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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Evan Bachman

ESPN Bracketology Update: Six Big Ten teams in February update

A very poor stretch of basketball in the new year has continued into February for Ohio State basketball as the Buckeyes have dropped eight of their last nine games to fall to 3-9 in the Big Ten and 13-10 overall.

As for the rest of the Big Ten it’s been an exciting week of basketball. With Purdue’s road victory over Wisconsin on Sunday the Boilermakers moved to first place in the Big Ten with a 21-2 record as the second ranked team in college basketball in both the AP and USA Today Coaches poll.

Purdue is the top overall seed in Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology prediction on ESPN. Lunardi is known as one of the best NCAA Tournament bracket experts in the business and he updated his predictions for who would make the field of 68 on Morning morning.

Here’s where the Big Ten teams stack up in his latest update.

Purdue (21-2) - Top Overall Seed

Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Bracketology Breakdown

Seeding | No. 1 – Midwest Region (Indianapolis)
Opponent | No. 16 seed (winner of Merrimack vs. Grambling State)

The season so far

Key Loss(es) | at Northwestern, at Nebraska
Best Win(s) | Arizona, Marquette, Tennessee, Gonzaga, Illinois, at Rutgers, Northwestern, at Wisconsin

Wisconsin (16-6)

Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Bracketology Breakdown

Seeding | No. 3 – South Region (Pittsburgh)
Opponent | No. 14 seed Charlotte

The season so far

Key Loss(es) | Tennessee, at Providence, at Arizona, at Penn State, at Nebraska, Purdue
Best Win(s) | Virginia, Marquette, at Michigan State, Nebraska, at Ohio State, Northwestern, at Minnesota, Michigan State

Illinois (17-5)

USA TODAY Sports

Bracketology Breakdown

Seeding | No. 3 – West Region (Pittsburgh)
Opponent | No. 14 seed High Point

The season so far

Key Loss(es) | Marquette, at Tennessee, at Purdue, Maryland, at Northwestern
Best Win(s) | FAU, at Rutgers, Missouri, Northwestern, Michigan State, Indiana, Nebraska

Michigan State (14-8)

USA TODAY Sports

Bracketology Breakdown

Seeding | No. 7 – East Region (Omaha)
Opponent | No. 10 seed Texas A&M

The season so far

Key Loss(es) | James Madison, Duke, Arizona, Wisconsin, at Nebraska, at Northwestern, at Illinois, at Wisconsin
Best Win(s) | Baylor, Butler, Rutgers, Minnesota, at Maryland, Maryland

Northwestern (15-7)

Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

Bracketology Breakdown

Seeding | No. 9 – West Region (Charlotte)
Opponent | No. 8 seed New Mexico

The season so far

Key Loss(es) | Chicago State, Mississippi State, at Illinois, at Wisconsin, at Nebraska, at Purdue, at Minnesota
Best Win(s) | Purdue, Dayton, Arizona State, Michigan State, at Penn State, Illinois, Ohio State

Nebraska (16-7)

Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

Bracketology Breakdown

Seeding | No. 9 – East Region (Brooklyn)
Opponent | No. 8 seed Clemson

The season so far

Key Loss(es) | UConn, Auburn, Kansas, at Wisconsin, at Iowa, at Rutgers, at Maryland, at Illinois
Best Win(s) | Maryland, at Michigan, Indiana, Purdue, Northwestern, Ohio State, Wisconsin

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Evan Bachman on X.

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