The Purdue men’s basketball team did not receive any votes in this week’s Top 25 poll from the two major rankings – Associated Press or the USA Today/Coaches Poll.
The last time Purdue received Top 25 votes was the week of Dec. 28.
However, the team’s NET ranking advanced to No. 39 after its win at then No. 23 Michigan State on Friday. The two games prior to the MSU win were losses at then No. 14 Rutgers and then No. 15 Illinois.
The AP Poll, which was updated on Monday has its Top 5 teams as No.1 Gonzaga (12-0), No. 2 Baylor (11-0), No. 3 Villanova (8-1), No. 4 Texas (10-1) and No. 5 Iowa (11-2). The poll has five other Big Ten teams in its Top 25 including No. 7 Michigan (10-0), No. 9 Wisconsin (10-2), No. 14 Illinois (9-4), No. 21 Ohio State (9-3) and No. 23 Minnesota (10-4). Other conference teams receiving votes, but not enough to crack the Top 25 include Rutgers, Michigan State, Northwestern and Indiana.
The Coaches Poll has the same Top 5 teams as AP, but has Michigan as No. 5. Other Big Ten teams in that poll include No. 8 Iowa, No. 9 Wisconsin, No. 13 Illinois and No. 19 Minnesota. Conference teams receiving votes were Ohio State, Rutgers and Michigan State.
The NCAA's NET rankings, which is used to assist in seeding teams for the post-season tournament, has Michigan as the highest rated Big Ten team at No. 4.
The NET ranks all 345 Division 1 teams.
It sees the remaining Big Ten teams as No. 5 Iowa, No. 8 Illinois, No. 10 Wisconsin, No. 24 Ohio State, No. 33 Minnesota, No. 35 Maryland, No. 39 Purdue, No. 30 Penn State, No. 43 Indiana, No. 44 Rutgers, No. 57 Northwestern, No. 84 Michigan State and No. 161 Nebraska.
Purdue returns to action at 7 p.m., Thursday when it plays at Indiana. The game will be broadcast on FoxSports1.
