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March Madness 2023 bracket: 3 teams that could drop out of the field in Champ Week

By David Smith

MADISON, WISCONSIN - MARCH 02: Connor Essegian #3 of the Wisconsin Badgers reacts after hitting a three-point shot during the second half of the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Kohl Center on March 02, 2023 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN - MARCH 02: Connor Essegian #3 of the Wisconsin Badgers reacts after hitting a three-point shot during the second half of the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Kohl Center on March 02, 2023 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) /
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Penn State Nittany Lions (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /

2. Penn State Nittany Lions

The Big Ten has several teams on the edge of the tournament, and it’s hard to say which one would have their hopes crushed with a loss. The one that sticks out is the same team that recently found themselves on the right side of the bubble after defeating Maryland 65-64 on a shot at the buzzer.

The Nittany Lions currently rank No. 56 in the NET Rankings, with a Quad 1 record of 5-6, and are led by one of the best players in the nation, Jalen Pickett. Pickett was recently named to the final ballot for the Wooden Award, one of the top 15 players in college basketball.

Penn State is set to face off against Illinois in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament, who they have beaten twice this season by an average of 13.5 points per game.

This squad cannot afford to lose their next game, Penn State will have to defeat Illinois to keep their March Madness hopes alive. If the Nittany Lions win, they have a matchup with No. 2 seed Northwestern. Winning this game would not lock them into the field of 68, but it’d be really close.