We still think the Tigers deserved a 6-seed after beating the #1 team in the country, but a team has to go through all others to get to cut down the final nets, anyway. And while an 8-seed is a tough spot, as it almost surely places the Tigers against a 1-seed in the Round of 32, it’s by far the easiest region (East) and path to the Final Four of all regions.
Yes, Florida Atlantic University (FAU) is a scary dark horse in their own right. But am I the only one who maybe fears FAU more than Purdue? NCAA Tournament executives clearly set up the East to be the potential buster. After Purdue, it’s either Duke or Tennessee, and that’s not that tall of an order, after all.
And who doesn’t want to see the Tigers face Coach Calipari and the Kentucky CAYUTS deep into the Tourney? We know every NCAA executive wants to see that.
We’re not going to call it a conspiracy, but the East was very clearly constructed to be blown open. And this just seems like the year where the Tigers might blow it wide open. We have all the momentum….