2015 Bracketology: Saturday Scoreboard Watching

Finally, Purdue get a chance to rest and let everyone beat each other up. The downside of winning seven of the last eight games is that basketball is fun again, so when we're not playing we're not winning. The guys need a break though, so they are off until next Thursday when Rutgers comes to West Lafayette.

That doesn't mean we can't enjoy basketball. There are plenty of games that have something on the line for Purdue while we're off. Here is Saturday's schedule:

Big Ten games:

Minnesota at Wisconsin, Noon, ESPN

The only team to beat Purdue in a month is the Golden Gophers, and it took 24 turnovers and passing up a game-winning three to do it. Minnesota hasn't done much else, including losing at home to Northwestern. The bad side to that is that they have slipped to 100 exactly on the RPI, and if they go any further south it will be a fifth sub-100 loss for Purdue. The good news is that simply playing the No. 6 RPI team in Wisconsin will likely lift their profile. A win would do even more. Either way, we want Minnesota to finish strong and above that 100 line. Also, the smallest chance of a Big Ten title requires a Wisconsin collapse. Cheer for: Minnesota

Penn State at Northwestern, 3pm, ESPNU

Purdue has beaten both teams on the road, and it was the near miraculous win in Happy Valley that started this run. Penn State is currently at 99 in the RPI, giving us one of only two top 100 true road victories on our resume, so keeping them in the top 100 would be nice. Cheer for: Penn State

Everywhere else:

Seton Hall at St. John's, Noon, FoxSports1

I pretty much despise the Big East outside of Butler, mostly because it is has always been a ridiculously overhyped conference because of its East Coast ties. The fewer teams they get in, the better, and Seton Hall has already collapsed out by losing 8 of 10. St. John's, however, has Gene Keady as an assistant. As much as I want to see Gene in the tourney again, can you imagine the angst of a Purdue-St. John's game in Dayton? Let's just avoid it. Cheer for: Seton Hall

Pittsburgh at Syracuse, Noon, ESPN3

Syracuse has made themselves ineligible, already freeing up a bid for us. Pittsburgh is another Bubble team that is probably dying. Syracuse can play dream-wrecker and hurt another team. Cheer for: Syracuse

Texas A&M at South Carolina, Noon, SEC Network

The Aggies are hovering around an 11 seed, ahead of Purdue, but still close to the Bubble. They are a strong RPI team, but they haven't beaten a single top 50 team all season. That's 0-5 with the best two wins coming in a sweep of LSU. A loss to a team like South Carolina might move them behind the Boilers. Cheer for: South Carolina

Kansas State at Baylor, 1pm, ESPNU

This is mostly about getting Kansas State above the 100 line. They have been up and down all year and can beat a team like Baylor because they swept Oklahoma. At No. 104, a good victory like this puts them into the top 100 and erases a bad loss in a way. Cheer for: Kansas State

Florida at LSU, 1pm, CBS

LSU is a lot like Texas A&M. The overall record is good, but they at least are 4-3 against the top 50. What is hurting them is bad losses. They lost to Missouri (No. 187), Mississippi State (No. 185), and Auburn (No. 148). LSU is the Purdue of the SEC, and needs to be put down with an RPI of 54. Cheer for: Florida

Miami (FL) at Louisville, 2pm, ESPN

The Hurricanes are right there with Purdue on the Bubble and possibly a little behind us. They have some nice wins like at Illinois and against NC State, plus a huge road victory at Duke. They also lost to Eastern Kentucky, Georgia Tech, and Wake Forest. A win for them at Louisville would do wonders, but adds a Bubble team to our competition. Cheer for: Miami (to make my home happy)

Iowa State at Texas, 2pm, ESPN2

A team coached by Rick Barnes severely underachieving? Color me shocked! Almost every bracket has Texas solidly in, but why? So they can lose in the early rounds again with a ton of talent? No. Let's get them knocked down. Cheer for: Iowa State

Missouri at Vanderbilt, 2:30pm, SECNetwork

Here is your zero sum game. Missouri has done exactly nothing to help us all season long, so watch them and their atrocious RPI make our loss to Vanderbilt look even worse. Cheer for: Vanderbilt

