22-8, 12-5 AAC)

NET: 56 | KPI: 42 | SOR: 41 | BPI: 71 | KP: 75 | Sag: 72

Q1: 2-6 | Q2: 5-1 | Q3: 7-1 | Q4: 8-0

Temple won both of their games during this past week but that did not exactly move the needle much. The Owls have posted a strong year on the whole but their resume does not scream NCAA Tournament team when you consider their weak quality rankings. If Temple was rated significantly higher in those metrics, they would likely be in safely. Alas, that is not the case and therefore there is still work to be done. With UCF coming to town for the regular-season finale, Temple has a huge opportunity is approaching. A win in that matchup would likely put them back in my field but not safely. Current Bracketology Status: First Four Out.

Next. Bracketology Projected Field of 68. dark

That concludes this edition of the 2019 Bubble Watch. I hope that you enjoyed and if you have a team that you think should have been included, let me know on Twitter: @hardwiredsports. Looking forward to talking college hoops with all of you in the coming months.

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