WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue looks to bounce back from a difficult road loss to Minnesota when it closes out the season series against Michigan State on Tuesday. The game will be televised by ESPN with Dave Flemming and Dan Dakich on the call, beginning at 7 p.m. ET, from Mackey Arena.
Purdue has alternated wins and losses in its last six games and looks for some consistency coming down the stretch. The Boilermakers are still in the hunt for a Big Ten Tournament double-bye and NCAA Tournament top-five seed, but needs to start stringing wins together to reach those marks. With five scheduled games left, every win counts in the race for a top seed.
THE KEY TALKING POINTS
1) Purdue leads the series with Michigan State by a 71-55 margin, having won three straight games against the Spartans -- Purdue's longest streak since the mid-to-late 90s. Purdue has won four straight games against MSU at Mackey Arena by a combined 57 points.
2) According to KenPom.com, Purdue ranks 331st (out of 347 teams) in experience (1.04 years). The total is 14th in the Big Ten. Indiana is the next least-experienced team in the league at 1.35 years (289th nationally).
3) Purdue has had its full arsenal of rotation players for just 12 of its 21 games this year, missing key personnel for nine games this year. Purdue has gone 8-4 in those 12 games with a full roster, all coming against power-conference teams (Iowa, Rutgers, Illinois, Minnesota).
4) 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.
5) A Purdue freshman has been named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week in four of the last five weeks and in six of a possible 12 weeks this season.
6) During the month of February, Purdue is just 14-of-57 (.246) from 3-point range. However, in its nine home games this year, Purdue is shooting 35.4 percent from long distance (69-of-195).
7) Purdue is one of just four Big Ten teams to have one or fewer home losses in Big Ten play (Purdue, Minnesota, Michigan and Ohio State).
8) With Purdue entering the AP Top 25, the Boilermakers have been nationally-ranked in six straight seasons, the second-longest streak in school history (1968 to 1975). Since the start of the 2015-16 season, Purdue has been ranked in 72-of-110 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 (62). Michigan State is next at 60.
10) Purdue owns a 53-9 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.
Purdue has alternated wins and losses in its last six games and looks for some consistency coming down the stretch. The Boilermakers are still in the hunt for a Big Ten Tournament double-bye and NCAA Tournament top-five seed, but needs to start stringing wins together to reach those marks. With five scheduled games left, every win counts in the race for a top seed.
THE KEY TALKING POINTS
1) Purdue leads the series with Michigan State by a 71-55 margin, having won three straight games against the Spartans -- Purdue's longest streak since the mid-to-late 90s. Purdue has won four straight games against MSU at Mackey Arena by a combined 57 points.
2) According to KenPom.com, Purdue ranks 331st (out of 347 teams) in experience (1.04 years). The total is 14th in the Big Ten. Indiana is the next least-experienced team in the league at 1.35 years (289th nationally).
3) Purdue has had its full arsenal of rotation players for just 12 of its 21 games this year, missing key personnel for nine games this year. Purdue has gone 8-4 in those 12 games with a full roster, all coming against power-conference teams (Iowa, Rutgers, Illinois, Minnesota).
4) 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.
5) A Purdue freshman has been named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week in four of the last five weeks and in six of a possible 12 weeks this season.
6) During the month of February, Purdue is just 14-of-57 (.246) from 3-point range. However, in its nine home games this year, Purdue is shooting 35.4 percent from long distance (69-of-195).
7) Purdue is one of just four Big Ten teams to have one or fewer home losses in Big Ten play (Purdue, Minnesota, Michigan and Ohio State).
8) With Purdue entering the AP Top 25, the Boilermakers have been nationally-ranked in six straight seasons, the second-longest streak in school history (1968 to 1975). Since the start of the 2015-16 season, Purdue has been ranked in 72-of-110 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 (62). Michigan State is next at 60.
10) Purdue owns a 53-9 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.