After another dominating road win, it's fair to say that Purdue is not only a Big Ten contender, but a national one as well.
Purdue improved to a perfect 6-0 in conference play after curb-stomping crumbling Minnesota 81-47. They haven't lost since November, and outside of those back-to-back duds in Atlantis, are unbeaten.
I tweeted this yesterday, despite the fact that it may make some Purdue fans uncomfortable:
The Boilermakers' resume is perhaps the best in the country:
- Thanks to losses by #2 West Virginia and #4 Michigan State, Purdue should rise to as high as #3 when this week's polls are released.
- The advanced metrics love them, too. Purdue is #2 in the latest KenPom ratings, #2 in Sagarin, and #2 in ESPN's BPI rankings.
- The Boilers sport a top-ten offense (#7) and defense (#5) and are the only team in the country to rank in the top-ten in both categories.
- Purdue has five KenPom Top 50 wins and six against the RPI Top 50, and only one of those (Louisville) has come at home.
- Their two losses - Tennessee and Western Kentucky - have aged well. The Vols have been one of the most surprising teams in the country, shooting into the Top 25 and all the way to #14 in KenPom. Meanwhile, Western Kentucky is a Top 50 RPI team, unbeaten in league play, and atop the Conference USA standings.
- The Boilers have four players averaging between 13 and 17 points per game, with all four - Carsen Edwards, Vince Edwards, Dakota Mathias, and Isaac Hass - likely to earn all-league honors.
Some fans may be waiting for something disastrous to happen, like Robbie Hummel's injury in 2010, but I'd suggest enjoying the ride. Right now, this Purdue team looks to be a legitimate National Championship contender.