ESPN’s expert “bracketologist” Joe Lunardi, also known as “Joey Brackets,” has Penn State out of the NCAA Tournament in his latest Bracketology.
— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) February 4, 2023
Lunardi has Penn State (14-8, 5-6 Big Ten) as one of the “next four out” in his Bracketology for now.
This update comes less than 72 hours after Penn State’s 20-point loss at No. 1 Purdue this past Wednesday.
Before the Purdue game, Lunardi had Penn State among his last four teams in. Such is life on the bubble. Coach Micah Shrewsberry’s team can’t afford a loss at Nebraska Sunday, which would drop it to two games below .500 in league play.
Penn State beat Nebraska by 11 in the first meeting between the two teams, which took place Jan. 21 at the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State is 4-1 at the Jordan Center in Big Ten play but 1-4 on the road, with a home loss to Purdue at Philadelphia’s Palestra also in there. Shrewsberry knows his team has to be better on the road.
“We haven’t shown our best,” Shrewsberry told reporters after the Purdue loss this past Wednesday. “Maybe it takes one shot going in early in the game to give us some confidence to push us through.”
Despite inconsistent play and a lopsided loss at Purdue, Shrewsberry feels good where his team’s at.
“I like our chances, man,” Shrewsberry said after the Purdue game. “I think we have a good team, and I’m going to continue to coach them that way, and I believe in our guys the exact same way.”
Penn State has only been to the NCAA Tournament twice this millennium— the most recent trip being in 2011– and hasn’t won a game there since 2001. Shrewsberry doesn’t care. What matters is 2023.
“We have a lot of games left,” he told media, “and we’re going to do whatever the hell it takes to get there.”
