Despite two straight losses to Ohio State and Purdue on the road, ESPN's Joe Lunardi lists Penn State in the "Next Four Out" category of his "Bracketology" mock bracket on ESPN.com.
↵Penn State comes in last in that category. Above the Nittany Lions are Central Florida, Miami (Fla.) and South Carolina. In the "First Four Out" category, Lunardi lists Oklahoma State, Richmond, Washington State, and UAB. The "Last Four In" are Baylor, UCLA, Wichita State and Old Dominion.
↵The Lions face a crucial pair of home games this week to stay in NCAA Tournament consideration when they host Iowa on Wednesday night at 6:30 at the Bryce Jordan Center, then Wisconsin on Saturday at 4:00 P.M. The Hawkeyes are 1-6 in Big Ten play after a win over Indiana on Sunday and are 8-11 overall. Wisconsin is ranked No. 15 in the country and is 5-2 in Big Ten play. It does not play a mid-week game before coming to State College.
↵Lunardi has Pitt as a No. 1 seed Southwest region, facing Maine in the first round of the tournament. He lists West Virginia as a No. 5 seed in the Southeast region, facing Virginia Commonwealth.