Busting Brackets
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Bracketology 2020: Buy or sell Big Ten Basketball bubble teams?

By Austin Walther

MADISON, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 23: Ron Harper Jr. #24 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights dribbles the ball in the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers at the Kohl Center on February 23, 2020 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 23: Ron Harper Jr. #24 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights dribbles the ball in the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers at the Kohl Center on February 23, 2020 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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MADISON, WISCONSIN – FEBRUARY 23: The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN – FEBRUARY 23: The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

Rutgers Scarlet Knight – Sell

Everyone was cheering for this team when they were first coming onto the bracketology scene. A team that has lived in the basement since joining the Big Ten was on the move. This was a team that lived to play on Wednesday night of the Big Ten Tournament and burst a few bubbles. But that was all changing this season. Rutgers hasn’t dipped passed 40 in the NET or KenPom for a while. They were even ranked for two weeks about a month ago.

The month of February has not been kind for Rutgers. They are 2-6 since cracking the top-25. The Scarlet Knights even lost at the RAC where they had been unstoppable all season. They lost its second neutral court game in as many chances this season. Their first and only road win came at Nebraska on January 3. They’ve failed to win at Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Penn State. The only undefeated home team remaining in the Big Ten is Maryland so five were beatable.

There’s no denying how great Rutgers can be at home though. They’ve taken down Penn State, Wisconsin and Illinois who are all comfortably in the Tournament. Not to mention a Seton Hall team that is competing for a two seed right now. But there has only been one road win and that was Nebraska. They lost its only non-conference road game to Pitt. The other neutral court loss was to St. Bonaventure. All eyes were on Rutgers vs. Penn State Wednesday night. Rutgers needed a win at Penn State to feel fine about its Tournament chances. But they came up just short.

Now the only one remaining is at Purdue. As scary as Mackey Arena is, Purdue has lost four times there this season. But that would only give them two road wins going into the Big Ten Tournament. Which are neutral court games and the Scarlet Knights haven’t fared well with those either. If there was an imaginary minimum number of road wins for the NCAA Tournament bid, it would be three because that’s how many Ohio State has. The win over the Pirates might not be enough with Rutger’s road struggles this season.

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