Bracketology: Cincinnati Joins Kansas State in Joe Lunardi’s Long-Shot Bubble Teams
With post-season tournaments around the country starting up, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi’s tournament field is beginning to take shape.
That being said, two teams from the Big 12 Conference have a chance to drastically shake things up, with both Kansas State and Cincinnati mentioned in the latest bracketology update.
The Wildcats shot back into tournament consideration following a major upset over the sixth-ranked Iowa State Cyclones in the season finale and find themselves listed nine spots out of the NCAA Tournament field. Cincinnati has been steadily improving their stock this season and is currently listed three places behind the Wildcats, 12 places out of the tournament field.
The Wildcats remained in the same spot in the update as the field’s 79th-ranked team, nine spots out of the NCAA Tournament field. With the win over the Cyclones, Jerome Tang’s squad earned their fifth Quad 1 win of the season with wins against Villanova, No. 20 BYU, No. 14 Kansas, No. 11 Baylor, and No. 6 Iowa State. The win also gave the Wildcats a significant boost in the NET to the 71st spot, three places out of the top 68.
Cincinnati (17-13, 6-11) currently trails Kansas State by one game in the Big 12 standings as Wes Miller’s squad checks in at 11th place in the league. The Bearcats recorded three Quad 1 wins this season, with wins over No. 23 Texas Tech, TCU, and No. 25 BYU.
While both teams still have an uphill battle to earn an NCAA Tournament bid, the path to the post-season is available for both teams following a big run in the Big 12 Tournament. Cincinnati takes the court against the West Virginia Mountaineers on Tuesday, March 12th, at 2:00 p.m. CT.
