I am going to go out on a limb, but I think it is safe to say that Purdue will play in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

Bold, I know.

The Boilers are 10-0, ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll, and should make it to at least 13-0 before getting back into Big Ten play. At this point it would take a complete collapse to miss the tournament. While that is possible, it is extremely unlikely. For the rest of hte year Purdue is likely playing for a decent seed in the NCAAs.

Under Matt Painter Purdue has never been a No. 1 seed. It has been a No. 2 once, a No. 3 seed three times, and a No. 4 seed three additional times. Getting a top 4 seed means preferred placement closer to home for the first and second rounds, and this year that can be beneficial. The two first and second round locations closest to West Lafayette are Des Moines and Columbus. Last year Purdue just missed out on playing really close to home in Indianapolis. The regional finals are located in New York, Las Vegas, Kansas City, and Louisville this year.

That makes Purdue's best case scenario a No. 1 seed starting in Columbus and then feeding into Louisville. Joe Lunardi has Purdue now as the No. 1 overall seed with that exact path.

Obviously there is still work to do, but as of now, Purdue is in its best possible position for that path.