It's the week before Christmas, and many NCAA Basketball teams are playing one game, dealing with finals and the holiday break. So, there weren’t many opportunities for teams to boost their Bracketology resumes.
However, there were a few who managed to get some marquee victories. Here’s a list of six programs considered “winners.”
1. Cincinnati Bearcats
The Bearcats are 9-1, but their non-conference metrics aren’t great, with only wins over GT and Xavier on the slate. But they managed to get the 66-59 win over A-10 favorite Dayton to give them some breathing room in case they have a mediocre Big 12 resume. This should get Cincy out of the danger zone of high-major teams with poor non-con SOS numbers.
2. Georgetown Hoyas
Georgetown is 2-0 in Big East play for the first time in years, beating Creighton at home and Seton Hall on the road. While neither are likely signature wins, they were the kind of victories a team with postseason hopes needed to get to open league play. Right now, the Hoyas still don’t have a bad loss, which is good before the new year.
3. North Carolina Tar Heels
The Heels have plenty of losses already but still can make the postseason if they can find meaningful wins. They got one in the CBS Sports Classic, beating a ranked UCLA squad. It was a “must-win” for UNC, who has just a few Quad 1 games in ACC play. The Bruins win gives them some margin of error now.
4. Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma remains unbeaten on the season, gaining a likely Quad 1 victory over Michigan in the Jumpman Invitational. It’s probably the best win for the Sooners, as teams such as Louisville, Providence, and Arizona have had their fair share of struggles. At this point, OU is closer to the top-4 seed line than the bubble.
5. Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes had recently lost 3 of 5 games, including a pair of blowout losses. They bounced back nicely, getting a 20-point blowout win of its own against top-5 Kentucky. They managed to get the momentum back with a signature victory and boost its metrics back up.
6. Utah State Aggies
Utah State had some solid wins early on over Iowa and St. Bonaventure, but on Sunday night, they managed to get a signature victory on the road at Saint Mary’s. It’s a likely Quad 1 victory and one that’ll look better as the season goes on, and arguably the most important of the week.