Purdue Rises in Multiple Bracket Projections Following Top-10 Road Win Over Nebraska
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Purdue is on the rise after defeating a top-10 Nebraska team in Lincoln on Tuesday night. Multiple bracket projections have bumped the Boilermakers up a seed line following an 80-77 overtime win over the seventh-ranked Huskers.
Early this week, Purdue was penciled in as a No. 3 seed for the NCAA Tournament in most major bracket projections across the country. Now, Matt Painter's team has received a bump up to the No. 2 line in a handful of predictions.
Three updated bracket projections — ESPN, CBS Sports, and On3 — have the Boilermakers listed as a No. 2 seed for this year's NCAA Tournament at the moment. Here's a look at where all three outlets have Purdue currently projected following the win over Nebraska.
On3's projection
Right now, this is the most favorable projection for Purdue. On3 has the Boilermakers slotted in as a No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region. The outlet has Painter's squad catching a flight out to Philadelphia for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, which begins with a first-round matchup against Wright State.
If the Boilermakers reach the Sweet 16, they'd head to Chicago for a regional site that's close to its home court. It would have to deal with No. 1 Michigan, No. 3 Kansas and No. 4 Alabama in that region.
CBS Sports's projection
In the updated bracket projection from CBS Sports, Purdue is listed as the No. 2 seed in the West Region, opposite of No. 1 seed Arizona. No predicted site for the first two rounds was provided, but the network does predict the Boilermakers matching up with No. 15 seed Harvard in the Round of 64.
San Jose is a long way for the Boilermakers to travel to make another Final Four appearance, and playing Arizona close to Tucson would not be an easy task. The No. 3 and No. 4 seeds in this region are currently penciled in as Florida and Gonzaga, respectively.
ESPN's projection
Joe Lunardi hasn't provided a complete update to his Bracketology just yet, but he did re-seed the top four teams in each region. Like CBS Sports, ESPN has Purdue listed as the No. 2 seed in the West. Arizona is again the No. 1 seed in that region.
Next week, ESPN will provide a complete update, which will include Purdue's projected destination for the first two rounds and the matchup for its first NCAA Tournament. It's not a major update, but Lunardi did move the Boilermakers up from a No. 3 to a No. 2 seed.
Purdue basketball's remaining schedule
Obviously, projections and seed lines will continue to change over the coming weeks as the regular season winds down. If Purdue is on the No. 2 seed line now, then it has plenty of opportunities to potentially challenge for a No. 1 seed at the end of the season with a strong finish.
Here's what the Boilers have left on the schedule before the Big Ten Tournament tips off in mid-March.
- Feb. 14 — at Iowa (18-6)
- Feb. 17 — vs. #2 Michigan (23-1)
- Feb. 20 — vs. Indiana (17-8)
- Feb. 26 — vs. #10 Michigan State (20-4)
- March 1 — at Ohio State (16-8)
- March 4 — at Northwestern (10-15)
- March 7 — vs. Wisconsin (17-7)
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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