Bracketology 2020: Providence, UCLA and Kansas among biggest winners

LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 25: Cody Riley #2 and Chris Smith #5 of the UCLA Bruins line up on the lane against Kolby Lee #40 of the BYU Cougars during the second half at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 25, 2019 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /

5 of 11

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 12: David Duke #3 of the Providence Friars (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /

Providence Friars (16-12, 9-6 Big East)

Similar to UCLA, Providence dug themselves a massive hole in the non-conference portion of the season. They looked as if they would finish in last in the Big East standings but instead have built a decent resume of their own. After a great start in league play, the Friars went 3-6 to find themselves with their backs against the wall.

Another run has gone on since, going 3-0 in the past eight days. The first came in a big upset over Seton Hall last week. This week, Providence took care of Georgetown on the road in a matchup of bubble teams, before beating No. 19 Marquette on Saturday despite giving up 38 points to Markus Howard. Considering all the other bubble teams that missed opportunities for Quad 1 wins this weekend, this was a massive success for Ed Cooley’s team.

The Friars are going to have to keep winning marquee games in order to make up for the disasters in the non-conference. Losses to Long Beach State, Penn, Charleston and Northwestern will continue to drag down their numbers, with a 7-4 record overall against Quad 3 and 4 games. They have beaten most of the top teams in the Big East but likely will need to beat Villanova on the road next week to get on the right side on the bubble.

Home/Bracketology