:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71982743/1246477301.0.jpg "Bracketology & bubble watch 2023: What Thursday results mean for Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky Northwestern")
Wednesday night's college basketball action could shake things up when it comes to bracketology with the top team in the country going down and a ton of bubble implications. Plenty of hoops fans will check Bracketology daily down the stretch, and here's a look at some of the shakeup from Wednesday.
Key games for bracketology
The Alabama Crimson Tide were Joe Lunardi's No. 1 overall seed in ESPN's most recent Bracketology report, but the Tennessee Volunteers gave them their first loss in SEC play. If they drop, it won't be much considering the Tide rank second in NET rankings. The Vols had been a No. 3 seed heading into the day, so expect them to potentially move up a few slots after a big home win. The NET rankings formula loves Tennessee, which is third in the latest update.
The Northwestern Wildcats jumped up the Bracketology charts, moving to a No. 7 seed after knocking off the Purdue Boilermakers. Even more impressively, they were still motivated enough to avoid a letdown by taking down the top-15 Indiana Hoosiers, which entered as a No. 4 seed. The Wildcats have an impressive 7-4 record against Quad 1 opponents, and the Hoosiers dropped to 18th in the latest NET rankings.
Bubble Watch
Both programs need wins down the stretch to solidify a spot in the NCAA Tournament, and the Kentucky Wildcats went on the road and secured a huge win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Kentucky entered Wednesday as listed in the “first four out” category, while Mississippi State was among the “last four in.” The Wildcats have been awful against Quad 1 opponents with a 2-7 record, but they have a golden opportunity at home against Tennessee on Saturday.