GAMEDAY INFO
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
[1] Purdue (21-1, 9-1) vs. Penn State (14-7, 5-5)
West Lafayette, Indiana | Mackey Arena (14,876)
TELEVISION: BTN | RADIO: Purdue Sports Network
ANNOUNCERS: Brandon Gaudin, Robbie Hummel
THE NOTES TO KNOW
• Purdue closes out a brief two-game homestand when it closes out the season series with Penn State on Wednesday in Mackey Arena. It will mark the first game of the Matt Painter era where a former assistant coach returns to lead another team against the Boilermakers as Micah Shrewsberry returns to Mackey Arena. Also on his staff is Grady Eifert, who helped Purdue to the 2019 Elite 8, and Big Ten title.
• Following Wednesday's game, Purdue will be on the road for three of its next four outings (at Indiana, at Northwestern, at Maryland), before finishing the year with three of four games at home (Ohio State, Indiana, Illinois).
• With Purdue ranked No. 1 this week in both the AP and coaches poll, the Boilermakers have now been ranked No. 1 in seven weeks in the last two years. Since the 2018-19 season, only Gonzaga (31), Baylor (11), Villanova (9) and Kansas (9) have been ranked No. 1 in more weeks than Purdue. Prior to last season, Purdue had never been ranked No. 1 in school history.
• In addition with being a unanimous No. 1 this week, Purdue becomes the first power-conference program in the last 20 years to be voted unanimous No. 1 in back-to-back seasons. Purdue (2022, 2023), Gonzaga (2022, 2021), Kansas (2020, 2010) and Kentucky (2015, 2010) are the only teams to be voted unanimous No. 1 in two different seasons in the last 20 years.
• Purdue's 21-1 record is the program's best 22-game start in school history. A win over Penn State will give Purdue a 22-1 record through 23 games, just the third time since 2000 that a Big Ten team would start the season 22-1 (2011 Ohio State; 2005 Illinois).
• Purdue's 10-1 start in Big Ten play is the program's best since starting 12-0 in the 2017-18 season. The start marks the sixth 10-1 start or better in Purdue history (2023, 2018, 2008, 1988, 1984, 1969). A win will make it five 11-1 Big Ten starts in school history.
• Purdue can claim America's best resume, boasting a 7-1 quad-1 record, five of them against teams ranked in the NCAA Net's top 30 (Gonzaga, Ohio State, West Virginia, Marquette, Duke). Six of the wins (Marquette) have come away from Mackey Arena.
• After being one of the final two teams in the country with zero losses (New Mexico was last), Purdue is now one of two teams nationally with just one loss (Purdue, Florida Atlantic). Remarkably, just four teams nationally have two or fewer losses and Purdue is the only major program in that group. Just six power-conference teams have three or fewer losses (Purdue, Tennessee, Alabama, Arizona, Virginia, Kansas St.).
• Purdue has MADE 340 free throws this season, while opponents have SHOT just 217. Purdue has made 184 more free throws (340 to 154) than its foes this season, the highest discrepancy in the nation (Purdue +184, North Carolina +169, Iowa +146, New Mexico +136, Providence +136).
• Purdue ranks sixth nationally in fewest fouls per game (13.5) and is first nationally in opponent free throw rate via KenPom (16.9). Coincidentally, Creighton is second nationally in free throw rate. The teams are 1 and 2 nationally in opponents taking long 2-point jumpers.
• Purdue has held 23 straight opponents to 70 points or less, tied for the longest streak in the country with Saint Mary's.
• Purdue returned to No. 1 in this week's AP Top 25 rankings for the second time this season. Purdue is the sixth Big Ten team to voted No. 1 twice in the same season (Indiana - 2013, 1993; Michigan - 1977, 1965; Ohio State - 2011). Purdue is 8-2 all-time as the nation's No. 1-ranked team with both losses coming on buzzer-beaters by Rutgers.
• Zach Edey ranks No. 1 in the KenPom POY ratings by a significant margin and has been the game MVP in 16 of the 21 Purdue games that he has played in (missed New Orleans with the flu). Edey has scored 10 or more points in 38 straight games -- the nation's longest streak.
• Edey was named the Big Ten Player of the Week (shared with Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis) for the fifth time this season. It marks the fourth most for a player in Big Ten history (Evan Turner - 7). With five more weeks to go, the record is in sight.
• Fletcher Loyer was named the Big Ten's Player and Freshman of the Week (Jan. 17) becoming the first freshman since Illinois' Kofi Cockburn in Nov. 2019, to win Player of the Week honors, and the first Purdue freshman since Robbie Hummel in Feb. 2008, to earn the honor.
