See how Purdue opponents are currently rated and how that affects Purdue’s resume.
Purdue Basketball Opponent Tracker 2-17
As we round into the final quarter of conference play, Purdue has been on a dry spell, dropping 2 games in a row including a defensive debacle at home to #16 Wisconsin. The remaining games in Big Ten play and the Big Ten Tournament, Purdue can control. What it cannot control is how their victories and losses look on their resume over time. The tracker will help sort how Purdue opponents have played over the course of the season and how each game looks for the big picture of placing Purdue in the NCAA tournament.
As per usual, we have a nifty chart to show you how the Quadrant system works with the NET Rankings.
No changes to the quadrants for non-conference opponents this week. Purdue is still 2-3 in Q1, 1-0 in Q2, 1-0 in Q3, and 4-0 in Q4. It’s 3 non-con losses are to NET ranked #24 Marquette on the road, #11 Texas A&M on a neutral court (in Indiana), and #1 Auburn on a neutral court (in Alabama). There doesn’t seem to be much room for movement among the non-conference opponents in terms of the quadrants and all signs point to Purdue having among the strongest resumes outside of conference play in the nation.
As for conference play, there have been some shifts to past and future games. Penn State continues to be the biggest blemish on Purdue’s resume as the Nittany Lions dropped to 78 in the rankings, meaning Purdue’s road loss to Penn State now sits at a Q2 loss. Another previous game that dropped in the quadrants is Rutgers, who now sit at 80 in the NET. This brings Purdue’s road victory against the Scarlet Knights from Q1 to Q2. It also means that the return game against Rutgers in Mackey would no longer be a Q2 victory, but a Q3. Additionally, the Ohio State loss is dangerously close to dropping from Q1 to Q2 as the Buckeyes sit at 30 in the NET. Any drop at all from OSU results in the game dropping in the quadrants. Overall, Purdue is 4-3 in Q1 and 7-1 in Q2 with no Q3 or Q4 games. Purdue has 4 Q1 and 1 Q3 opportunities remaining as it stands.
With the 2 losses this previous week, the idea of Purdue challenging for Big Ten Championship #27 or even jumping up to a 1-seed in the NCAA tournament seem incredibly slim. Purdue needs to right the ship in order to continue to build a solid resume, but that resume no longer reads as elite compared to the top teams in the nation. It all begins tomorrow at Michigan State. A win there could jumpstart the final stretch for the Boilermakers but that’s easier said than done. Just keep winning.