Bracketology: Purdue Basketball Projected as No. 4 Seed by ESPN in 2023 NCAA Tournament
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Despite the transfer portal creating a wave of uncertainty in the college basketball landscape this offseason, ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi wasted no time predicting the 2023 men's NCAA Tournament field.
Following its fourth Sweet 16 appearance in five tournaments, the Purdue basketball program was projected as a No. 4 seed and was among seven Big Ten programs to punch their ticket to The Big Dance.
Lunardi projects Michigan to reach the tournament as a No. 3 seed after earning a victory in the Big Ten Basketball Tournament championship. Illinois (No. 4 seed), Michigan State (No. 5 seed), Indiana (No. 6 seed), Ohio State (No. 7 seed) and Iowa (No, 8) all represent the conference.
As a No. 4 seed, the Boilermakers were placed within the South Regional in Louisville in Lunardi's early bracket, with Kentucky as the No. 1 seed followed by Kansas and Duke.
Purdue would be matched up with the No. 13-seeded Towson Tigers, who make the NCAA Tournament as an automatic qualifier by winning the Colonial Athletic Conference basketball tournament.
During the 2021-22 season, the Boilermakers finished third in the Big Ten with a 27-7 overall record entering the NCAA Tournament, which included a 14-6 mark in conference play and an appearance in the league's tournament final.
Purdue defeated Yale and Texas in the East Regional in Milwaukee during the first weekend of March Madness, moving on to the Sweet 16 in Philadelphia. It was there that the team fell at the hands of No. 15-seeded Saint Peter's 67-64.
The Boilermakers will bring in four freshmen players in their 2022 recruiting class, joining redshirts Trey Kaufman-Renn and Brian Waddell. But the team has also lost five players since the end of the season.
READ MORE: Breaking Down Purdue's 2022 Recruiting Class
Seniors Trevion Williams, Eric Hunter Jr. and Sasha Stefanovic have all announced their intentions of taking the next step in their careers. Sophomore star Jaden Ivey will also be looking to take his game to the NBA level, and backup point guard Isaiah Thompson has departed via the transfer portal.
However, when Hunter declared for the 2022 NBA Draft, he also announced that he would keep his remaining year of eligibility open.
Head coach Matt Painter is entering his 18th season at the helm for Purdue basketball. He has a 384–192 record with the program, including a 194-115 mark in the Big Ten.
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.