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
[1] Purdue (21-1, 9-1) vs. Penn State (14-7, 5-5)
West Lafayette, Indiana | Mackey Arena (14,876)
TELEVISION: BTN | RADIO: Purdue Sports Network
ANNOUNCERS: Brandon Gaudin, Robbie Hummel
THE NOTES TO KNOW
• Purdue closes out a brief two-game homestand when it closes out the season series with Penn State on Wednesday in Mackey Arena. It will mark the first game of the Matt Painter era where a former assistant coach returns to lead another team against the Boilermakers as Micah Shrewsberry returns to Mackey Arena. Also on his staff is Grady Eifert, who helped Purdue to the 2019 Elite 8, and Big Ten title.
• Following Wednesday's game, Purdue will be on the road for three of its next four outings (at Indiana, at Northwestern, at Maryland), before finishing the year with three of four games at home (Ohio State, Indiana, Illinois).
• With Purdue ranked No. 1 this week in both the AP and coaches poll, the Boilermakers have now been ranked No. 1 in seven weeks in the last two years. Since the 2018-19 season, only Gonzaga (31), Baylor (11), Villanova (9) and Kansas (9) have been ranked No. 1 in more weeks than Purdue. Prior to last season, Purdue had never been ranked No. 1 in school history.
• In addition with being a unanimous No. 1 this week, Purdue becomes the first power-conference program in the last 20 years to be voted unanimous No. 1 in back-to-back seasons. Purdue (2022, 2023), Gonzaga (2022, 2021), Kansas (2020, 2010) and Kentucky (2015, 2010) are the only teams to be voted unanimous No. 1 in two different seasons in the last 20 years.
• Purdue's 21-1 record is the program's best 22-game start in school history. A win over Penn State will give Purdue a 22-1 record through 23 games, just the third time since 2000 that a Big Ten team would start the season 22-1 (2011 Ohio State; 2005 Illinois).
• Purdue's 10-1 start in Big Ten play is the program's best since starting 12-0 in the 2017-18 season. The start marks the sixth 10-1 start or better in Purdue history (2023, 2018, 2008, 1988, 1984, 1969). A win will make it five 11-1 Big Ten starts in school history.
• Purdue can claim America's best resume, boasting a 7-1 quad-1 record, five of them against teams ranked in the NCAA Net's top 30 (Gonzaga, Ohio State, West Virginia, Marquette, Duke). Six of the wins (Marquette) have come away from Mackey Arena.
• After being one of the final two teams in the country with zero losses (New Mexico was last), Purdue is now one of two teams nationally with just one loss (Purdue, Florida Atlantic). Remarkably, just four teams nationally have two or fewer losses and Purdue is the only major program in that group. Just six power-conference teams have three or fewer losses (Purdue, Tennessee, Alabama, Arizona, Virginia, Kansas St.).
• Purdue has MADE 340 free throws this season, while opponents have SHOT just 217. Purdue has made 184 more free throws (340 to 154) than its foes this season, the highest discrepancy in the nation (Purdue +184, North Carolina +169, Iowa +146, New Mexico +136, Providence +136).
• Purdue ranks sixth nationally in fewest fouls per game (13.5) and is first nationally in opponent free throw rate via KenPom (16.9). Coincidentally, Creighton is second nationally in free throw rate. The teams are 1 and 2 nationally in opponents taking long 2-point jumpers.
• Purdue has held 23 straight opponents to 70 points or less, tied for the longest streak in the country with Saint Mary's.
• Purdue returned to No. 1 in this week's AP Top 25 rankings for the second time this season. Purdue is the sixth Big Ten team to voted No. 1 twice in the same season (Indiana - 2013, 1993; Michigan - 1977, 1965; Ohio State - 2011). Purdue is 8-2 all-time as the nation's No. 1-ranked team with both losses coming on buzzer-beaters by Rutgers.
• Zach Edey ranks No. 1 in the KenPom POY ratings by a significant margin and has been the game MVP in 16 of the 21 Purdue games that he has played in (missed New Orleans with the flu). Edey has scored 10 or more points in 38 straight games -- the nation's longest streak.
• Edey was named the Big Ten Player of the Week (shared with Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis) for the fifth time this season. It marks the fourth most for a player in Big Ten history (Evan Turner - 7). With five more weeks to go, the record is in sight.
• Fletcher Loyer was named the Big Ten's Player and Freshman of the Week (Jan. 17) becoming the first freshman since Illinois' Kofi Cockburn in Nov. 2019, to win Player of the Week honors, and the first Purdue freshman since Robbie Hummel in Feb. 2008, to earn the honor.