Penn State receives votes in final USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
After a strong and respectable finish to the regular season and a run all the way to the final seconds of the Big Ten men’s basketball championship game, Penn State gained some respect from the national polls. On Selection Sunday, in addition to receiving an at-large bid in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, Penn State also received votes in the final USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll of the season prior to the NCAA tournament.
Penn State fell outside of the top 25 but did receive enough points to finish third among the others receiving votes. Penn State missed the top 25 by 30 points. FAU rounded out the top 25 with 54 points in the coaches poll. Iowa State and Kentucky were the first two teams outside the top 25 ahead of Penn State.
Penn State will head to the NCAA Tournament as the no. 10 seed in the Midwest region. The Nittany Lions are set for a late Thursday night matchup with no. 7 seed Texas A&M, who came up short in the SEC Championship Game against Alabama, the top seed in the NCAA tournament. Texas A&M is ranked no. 17 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
Only two Big Ten teams were ranked by the coaches poll. Purdue took the no. 3 ranking following its Big Ten championship game victory over Penn State. Indiana dropped two spots to no. 19 after losing to Penn State in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament. Northwestern dropped out of th top 25 from the final spot in the poll after their loss to the Nittany Lions in the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten tournament. Northwestern fell one spot behind Penn State in the others receiving votes category.
