Bracketology Bubble Watch: UCLA vs. USC in double bubble battle headlines on Tuesday

Tuesday night time’s faculty basketball slate is gentle on big-time battles, with no sport between ranked groups on the docket. But the schedule continues to be teeming with video games that includes NCAA Tournament ramifications.

Among them are a few “double bubble” battles. First up, Arizona State will put its faint bubble hopes on the road at TCU because the Horned Frogs attempt to shield their standing as one of many “Last Four In” the projected subject of 68. The Sun Devils must be just about good between now and Selection Sunday, and TCU can’t afford to take a Quad 2 loss.

Later on, USC and UCLA sq. off in a crosstown rivalry showdown with main Bracketology implications for each. The Trojans are on a three-game dropping streak and desperately want a jolt if their injury-plagued marketing campaign goes to end result in an NCAA Tournament look. UCLA is trending up after a giant win over Illinoishowever the Bruins do not have a lot margin for error.

Here is the total bubble breakdown forward of Tuesday’s motion.

Check out the CBS Sports Bracketology mannequin’s newest bracket on the Bracketology hub

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Bubble groups in motion Tuesday

Miami (Ohio)

at Eastern Michigan | 6:30 pm (ESPN+)
Entering the day: No. 11 seed (auto-bid)
Game standing: Quad 3

Miami is 27-0 and simply 4 wins away from an undefeated common season. But as a result of it has performed zero Quad 1 video games and only one Quad 2 sport, its margin for error on the NCAA Tournament bubble remains minuscule. Eastern Michigan has dropped 9 of its previous 10 video games and is simply 10-18 (4-11 MAC). But the Eagles did beat Cincinnati 64-56 on the street in November, which suggests they could be a minimum of considerably able to pulling an upset.

Cincinnati

at No. 16 Texas Tech | 7pm (ESPN2)
Entering the day: Out
Game standing: Quad 1

Calling Cincinnati a bubble workforce at this level is a stretch. But if the Bearcats beat Texas Tech on the street, they may conceivably flirt with “Next Four Out” territory. Given that Wes Miller’s membership is on a four-game streak, which incorporates an authoritative street win over Kansasthey’re value protecting a watch on down the stretch.

Indiana

vs. Northwestern | 7pm (FS1)
Entering the day: First Four Out
Game standing: Quad 3

Indiana’s summarizes might be interpreted in varied methods. An simple argument for the Hoosiers is that they’ve three victories over projected NCAA Tournament groups, together with wins over PurdueUCLA and Wisconsin. But the grim actuality is that IU is simply 4-10 throughout Quad 1 and Quad 2. That is fewer Quad 1/2 victories than anybody else in the highest 50 of the NET apart from Miami (Ohio).

TCU

vs. Arizona State | 9 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
Entering the day: Last Four In
Game standing: Quad 2

TCU has received 4 of its previous 5 to maintain itself close to the lower line. The Horned Frogs demonstrated their high-end potential in wins over Iowa State, Florida and Wisconsin earlier this season. You will not discover many bubble groups in any 12 months with a extra spectacular trio of victories. Alas, a season-opening Quad 4 loss towards New Orleans is serving as an anchor that’s dragging the Horned Frogs down in the results-based metrics utilized by the committee.

Arizona State

at TCU | 9 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
Entering the day: Next Four Out
Game standing: Quad 1

Arizona State is barely clinging to “Next Four Out” standing after Saturday’s loss at Baylor dropped the Sun Devils to 14-13 (5-9 Big 12). But a Feb. 17 win over Texas Tech is doing simply sufficient to maintain them in the dialog for now. Make no mistake: Arizona State must be practically good between now and Selection Sunday if it desires to go dancing.

Auburn

at Oklahoma | 9 pm (ESPNU)
Entering the day: No. 9 seed
Game standing: Quad 1

It’s not a stretch to say that Auburn might have saved its season with a controversial, 75-74 win over Kentucky on Saturday. It snapped a five-game dropping streak and flipped the Tigers (15-12, 6-8 SEC) again onto the sector. While seeing a workforce with this report projected in the sector could also be offensive to some, hold in thoughts that Auburn has the No. 1 NET power of schedule, which is mirrored in a top-40 Wins Above Bubble (WAB) rating.

Missouri

vs. Tennessee | 9 pm (SEC Network)
Entering the day: No. 11 seeds
Game standing: Quad 1

Missouri Could enhance to 5-5 in Quad 1 video games if it beats Tennessee. The Tigers are hovering in the low 40s of NCAA Tournament abstract metrics, and so they function a traditional instance of why you need to principally ignore a workforce’s NET rating when evaluating the bubble. WAB is more important than NET. It’s a significant abstract metric utilized by the committee, and the Tigers are forty second in WAB whereas simply sixtieth in NET. They do not wish to fall in WAB, however dropping to Tennessee would not convey too harsh a penalty.

New Mexico

at Snowfall | 11 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
Entering the day: Last Four In
Game standing: Quad 1

This is one among two projected Quad 1 alternatives remaining for New Mexico over the ultimate two weeks of the common season, and it is a sport the Lobos really want. While they’re 9-5 throughout Quads 1 and a couple of, seven of these wins are in Quad 2. First-year coach Eric Olen has a great 3-point taking pictures workforce that may very well be harmful in the Big Dance. Victories over Saint Clare and VCU in nonconference play confirmed the Lobos can beat tournament-caliber opposition.

USC

at UCLA | 11pm (FS1)
Entering the day: First Four Out
Game standing: Quad 1

No one stumbled more durable over the weekend than USC, which suffered a Quad 3 dwelling loss to Oregon. Even with main scorer Chad Baker-Mazara again from a three-game damage absence, the Trojans could not cling on to a late lead. After coming into the weekend as a No. 10 seed in CBS Sports Bracketology, USC now has some floor to make up heading into Tuesday night time’s rivalry showdown at UCLA.

UCLA

vs. USC | 11pm (FS1)
Entering the day: No. 10 seeds
Game standing: Quad 2

An exciting 95-94 extra time victory over Illinois on Saturday ensured the Bruins’ spot on the correct facet of the bubble for now. But UCLA wants to hold that momentum ahead with a 3-1 end over the season’s remaining two weeks if it desires to really feel assured about its place in the sector heading into the Big Ten Tournament. One issue working in UCLA’s favor is the absence of dangerous losses on its resume. Every loss is towards a workforce that’s both tournament-bound or in the combo.