Quick Takes: Purdue dominates FSU, makes case for No. 1

Purdue dominated Florida State at Mackey Arena on Tuesday.  The Boilermakers are going to be a tough out – every night.  With loud, raucous fans in the stands, good luck beating them at home.  Regardless, with Duke’s loss at Ohio State, Purdue will be the No. 1 overall seed when the bracket updates again on Saturday – assuming the Boilermakers beat Iowa at home on Friday night.

The only thing we haven’t seen Purdue accomplish – a true road victory.  The Boilers first such test is December 9 at Rutgers.  While that one shouldn’t be troublesome on paper, home court advantage is back.  Road wins will matter, again.

Bracket Bits: Mid-week bubble games worth tracking

It will be a decisive week for several teams along the bubble.  For starters, we have a variety of power conference teams trying to maneuver their way through league tournaments.  We also have some quality mid-major programs with viable profiles who are waiting and watching as events unfold.

With that in mind, here’s a quick peek at some mid-week bubble games that could have significant bracket ramifications come Sunday night …

WEDNESDAY
Clemson vs. NC State (ACC) … Whether both of these ACC bubble teams can make the final bracket remains to be seen.  But this has the look and feel of a potential elimination game.  It likely depends on how the Selection Committee uses its newly minted NET ratings for selection and whether or not the Committee’s prior emphasizes on a team’s non-conference strength of schedule remains part of the current equation.  For what it’s worth, each team’s SOS and NC-SOS are still noted on the NCAA’s official team sheets.

Quick Takes: Michigan completes a perfect November

With its victory over North Carolina on Wednesday, the Michigan Wolverines completed a perfect November.  Big Blue hosts Purdue on Saturday, the first day of December.  Their 7-0 start includes a road victory at Villanova (by 27 points), a neutral-court win over Providence, and last night’s 17-point margin at home against the Tar Heels.  Consider this, too … if Michigan beats Purdue this weekend, the Wolverines will be heavy favorites to complete a perfect December – which means UM could be 13-0 heading into January.  Not a bad reprise for last year’s national runner-up.

Quick Takes: Hawkeyes soar in New York

Two days ago we were oozing about Michigan’s thrashing of Villanova.  Not to be outdone by its Big Ten partner, Iowa cruised into New York and exited with not one – but two – victories, beating up on Oregon and Connecticut at the 2K Classic.  Two weeks in, it appears the Hawkeyes have found a little defense to go along with their potent scoring potential.  If that remains true, they have a chance to be in the B10 race come February.

Speaking of the B10 … it’s worth reiterating how well the league has started as a collective group.  Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio State have all posted notable non-conference victories. Michigan State was right there with Kansas; Minnesota beat Utah.  There were eight B10 teams in the preseason bracket; if this keeps up, that number could easily be in play.  Regardless, the Big Ten – ACC Challenge sure looks tasty, doesn’t it?

Quick Takes: How will Florida finish?

How will Florida finish its season?  That’s a huge question for the Gators, who face a tough closing stretch and an ultra-competitive SEC tournament.  Why does it matter?  Because for all of the Gators’ quality wins, they are sliding.  Their record is sliding, their RPI is sliding, and their perception as an NCAA team is sliding.

Since winning at Kentucky on January 20, Florida’s two wins of note are Baylor and LSU, both of which reside along the cutline.  The Gators are 3-6 during that stretch (their other win was South Carolina).  And here’s what lies ahead … Auburn (home), Alabama (road), Kentucky (home).  With a record of 17-11, their margin is sliding, too.  If the Gators win both home games, tensions ease.  That would put them at 19-12 heading into the SEC tournament with enough Quadrant 1/2 wins to easily make the NCAA tournament.  But what if they finish 1-2 in those last three?  Or, gulp, 0-3?  In those scenarios, Florida would enter its conference tourney at 18-13 or 17-14.  Vanderbilt snuck in last year with a loss-heavy profile – largely due to it overall strength of schedule.  But do the Gators want to test that theory again?  How will Florida finish?  It’s a huge question for the Gators to answer these next two weeks.