IUPUI at South Dakota, 3pm

Any small push helps. Cheer for: IUPUI

IPFW at North Dakota State, 3pm

The Mastodons have been charging up the Summit League standings and already have a win over league-leading NDSU. Another win gives them a decent chance of winning the conference tourney, taking the auto-bid, and giving us a win over an NCAA team. Cheer for: IPFW

Louisiana Tech at Old Dominon, 3pm

Here is a very interesting game. Both teams are really close to the cut line, with ODU being higher than LaTech, but LaTech has the better overall record at 21-6 and leads ConferenceUSA at 12-2. The winner probably has a solid at large case. Cheer for: Louisiana Tech (Their profile is worse, so less competition)

Nevada at Boise State, 3pm

Boise is trying to be an at large team and is currently listed as a "first Four Out" according to Bracket Matrix. A loss at home to a bad Nevada team hastens their departure. Cheer for: Nevada

George Washington at Richmond, 4pm, CBSSports

The Atlantic 10, SEC, and Mountain West have a ton of Bubble teams. GW is one of them in the A-10. They are pretty far out right now, so the less competition, the better. Cheer for: Richmond

Rhode Island at George Mason, 4pm

Rhode Island is another A-10 Bubble team. They are just 1-4 against the top 50 and the only win was this week against UMass. Their win at Nebraska early in the season looked fantastic at the time, but has lost value. The RPI of 64 puts them close to us. Cheer for: George Mason

Sam Houston State at Central Arkansas, 5pm

With an RPI of 93, Sam Houston needs a lot of help for an at large, but they could be a 28 win win team before all is said and done. If anything, seeing them battle Stephen F. Austin, each with at least 27 wins, for the Southland auto-bid will be fun, especially when the conference regular season runner-up would not even be guaranteed an NIT bid despite 27+ wins.

Virginia Tech at North Carolina State, 6pm, ESPN2

While Purdue is in competition with NC State for a bid, we want that win to be as strong as possible. A loss to an awful VaTech team at home would destroy them, but hurt us too. Cheer for: NC State

Grambling State at Jackson State, 6:30pm

Just please win a game, Grambling State. You're the worst team in America by the RPI and KenPom. Just by playing you we probably cost ourselves 3 RPI spots. They are one of two teams in the country without a win over a D-I team.   Cheer for: Grambling State

Liberty at Gardner-Webb, 7pm

I hate that I have to keep an eye on Gardner-freaking-Webb this late in the season. Cheer for: Gardner-Webb

Princeton at Harvard, 7pm, ESPN3

If Harvard and Yale keep winning there is a very small chance both could get into the NCAA Tournament, one with the Ivy Auto-bid, and one as an unprecedented at-large. Harvard's RPI is at 51 and would likely be far better if not for a stunning home loss to No. 219 Dartmouth and No. 198 Holy Cross. Cheer for: Princeton

Columbia at Yale, 7pm

The same is true for Yale. They are at No. 62 in the RPI and probably need the auto-bid a little more than Harvard. Cheer for: Columbia

Nicholls State at Stephen F. Austin, 7pm

Stephen F. Austin has an RPI of 70, but is 21-4 and proved they belonged last year by winning a game in the NCAAs. They could get to 29 wins without getting an auto-bid, which would make a very interesting case if they win out and lose to Sam Houston State in their league final. Cheer for: Nichols State

Georgia at Alabama, 8pm, ESPN2

Georgia is another SEC Bubble team we're fighting for a bid. They're ahead of us right now, but with a few more wins we can think about seeding, right? Cheer for: Alabama

UL Monroe a Arkansas State, 8:05pm

Every little bit helps. Cheer for: Arkansas State

Wright State at Valparaiso, 8:05pm, ESPN3

Valpo could get an at large if they lose to Green Bay in the Horizon finals. They are 21-4 overall and No. 63 in the RPI. Cheer for: Wright State

Gonzaga at St. Mary's, 10pm, ESPN2

Gonzaga is in and will possibly get a No.1 seed. St. Mary's is a Bubble team begging for a huge win to move them the right direction, say, at home over the nation's No. 3 team. Cheer for: Gonzaga

Is that enough basketball for you?