WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue men's basketball team looks to rebound from its first road loss in a month when Northwestern visits Mackey for the lone meeting between the two teams during the 2020-21 season. Brandon Gaudin will be joined by former Maryland great and Indiana Pacer Len Elmore on the television broadcast.
The Boilermakers fell to Elmore's alma mater, Maryland, on Tuesday 61-60. The Boilermakers led virtually the entire game, but the Terrapins used a 6-0 run over the last 90 seconds to steal the victory. With just eight games left, Purdue looks to make one last surge in the Big Ten.
THE KEY TALKING POINTS
1) Purdue leads the series with Northwestern by a 132-46 advantage, having won eight straight games by a combined 78 points. The 132 victories are the most for the Boilermakers against an opponent. Four of the last eight wins have come by eight or fewer points.
2) According to KenPom.com, Purdue ranks 328th (out of 347 teams) in experience (1.06 years). The total is 14th in the Big Ten. Indiana is the next least-experienced team in the league at 1.35 years (288th nationally).
3) Purdue has had its full arsenal of rotation players for just 10 of its 19 games this year, missing key personnel for nine games this year. Purdue went 7-3 in those 10 games with a full roster, all coming against power-conference teams.
4) Purdue will welcome back Sasha Stefanovic to the lineup after missing three games (CoVid-19). The Boilermakers shot 14-of-44 (.318) from 3-point range in the three games without him. Stefanovic is the Big Ten's leader in 3-point percentage (.456), ranking ninth nationally.
5) Matt Painter needs one win for 350 in his 16th year at Purdue and one win for 175 victories in Big Ten play.
6) Four freshmen have earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors, the most in league history. Michigan (2012-13) and Ohio St. (2010-11) had 3.
7) Brandon Newman was named the Big Ten's Freshman of the Week for the second time this season, now 1-of-2 freshmen with multiple awards.
8) With Purdue entering the AP Top 25 this week, the Boilermakers have been nationally-ranked in six straight seasons, the longest streak in school history. Since the start of the 2015-16 season, Purdue has been ranked in 71-of-109 Associated Press top-25 polls.
9) Over the last five years since the start of the 2016-17 season, Purdue has the most wins in the Big Ten (61). Michigan State is next at 58.
10) Purdue owns a 52-9 home record in Big Ten play since the 2014-15 season. Since that year, just one team, Michigan has beaten the Boilermakers twice at Mackey Arena. Michigan State, Indiana, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Northwestern are the five teams to not win in Mackey.
The Boilermakers fell to Elmore's alma mater, Maryland, on Tuesday 61-60. The Boilermakers led virtually the entire game, but the Terrapins used a 6-0 run over the last 90 seconds to steal the victory. With just eight games left, Purdue looks to make one last surge in the Big Ten.
THE KEY TALKING POINTS
1) Purdue leads the series with Northwestern by a 132-46 advantage, having won eight straight games by a combined 78 points. The 132 victories are the most for the Boilermakers against an opponent. Four of the last eight wins have come by eight or fewer points.
2) According to KenPom.com, Purdue ranks 328th (out of 347 teams) in experience (1.06 years). The total is 14th in the Big Ten. Indiana is the next least-experienced team in the league at 1.35 years (288th nationally).
3) Purdue has had its full arsenal of rotation players for just 10 of its 19 games this year, missing key personnel for nine games this year. Purdue went 7-3 in those 10 games with a full roster, all coming against power-conference teams.
4) Purdue will welcome back Sasha Stefanovic to the lineup after missing three games (CoVid-19). The Boilermakers shot 14-of-44 (.318) from 3-point range in the three games without him. Stefanovic is the Big Ten's leader in 3-point percentage (.456), ranking ninth nationally.
5) Matt Painter needs one win for 350 in his 16th year at Purdue and one win for 175 victories in Big Ten play.
6) Four freshmen have earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors, the most in league history. Michigan (2012-13) and Ohio St. (2010-11) had 3.
7) Brandon Newman was named the Big Ten's Freshman of the Week for the second time this season, now 1-of-2 freshmen with multiple awards.
8) With Purdue entering the AP Top 25 this week, the Boilermakers have been nationally-ranked in six straight seasons, the longest streak in school history. Since the start of the 2015-16 season, Purdue has been ranked in 71-of-109 Associated Press top-25 polls.
9) Over the last five years since the start of the 2016-17 season, Purdue has the most wins in the Big Ten (61). Michigan State is next at 58.
10) Purdue owns a 52-9 home record in Big Ten play since the 2014-15 season. Since that year, just one team, Michigan has beaten the Boilermakers twice at Mackey Arena. Michigan State, Indiana, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Northwestern are the five teams to not win in Mackey.