Bracketology Bubble Watch: Alabama, Syracuse rising into consideration

SYRACUSE, NY - NOVEMBER 06: Elijah Hughes #33 of the Syracuse Orange shoots the ball as Casey Morsell #13 of the Virginia Cavaliers defends during the second half at the Carrier Dome on November 6, 2019 in Syracuse, New York. Virginia defeated Syracuse 48-34. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images) /

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COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND – JANUARY 18: Eastern of Purdue shoots. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Selection Sunday is approaching in under two months. Alabama and Syracuse have been two of the biggest risers on the bracketology bubble watch as of late.

The Bracketology Bubble Watch is back after taking a brief hiatus last week (I was sick and didn’t have time). As per usual, this update will analyze every single team currently in the at-large conversation for the NCAA Tournament. Now that Selection Sunday is under two months away, it’s time to pay serious attention to each team’s resume and where they stand in the grand scheme of the college basketball landscape at this point in time.

Of course, there are still several weeks left for teams to make substantial moves (both positively and negatively) but this will provide a nice snapshot of the bubble as it stands. Each team under consideration for an at-large bid for my bracketology projected fields has been lumped into one of four categories based on their current standing and there is a resume breakdown for everyone that is not currently anointed a “lock” to dance.

Here is a quick reminder of the categories…

Bubble Watch Categories:

Lead-pipe lock: Barring a massive collapse, these teams are sure-fire NCAA Tournament teams.

Firmly in the field: Through the first two months of the season, these teams have put together strong resumes and would not be sweating whatsoever if Selection Sunday was right now. They cannot, though, lose a bunch of games in a row and still remain safe.

Some perspiration: Teams in this category are in dangerous territory but would more than likely be in the NCAA Tournament right now. As long as they stay the course, an at-large bid is in their future. Slip-ups could increase the potential sweat level, though.

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 to either remain in the projected field or work their way in.

Now, without any further ado, let’s dive into the second edition of the 2020 bracketology bubble watch! This version of the bubble watch takes into account games played through Jan. 28th and the “Current Bracketology Placement” is based on my updated field from Jan. 28th.

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