Despite scoring a major win for the program last weekend with an upset victory at Illinois, Penn State basketball still has some work to do to get into the big dance in March. According to ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi, the Nittany Lions would just miss the cut for a second straight week.
Two weeks ago saw Penn State among Lunardi’s last four teams not having to play in the opening round games to enter the field of 64. That changed last week when a loss at Clemson in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge followed by a third-place finish in the Charleston Classic dropped Penn State to being the first team out of Lunardi’s bracketology update. A week later, Penn State still sits as the first team out of Lunardi’s latest bracket.
Penn State’s past week was highlighted by the road win at Illinois, a top 25 victory for the Nittany Lions, but a home loss to Michigan State when Penn State was the favorite didn’t help the overall cause.
Penn State isn’t the only Big Ten team just missing the final cut. Rutgers joins Penn State among the first four left out, with the Scarlet Knights being right behind Penn State in the pecking order, followed by Florida Atlantic and Ole Miss.
Michigan is also on Lunardi’s bubble with the Wolverines among the next four out. Michigan State is one of Lunardi’s final four teams to make the tournament without having to play in an opening-round game.
Purdue sits atop Lunardi’s 68-team bracket this week on the strength of five Quadrant 1 victories to their name, with four of those coming away from home. Lunardi’s other No. 1 seeds in the bracket are UConn, Alabama, and Virginia.
In all, Lunardi has eight Big Ten teams currently in his bracket; Purdue, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio State.
We’ll see where Penn State sits on the bracket bubble according to Lunardi next week. Penn State hosts Canisius in the Bryce Jordan Center on Sunday, December 18.
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