Bracketology 2024: Bubble Watch Updates of key teams in late February
By Joey Loose
Nebraska (20-8) (NET: 41)
4-6 (Q1), 3-2 (Q2), 6-0 (Q3), 7-0 (Q4)
It’s all been about success at home for the Cornhuskers. They did garner a Quad 1 road win at Kansas State two months ago, but their other notable wins have been at home in Big Ten play. Winning against Purdue was more than just notable, and they’ve also knocked off Michigan State and Wisconsin.
There aren’t any true stinkers on the resume, but Nebraska’s inability to win on the road has been troubling this season. The Quad 2 road wins came at Minnesota and Rutgers, while the Cornhuskers have lost by 15+ to teams like Iowa, Maryland, and Wisconsin.
This past week finally saw Nebraska win on the road in league play, handling Indiana by 15 points in Bloomington. Yes, Indiana is bad this year, but the Cornhuskers have now won four straight and are playing better basketball to end the season. Can they continue that winning trend with road tests at Ohio State and Michigan before the season ends?
Nevada (21-6) (NET: 42)
5-4 (Q1), 1-1 (Q2), 5-1 (Q3), 10-0 (Q4)
The Wolf Pack got their season off to a fast start, which included Quad 1 victories against Washington and TCU. They’ve added onto that total in a tough MWC, beating Colorado State and San Diego State and upending Utah State on the road.
The Quad 3 loss was at Wyoming at the tail end of a rough stretch early in conference play. That’s been the worst for a Nevada team that’s looked strong for most of the season. The Quad 2 loss was an excusable one at home against a Boise State team that should reach the Big Dance, though this NET would be higher than 42 without those performances.
Nevada has won six of their last seven games, including their last three on the road. This recent hot stretch has solidified their case for the NCAA Tournament, but it’s a tough road to finish the season. Road rematches against Colorado State and Boise State await in the coming weeks and winning at least one of those could almost secure their spot in the field.