Cincinnati Bearcats (0-4 in Quad 1 Opportunities)
It's a crucial season for Wes Miller and the Bearcats. Cincinnati has not made the NCAA tournament under Miller, with their only postseason appearances being two National Invitation Tournament bids. Coming into this season, it felt a bit like it would be a make-it-or-break-it season for Miller's future with Cincinnati; their last NCAA tournament appearance was back in 2019, although they were in the running for a bid in the shortened 2020 season.
So far, it hasn't gone great. To be fair, the metrics like the Bearcats currently are 36th in the NET rankings, and KenPom has them as the 37th best team in the country. In reality, they lack any signature wins to hang their hats on. Victories against Xavier and Dayton are solid if unspectacular Quad 2 wins, while the Quad 2 loss to Kansas State hurts a bit.
Cincinnati also has started 0-4 in Big 12 play after losing to Kansas at home in a game they really needed to win. There's still plenty of time for them to turn it around - and the solid metrics will be a plus on Selection Sunday - but they need to pick up a Quad 1 win sooner rather than later.
Next Quad 1 Opportunity: Home vs Texas Tech on 1/21