Bracketology 2022: Providence, Gonzaga, and Memphis among biggest winners

Providence Friars

One of the biggest surprises of the early season has been the Friars, who are 11-1 with several Quad 1 victories. The latest came against UConn, who was without star big man Adama Sanogo n Saturday but still resulted in a big road win to start out league play 1-0.

There are still going to be some that aren’t full believers of Providence and with fair reason, as their two best wins came against opponents without their best players (beat Wisconsin without Johnny Davis). But that doesn’t matter in regards to its resume, now with four Quad 1 wins and a NET ranking around 30. That’s great for a team few thought was a true at-large contender.

Kentucky Wildcats

After a surprising road loss at Notre Dame, the Wildcats were without a single meaningful victory on its non-conference resume. The good news is that’s no longer, as Kentucky destroyed North Carolina by 29 points in a game that was never close. Although the Tar Heels have some issues of their own, that’s still a Quad 1 victory and a resume builder for a Kentucky team looking for a top 4 seed.

The SEC has plenty of Quad 1 available games but the Wildcats needed one to prove that they’re a top 25 team. As good as they looked on Saturday, there shouldn’t be any more doubters. But with a matchup against Louisville coming later in the week, they’ll have to avoid a potential letdown in order to get another big victory.