At first glance, it may not appear as though Miami’s 75-66 win over North Carolina on Tuesday night had a particularly dramatic impact on the Hurricanes in CBS Sports Bracketology. After all, Miami is still a projected No. 11 seed, even after taking down the No. 11 ranked Tar Heels in a very non-flukey way.
But there is more than initially meets the eye, as Miami did receive a nice boost. The win catapulted Miami out of the “Last Four In” and to the top spot on the No. 11 seed line. The addition of a third Quad 1 win will do wonders for the Hurricanes as Selection Sunday creeps ever closer. At 19-6 and 8-3 in the ACC, first-year coach Jai Lucas has done a great job in Coral Gables after inheriting a 7-24 team.
As for an ACC team with a lot on the line Wednesday night, Virginia Tech fits the bill. The Hokies enter their showdown at Clemson slotted as one of the “Next Four Out” in CBS Sports Bracketology and as 8.5-point underdogs. The ACC is destined to improve upon last year’s total of four NCAA Tournament bids. The league currently has eight in the field, according to Wednesday’s version of the CBS Sports Bracketology model.
Bracketology: Purdue rises to a No. 2 seed, Illinois falls in projected NCAA Tournament seeding
David Cobb
If Virginia Tech could crash the party, it would only benefit the league even further as it seeks to reclaim its place in the college basketball hierarchy.
Check out the CBS Sports Bracketology model’s just in bracket at the Bracketology hub
All times ET
Bubble teams in action Wednesday
VCU
Entering the day: First Four Out
vs. La Salle 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
At 18-6 and 9-2 in the Atlantic 10, VCU is in the hunt as a team with at least some chance to join Atlantic 10 stalwart Saint Louis (23-1, 11-0) in the field. Unfortunately for the Rams — and for the A10 as a whole — only one of their remaining games currently project as Quad 1 opportunities (Feb. 20 at Saint Louis). As a result, it’s going to be a tense ride down the stretch for a VCU team that is 0-4 in Quad 1.
Ohio State
Entering the day: Next Four Out
vs. USC 6:30 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
It feels like Ohio State’s best chance of getting a Quad 1 win may be for Northwestern to reach the top 75 of the NET, which would turn the Buckeyes’ Dec. 6 road victory over the Wildcats into a Q1 victory. Hosting USC is another Quad 2 opportunity for the Buckeyes, who need to upgrade their No. 49 WAB ranking and start showing some high-end potential.
Virginia Tech
Entering the day: Next Four Out
at Clemson, 7 p.m. (ACC Network)
Virginia Tech is unbeaten across Quads 3 and 4 and owns a nice Dec. 31. win over Virginia. But at just 2-7 overall in Quad 1 and a WAB ranking of No. 51, the Hokies need some resume fortification. Winning on the road against a Clemson team that is 10-1 in the ACC would be a game-changer. Big resume-boosting opportunities at Miami, at North Carolina and at Virginia also await the Hokies, who need to become road warriors.
Cal
Entering the day: First Four Out
at Syracuse 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
Cal profiles as a top-50 team in resume metrics because it owns four Quad 1 wins and zero losses outside the top two quadrants., But the Bears aren’t great in predictive ratings, which makes this Wednesday-Saturday trek through the ACC’s swing of Syracuse and Boston College potentially perilous. The Bears are 5.5 point underdogs against a 13-11 Syracuse team that has lost six of seven.
Seton Hall
Entering the day: Next Four Out
vs. Providence 7:30 p.m. (Peacock)
Seton Hall will be seeking a season sweep of Providence as it takes on the Friars in a can’t-lose Quad 3 home matchup. The Pirates have dropped six of their last eight games but are entering a manageable stretch of schedule that should allow them to regain their footing before potentially pivotal rematches with UConn and St. John’s in the closing stretch.
Missouri
Entering the day: Last Four In
at Texas A&M 9 p.m. (SEC Network)
Missouri is given a 50% or better chance at winning just one of its final eight games, per KenPom. Predictive metrics aren’t a huge fan of the Tigers, but their resume includes wins over Florida and Kentucky that are aging beautifully. Throw in a road victory over Texas A&M and the Aggies would have three of those coveted Quad1A victories to tout. This team’s high-potential. It’s just about filling in the gaps after playing an incredibly weak out-of-league schedule.
New Mexico
Entering the day: First Four Out
at Grand Canyon 10 p.m. (FS1)
Three of New Mexico’s seven remaining regular season games are shaping up as Quad 1 opportunities. This is one of them. With Grand Canyon hovering at No. 70 in the NET, winning a road game vs. the Antelopes could go a long way for the Lobos and first-year coach Eric Olen as they look to stop a two-game slide.
Saint Mary’s
Entering the day: Last Four In
vs. Pepperdine 10 p.m. (ESPN+)
This is the epitome of a landmine spot for Saint Mary’s. No benefit will be derived from a Quad 4 home win against Pepperdine, which enters at 6-19 (1-11 WCC). In fact, a victory is projected to earn the Gaels a paltry 0.03 points in the ever-important WAB, but a loss would be of the catastrophic Quad 4 variety and could do irreparable harm to their at-large chances.
