Before the Wisconsin Badgers defeated the Purdue Boilermakers on Tuesday night, they were already in a relatively comfortable spot in the NCAA Tournament — no, not 100-percent safe, but ahead of roughly 10 teams relative to the bubble cut line.
Bracketologists Shelby Mast and Scott Gleeson put the Badgers as a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament in their Feb. 17 edition of bracketology. Given that Wisconsin beat Purdue, the Badgers might have moved up one seed line as a result of their victory. Meanwhile, Purdue — one of the four last teams in the field according to Mast and Gleeson — might have fallen out of the field altogether. Purdue and Indiana were both part of the “last four in” for USA TODAY’s resident bracket crew, so for any Wisconsin fans still a little worried about the Badgers’ “IN OR OUT?” status, please realize that there are a bunch of Big Ten teams in a far worse position than Wisconsin. Indiana, Purdue, and Minnesota (which wasn’t even in the last four out, probably one or two notches below that) are the teams truly sweating bullets right now.
Wisconsin’s stress level compared to Indiana, Purdue and especially Minnesota, can be compared to resting in a hammock on a beach with a cocktail. As we have continued to tell you here at Badgers Wire, a total implosion is the one thing which can ruin UW’s hopes. Wisconsin will have to lose at home to Northwestern, and then lose multiple other games, to put itself in real danger.
One other note to point out here: One of the last four teams in the field under this bracket projection — in addition to Purdue and Indiana — is North Carolina State. The Wolfpack defeated Wisconsin earlier in the season. If North Carolina State does get in the field, it won’t be at Wisconsin’s expense. The Wolfpack actually NEED Wisconsin to continue to play well, because that win is propping up North Carolina State’s bubble profile. North Carolina State won’t get in while Wisconsin gets left out. If North Carolina State gets in the tournament, Wisconsin will surely be there.
We say this every year, but if you are worried about your team’s bubble status, remember that dozens of other bubble teams are in worse shape. The committee has to find 68 teams, not 10 or 12. It has to find 36 at-large bids, not five or six.
Wisconsin is still comfortable — not a complete lock, but moving toward lock status with a few more victories.