Just for fun, here is our record vs. the current projected field on the
Bracket Matrix.
#1 Seeds
L 83-78 at Purdue
L 77-71 vs. Purdue
L 86-79 at Tennessee
#2 Seeds
L 71-64 vs. Marquette
<<< Illini projected as a #4 seed >>>
#6 Seeds
W 91-53 at Wisconsin
#9 Seeds
W 96-66 vs. Northwestern (no TSJ)
L 96-91 in OT at Northwestern
#10 Seeds
W 87-84 in OT vs. Nebraska
W 71-68 vs. Michigan State (no TSJ)
L 88-80 at Michigan State
W 98-89 vs. FAU (New York, NY)
#15 Seeds
W 64-53 vs. Oakland
W 74-57 vs. Colgate
Bubble Teams
W 95-85 vs. Iowa
7-6 vs. projected teams in the field. 8-6 if you give us the "exhibition" win over KU (projected #3 seed) and 9-6 if you include Iowa. The problem, as we all know, is we are winless against teams we would face in the Sweet Sixteen or beyond. However, a positive spin is this - we have a very good record against the types of teams we'd face in a First Round matchup as a #3 seed, #4 seed or a #5 seed (I'd include "bad" Big Ten teams like Rutgers in this group, too?). We also have only played one team anywhere close to what our projected Second Round opponent would be if we were a #4, #3 or #5, and that is Wisconsin ... and we beat them in their place.
EDIT: As others have touched on, some teams losing to much worse opponents than Purdue definitely helped us. The Bracket Matrix I linked has not been updated for today, but we are the second #4 seed. The closest teams for us to jump to have a shot at a #3 seed (which I believe would require winning at Iowa and making it to at LEAST Saturday in the BTT) would be these, in ascending order from where we are in the Matrix:
#4 Alabama: at Arkansas (no postseason) on Saturday
#3 Creighton: at #10 seed Villanova on Saturday
#3 Duke: vs. #2 seed North Carolina on Saturday
#3 Kansas: at #1 seed Houston on Saturday
Be rooting HARD for Arkansas and Villanova! I doubt Duke will slide much for losing to UNC, and the same can likely be said for KU playing Houston.
