Nebraska gets a significant rankings bump following upset win over No. 1 Purdue
When you knock off the No. 1-ranked team in the country, especially in convincing fashion, a significant bump in the national rankings soon follows.
Such was Nebraska’s reward after Tuesday night’s 88-72 victory over Purdue.
The Huskers – now 13-3 overall and 3-2 in Big Ten play – jumped 12 spots in the NET rankings from 58th overall to 46th. That puts NU one spot behind Gonzaga and ahead of Memphis (47th) and Texas (48th).
It also marks Nebraska’s highest ranking of the season. The previous best was 49th following the road win at Kansas State on Dec. 17.
The Huskers are now the fifth-highest Big Ten team in the NET, trailing Purdue (3), Illinois (9), Wisconsin (16), Michigan State (27), and Ohio State (39).
Tuesday’s upset also pushed NU up 11 spots in the KenPom rankings from No. 52 to 41. That’s also a season-best rating, surpassing its No. 44 spot following the home win over Duquesne on Nov. 22.
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An NCAA Tournament berth became even more realistic
Multiple NCAA Tournament bracket projections had already listed Nebraska as an at-large team in the Big Dance going into the Purdue game.
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With by far their best victory of the year now on the résumé, the Huskers now have an inside track on clinching their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2014.
Per BartTorvik.com’s “T-Ranketology” projections, NU would currently be a 9-seed with a 70% chance of making the field and an 81.1% shot at earning an at-large bid.
Nebraska will look to keep its season rolling when it travels to take on Iowa on Friday night for an 8:30 p.m. CT tip at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
The Hawkeyes are currently 67th in the NET and 53rd in KenPom, giving the Huskers another shot at a Quad 1 victory. NU is now 3-2 in Q1 games with wins over Kansas State (73rd in the NET), Michigan State (28th), and Purdue (3rd).
| Quadrant breakdown | Opponent NET ranking range | Nebraska’s record |
| Quadrant 1 | Home: 1-30 Neutral: 1-50 Away: 1-75 | 3-2 |
| Quadrant 2 | Home: 31-75 Neutral: 51-100 Away: 76-135 | 0-1 |
| Quadrant 3 | Home: 76-160 Neutral: 101-200 Away: 136-240 | 3-0 |
| Quadrant 4 | Home: 161-plus Neutral: 201-plus Away: 241-plus | 7-0 |
