Boiler Up Purdue basketball fans because this year’s team, at least on paper, looks like a bonafide Sweet 16 qualifier. Upon close examination of the Boilermakers resume, they resemble a team that could get as high as a #3 seed, most likely a #4 seed and probably no lower than a #5.
Those are the teams most likely to advance to the tourney’s second weekend. Should you pick this Purdue basketball that far in your bracket a month from now? Well, call us Cap’n Crunch because we crunched the numbers for you as we speed ever closer Selection Sunday.
Current Rankings:
RPI- 20, SoS- 53, Sagarin- 14, KenPom- 18, AP- 17, Coaches- 16
Best Wins:
Michigan State (RPI 18) Florida (RPI 31). What’s more impressive about the Boilers resume, at least thus far, is that they have six wins against teams in the RPI top 57- the two mentioned previously plus Vanderbilt, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pittsburgh.
Worst Losses:
Illinois RPI 142: The Illini are so awful this season that we already completed our “Way Too Early Illini Basketball Season Preview” article two days ago. Usually, we hold that one until the day after Illinois is eliminated from the postseason in March. However, 2015-16 Illini hoops has now become something that you are as disinterested in reading about as I am in writing about.
The good news for Purdue is 1.) they don’t play Illinois again and 2.) that’s the only bad loss on their resume.
Key wins/potential resume killers remaining:
Purdue has three chances to bolster their resume remaining: at Indiana February 20th, home versus Maryland February 27th, Senior Day versus Wisconsin March 6th. They must also avoid getting tripped by either of the two NUs. Purdue basketball travels to Nebraska on March 1st, and hosts Northwestern tonight, leading us into…..
….Tonight’s Game Preview:
TV- Big Ten Network (BTN), Dave Revsine and Stephen Bardo. (As it’s a Bardo game, you might want to mute the broadcast at times…unless you want to that cheesy “a grown man play right there” about a half dozen times)
This Purdue basketball team is favored by 13 points tonight. We’ll predict a victory for the Boilers 79-63. Although it really won’t be easy. This Northwestern team is in striking distance of the school single season victories record (more on that here), and you’ll know they’ll be up for this. Especially since they seem to play significantly better on the road sometimes.
Chicago is the only city in true Big Ten country that has a legitimate, first rate skyline (Minneapolis is alright too though), but Purdue is the only Big Ten basketball team that has a physical, on-the-court skyline this season.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram