WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Playing in its final road game of the season, Purdue travels to State College, Pennsylvania, to face Penn State at 7 p.m. ET, on FS1. Kevin Burkhardt and former Purdue graduate assistant Steve Lavin will handle the call remotely.
Friday's contest is a big game for the Boilermakers as they look for another double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament. The Boilermakers have had a double-bye in every Big Ten Tournament that has been played and Purdue has put itself in position to reach that goal again. Standing in the way is a very good offensive team in Penn State, at a place where recent games with the Lions have been nail-biters.
THE KEY TALKING POINTS
1) Purdue leads the series with Nebraska by a 40-13 margin, having won 10 of the last 11, and 24 of the last 28, contests with the Nittany Lions. Purdue's last three wins over Penn State in State College have come in overtime (2015, 2017, 2019). Purdue won Big Ten titles in 2017 & 2019.
2) According to KenPom.com, Purdue ranks 330th (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 1.36 years (283rd nationally).
3) Purdue has had its full arsenal of rotation players for just 14 of its 23 games this year, missing key personnel for nine games this year. Purdue has gone 10-4 in those 14 games with a full roster, losses coming on the road vs. Big Ten 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 27-of-101 (.267) from 3-point range.
7) Purdue is one of just two Big Ten teams to have one or fewer home losses in Big Ten play (Purdue 6-1; Michigan 6-0).
8) Purdue has held 12 straight opponents to 72 or fewer points, the third-longest streak in the country (8-4 record).
9) 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-112 Associated Press top-25 polls.
10) Over the last five years since the start of the 2016-17 season, Purdue has the most wins in the Big Ten (64). Michigan State is next at 61.
11) Purdue owns a 54-9 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.
Friday's contest is a big game for the Boilermakers as they look for another double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament. The Boilermakers have had a double-bye in every Big Ten Tournament that has been played and Purdue has put itself in position to reach that goal again. Standing in the way is a very good offensive team in Penn State, at a place where recent games with the Lions have been nail-biters.
THE KEY TALKING POINTS
1) Purdue leads the series with Nebraska by a 40-13 margin, having won 10 of the last 11, and 24 of the last 28, contests with the Nittany Lions. Purdue's last three wins over Penn State in State College have come in overtime (2015, 2017, 2019). Purdue won Big Ten titles in 2017 & 2019.
2) According to KenPom.com, Purdue ranks 330th (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 1.36 years (283rd nationally).
3) Purdue has had its full arsenal of rotation players for just 14 of its 23 games this year, missing key personnel for nine games this year. Purdue has gone 10-4 in those 14 games with a full roster, losses coming on the road vs. Big Ten 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 27-of-101 (.267) from 3-point range.
7) Purdue is one of just two Big Ten teams to have one or fewer home losses in Big Ten play (Purdue 6-1; Michigan 6-0).
8) Purdue has held 12 straight opponents to 72 or fewer points, the third-longest streak in the country (8-4 record).
9) 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-112 Associated Press top-25 polls.
10) Over the last five years since the start of the 2016-17 season, Purdue has the most wins in the Big Ten (64). Michigan State is next at 61.
11) Purdue owns a 54-9 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.