Penn State men’s basketball (12-5, 3-3 Big Ten) is a 9-seed in CBS’ latest Bracketology.
Coach Micah Shrewsberry and co. are in the midst of one of the program’s better seasons.
With just nine tournament appearances in program history and just two (2001, 2011) since the turn of the century, the No. 1 question this year is if Penn State will get to its elusive tenth NCAA tournament.
Currently the team is projected to make the tournament by many bracketologists including in Jerry Palm’s latest bracket, which has Penn State as the ninth seed in the West Region and playing Missouri in Birmingham, Alabama.
Penn State is a nine seed alongside Pitt (Midwest), North Carolina (East) and Arkansas (South). The top seeds in its projected bracket are No. 1 Houston and No. 2 Gonzaga. Being a nine seed means that the next opponent would likely be a No. 1 seeded team, and if this scenario plays out, that team would be Houston.
Penn State is one of 10 Big Ten teams in Palm’s bracketology. Purdue (No. 1 South), Rutgers (No. 5 Midwest), Illinois (No. 6 East), Michigan State (No. 7 South), Wisconsin (No. 8 East), Iowa (No. 8 Midwest), Northwestern (No. 10 Midwest), Maryland (No. 11 Midwest play-in) and Indiana (No. 12 East play-in) are also projected to make it.
Penn State’s next game is at Wisconsin Tuesday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 on the Big Ten Network. Shrewsberry’s team is coming off an impressive 85-66 win over Indiana this past Wednesday. A win over Wisconsin would get Penn State to 4-3 in the Big Ten. Penn State is back at the Bryce Jordan Center Saturday against Nebraska. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 2:15 and it will be broadcast on the Big 10 Network. Penn State has 14 games left, all of which are against Big Ten opponents. So far, Pen. state has lost to Michigan State, Michigan and Purdue in conference and beaten Illinois, Iowa and Indiana.
