Bracketology & bubble watch 2023: What Friday's results mean for Xavier, Nevada, New Mexico, others

College basketball has a big weekend ahead, and while there weren't many high-profile games played on Friday, there were a few interesting upsets that could affect bracketology. With just under a month left in the CBB regular season, each game means more and more as teams jostle for position come March. Let's take a look at what Friday's games meant for a few teams hoping to make it to the Big Dance.

Key games for bracketology

This was a massive upset for Butler, who entered the game as 7-point underdogs to No. 13 Xavier. Butler has 10 conference losses and sits in the bottom half of the standings, while Xavier had been sitting comfortably alone in the top spot in the Big East for weeks. They were projected to be a No. 4 seed at ESPN and a No. 3 seed at CBS ahead of this loss, and we can expect to see them fall one or more spots in seeding after this loss.

Nevada is giving its best shot to become the Mountain West's regular season conference champion. While Fresno State isn't the biggest win on their resume, they have been able to win consistently in conference play and make their case. Joe Lunardi has the Wolf Pack as one of the last four in, and this win should help get them out of that precarious position. Lunardi had them projected as a No. 10 seed, and Jerry Palm had them at No. 8 before this game. Not much will likely change after these results.

Bubble Watch

New Mexico was already projected to be in the last four in, and then they lost to one of the worst teams in their conference. The Lobos may not have entirely eliminated themselves from contention with this loss, but they now sit in fifth in the Mountain West standings on a three-game losing streak that has seen them tumble out of the bracket. They have their work cut out for them in the final weeks of the season.

  
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