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Bracketology Bubble Watch: Providence rising, Rutgers in trouble

By Lukas Harkins

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 25: A reflection of the stadium can be seen in the bubble as it bursts ahead the FA Cup Fourth Round match between West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion at The London Stadium on January 25, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 25: A reflection of the stadium can be seen in the bubble as it bursts ahead the FA Cup Fourth Round match between West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion at The London Stadium on January 25, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /
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CINCINNATI, OH – FEBRUARY 19: Cumberland of the Bearcats brings. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH – FEBRUARY 19: Cumberland of the Bearcats brings. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Lead-Pipe Locks: Houston.

Safely in the field: None.

Some perspiration: Wichita State

Double the deodorant: Cincinnati, Memphis

Wichita State Shockers (20-7, NET: 43)

Wichita State holds the eighth-best adjusted defensive efficiency rating in the country but that has not helped it escape the confines of the bubble. The Shockers remain on the right side of the cutline at this moment but can’t afford too many slip-ups over the final few weeks of the season. They most recently split their contests with South Florida (home) and Cincinnati (away) during this past week. Wichita State does not boast a ton of high quality wins this season (just 2-4 in Q1) but is also yet to suffer a bad loss. Additionally, every single metric on its team sheet ranks WSU between 38-43. Two pivotal road games still loom against SMU and Memphis in the near future as likely 50/50 games – Shockers should hope to take at least one. Current Bracketology Placement: No. 10 seed.

Cincinnati Bearcats (18-9, NET: 54)

Cincinnati moved into the bubble conversation a few weeks ago after winning five straight games and it has remained right around the cutline since. The Bearcats are 3-2 over their last five games and they have been forced to play five overtime periods during this stretch as well. Cincinnati’s resume is worthy of discussion for an at-large bid but it is not all that spectacular, either. The Bearcats are just 2-5 in Q1 and they have also already suffered four Q3 losses. That could be difficult to recover from even with a perfect 6-0 record in Q2. Cincinnati has a crucial road trip coming up when it faces Houston and South Florida with only one rest day in between. Current Bracketology Placement: No. 12 seed.

Memphis Tigers (19-9, NET: 62)

Memphis suffered a tough road loss to SMU during this past week. While that result alone isn’t a resume-killer, it is for a team that was already teetering on the edge of the bubble. The Tigers still boast a pretty strong overall record but seven Q4 wins are really bolstering that. Memphis’ resume, on the whole, is rather weak with every single metric ranking outside of the Top 50. The Tigers still have an outside shot at an at-large bid and that is due to the fact that they still have matchups with Wichita State (home) and Houston (away) in their final three regular-season games. Current Bracketology Placement: OUT.

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