Bracketology 2020: Biggest winners and losers from Feast Week games

Winner – San Diego State (8-0)

• Feast Week record: 3-0
• Beat Tennessee State, 62-49
• Beat Creighton, 83-52
• Beat Iowa, 83-73

Before the season, it seemed like the best-case scenario for the Mountain West was to send Utah State to the Big Dance through the front door, with the Aztecs trying to sneak in through the back door. But after a pair of impressive performances against high-major opposition, it appears that San Diego State might come crashing through the turnstiles after all, taking home the Las Vegas Invitational trophy with big wins over Creighton and Iowa.

SDSU was picked as a very clear second-place team to the Aggies in the MWC. But the early returns from transfers Malachi Flynn, KJ Feagin, and Yanni Wetzell have been massive. Brian Dutcher has ensured a smooth transition with these guys joining more seasoned Aztecs like Jordan Schakel, Matt Mitchell, and Nathan Mensah. This looks like a Top 25 team—and a much better bet for an at-large bid than they were a month ago.

Now, a look at a few of the teams who dug big holes for themselves at the end of November.

Loser – Georgetown (4-3)

• Feast Week record: 0-1
• Lost to UNC Greensboro, 65-61

The Hoyas only had one chance to impress last week—and they didn’t take it. UNCG is one of the worst-kept secrets in mid-major basketball, so this loss shouldn’t be taken as a huge black eye for Patrick Ewing’s club. But it does represent a big missed opportunity for Georgetown, who missed earlier chances at good wins against Duke and Penn State. The team has talent aplenty, headlined by James Akinjo, Mac McClung, and Omer Yurtseven, but Georgetown hasn’t always delivered.

With the Big East slated to be another slugfest, teams that finish outside the top two or three in the league will have to do something in the non-conference season to distinguish themselves. The Hoyas hold onto a win over Texas but could do themselves a massive favor by scoring wins over Oklahoma State and Syracuse in the coming days.

There are still roughly three-quarters of the season left to be played, but these teams are already starting to separate themselves—for better or worse. But with the ever-changing landscape of college basketball, it surely won’t be long before we see some of these squads swapping places on the bubble.