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March Madness: 5 high seeds destined for an early NCAA Tournament exit

By Mike Phillips

KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 10: Jeremy Sochan #1 of the Baylor Bears is seen during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at T-Mobile Center on March 10, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 10: Jeremy Sochan #1 of the Baylor Bears is seen during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at T-Mobile Center on March 10, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 13: Jaden Ivey #23 of the Purdue Boilermakers takes a shot in the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half of the Big Ten Championship game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 13, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 13: Jaden Ivey #23 of the Purdue Boilermakers takes a shot in the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half of the Big Ten Championship game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 13, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

2. Top March Madness seeds that could suffer an early exit – Purdue Boilermakers

There were stretches of this season where Purdue looked like a favorite to contend for the national championship but the Boilermakers ended up with a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Losing the Big Ten title game to Iowa likely cost Purdue a spot on the 2-line but the issues for Matt Painter’s team started well prior to that contest.

The offense has never been the issue for Purdue, which averaged just under 80 points per game during the regular season and has a lineup loaded with stars like Jaden Ivey. The issue has been on the defensive end, where the Boilermakers’ defense is ranked 100th in the country by KenPom, which puts them as the 18th-worst team in the tournament on that end of the floor.

That recipe is not ideal for a 3-seed, although their first-round matchup against Yale should be fine since the Bulldogs are actually worse than Purdue defensively and don’t have the firepower to match up with the Boilermakers. The real issue comes in the Round of 32, where Purdue could face either 6-seed Texas or 11-seed Virginia Tech.

The Longhorns have as talented a team as any in the country and have the playmakers to keep up with Purdue while Virginia Tech is red-hot right now after storming through the ACC Tournament to secure their ticket to the tournament. The Boilermakers could also be a bit tight after experiencing a first-round exit a year ago, increasing the chances they get knocked off early this March.

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