Where Purdue Stands in KenPom, NCAA NET Rankings After Big Win Over Auburn
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Purdue has moved up slightly in both the KenPom and NCAA NET after pummeling Auburn in the Indy Classic over the weekend. The Boilermakers are now a top-five team in KenPom and remain in the top-10 of the NET, as of Dec. 22.
The sixth-ranked Boilers had no trouble with No. 21 Auburn at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, winning 88-60 to improve to 11-1 on the season. It was the third ranked win Purdue has had this season, also defeating Alabama and Texas Tech in November.
As a result, Purdue is now ranked No. 5 in the updated KenPom standings and is No. 7 in the NCAA NET. Previously, Matt Painter's team was No. 6 in KenPom and No. 9 in the NET rankings.
Purdue has just one non-conference game remaining, a Dec. 29 date with Kent State. After that, the Boilermakers jump back into Big Ten play for the rest of the year.
Here's a look at the top 10 teams in both the KenPom and NCAA NET rankings on Monday, Dec. 22.
KenPom Top 10
- Michigan Wolverines (11-0)
- Arizona Wildcats (11-0)
- Iowa State Cyclones (12-0)
- Gonzaga Bulldogs (12-1)
- Purdue Boilermakers (11-1)
- Duke Blue Devils (11-1)
- UConn Huskies (12-1)
- Vanderbilt Commodores (12-0)
- Houston Cougars (11-1)
- BYU Cougars (11-1)
NCAA NET Top 10
- Michigan Wolverines (11-0)
- Arizona Wildcats (11-0)
- Duke Blue Devils (11-1)
- Iowa State Cyclones (12-0)
- Gonzaga Bulldogs (12-1)
- Vanderbilt Commodores (12-0)
- Purdue Boilermakers (11-1)
- UConn Huskies (12-1)
- BYU Cougars (11-1)
- Michigan State Spartans (11-1)
Purdue rolling since Iowa State loss
Ever since suffering the 81-58 loss to Iowa State on Dec. 6, Purdue has looked like a team on a mission. The Boilermakers have won their last three games, defeating Minnesota, Marquette, and Auburn.
All three of those wins have come by at least 20 points, with an average margin of victory of 25.3 points per game. Braden Smith has been particularly good in that stretch, averaging 11 points and 12 assists per contest with a pair of double-doubles.
Purdue has found multiple ways to win basketball games this season, at times utilizing its elite three-point shooting and other times taking advantage of its size and physicality in the paint. Although the early December loss to the Cyclones was a blemish, it certainly looks like the Boilermakers have learned from it.
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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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