GAMEDAY INFORMATION -- GAME 30
[18] Purdue (20-9, 12-6) vs. Rutgers (14-15, 7-11)
Tuesday, March 4, 2025 | 7 p.m. ET
West Lafayette, Indiana | Mackey Arena (14,876)
TELEVISION: Peacock (Noah Eagle, Robbie Hummel)
RADIO: Purdue Global Radio Network (Rob Blackman, Bobby Riddell)
ABOUT GAMEDAY
• The No. 18 Purdue men's basketball team ends the 2024-25 home campaign with a matchup against talented Rutgers on Tuesday night, looking to stay in the hunt for a double-bye in next week's Big Ten Tournament. The Boilermakers are currently tied for third in the league standings and a win in the last two games will lock up a double-bye next week in Indianapolis.
THE NOTES TO KNOW
THE NUMBERS (AS OF MARCH 3): A look at Purdue's numbers entering the Rutgers contest.
• NCAA NET: 17th
• Quad-1: 8-8 | Quad 2: 6-1 | Quad 3: 2-0 | Quad 4: 4-0
• KenPom: 16th | Off. Efficiency: 10th | Def. Efficiency: 51st
• Strength of Schedule (KenPom): 6th
• Associated Press: 18th | USA Today Coaches Poll: 18th
• BracketMatrix.com (Seed): 4 seed
THE FINAL TIME: Purdue ends its home season on Tuesday night, hosting Rutgers on Senior Day.
• The Boilermakers are 13-2 at home this season and 29-2 at home over the last two campaigns.
• During the senior class' career at Mackey Arena, Purdue owns a 59-5 (.922) record.
• With a win over Rutgers, the Class of 2025 can become the fifth class in school history with 60 home wins (2019, 2018, 2011, 2010).
WELCOME TO THE BIG TEN: With its win over UCLA on Friday night, Purdue went 4-0 this season against the West Coast teams, one-of-two teams to be undefeated against Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington (Michigan is the other).
WE SHALL CALL IT A DOZEN: Purdue won its 12th Big Ten game of the season on Friday night, now having won at least 12 league games for the 10th time in the last 11 seasons. The Boilermakers went 9-11 during the 2019-20 season for their lone season of not having 12 wins.
• Purdue has won at least 12 league games in five straight seasons.
• Purdue (2015-25) and Wisconsin (2007-17) are the only programs in Big Ten history to have had 10, 12-win seasons in an 11-year span.
• Purdue's is also the only program in league history to have had two different, 5-year spans of 12-win seasons (2015-19; 2021-25).
THE LEADERS: Purdue's has shot at least 50.0 percent from the field in 12 of 18 Big Ten contests. In league games only, Purdue leads the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.499), while USC is second at 48.4 percent.
• Purdue leads the Big Ten (league games only) in 3-point percentage (.373) and steals (7.6) and is second in turnover magin (+2.94).
• In league games only, Trey Kaufman-Renn is first in the Big Ten in scoring, while Braden Smith leads in assists again and is second in steals.
• Braden Smith's 8.6 assists per game average in league play would rank as the highest in Big Ten history (2019 - Cassius Winston, 7.9).
THE RECORD-SETTERS: Purdue players have set long-standing career records in the three major statistical categories during the last two seasons.
• Zach Edey broke a 54-year scoring record a year ago, previously set by Rick Mount in 1970.
• Zach Edey broke a 44-year rebounding record a year ago, previously set by Joe Barry Carroll in 1980.
• And on Friday, Braden Smith broke a 48-year assists record, previously set by Bruce Parkinson in 1977.
ON THE CUSP: Point guard Braden Smith needs just four assists to become the first player in NCAA history to have scored at least 1,250 points, dish out 700 assists and grab 500 rebounds by the end of his junior campaign.
500-POINT PACE: Trey Kaufman-Renn (567) and Braden Smith (465) are on pace to become the first Purdue teammates since 2017-18 (Carsen Edwards, Isaac Haas) to both have at least 500 points in a season, on pace for almost 1,300 combined points.
• Fletcher Loyer is on pace to surpass 475 points. Purdue hasn't had three 475-point scorers since 2017-18 (Edwards, Edwards, Haas).
[18] Purdue (20-9, 12-6) vs. Rutgers (14-15, 7-11)
Tuesday, March 4, 2025 | 7 p.m. ET
West Lafayette, Indiana | Mackey Arena (14,876)
TELEVISION: Peacock (Noah Eagle, Robbie Hummel)
RADIO: Purdue Global Radio Network (Rob Blackman, Bobby Riddell)
ABOUT GAMEDAY
• The No. 18 Purdue men's basketball team ends the 2024-25 home campaign with a matchup against talented Rutgers on Tuesday night, looking to stay in the hunt for a double-bye in next week's Big Ten Tournament. The Boilermakers are currently tied for third in the league standings and a win in the last two games will lock up a double-bye next week in Indianapolis.
THE NOTES TO KNOW
THE NUMBERS (AS OF MARCH 3): A look at Purdue's numbers entering the Rutgers contest.
• NCAA NET: 17th
• Quad-1: 8-8 | Quad 2: 6-1 | Quad 3: 2-0 | Quad 4: 4-0
• KenPom: 16th | Off. Efficiency: 10th | Def. Efficiency: 51st
• Strength of Schedule (KenPom): 6th
• Associated Press: 18th | USA Today Coaches Poll: 18th
• BracketMatrix.com (Seed): 4 seed
THE FINAL TIME: Purdue ends its home season on Tuesday night, hosting Rutgers on Senior Day.
• The Boilermakers are 13-2 at home this season and 29-2 at home over the last two campaigns.
• During the senior class' career at Mackey Arena, Purdue owns a 59-5 (.922) record.
• With a win over Rutgers, the Class of 2025 can become the fifth class in school history with 60 home wins (2019, 2018, 2011, 2010).
WELCOME TO THE BIG TEN: With its win over UCLA on Friday night, Purdue went 4-0 this season against the West Coast teams, one-of-two teams to be undefeated against Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington (Michigan is the other).
WE SHALL CALL IT A DOZEN: Purdue won its 12th Big Ten game of the season on Friday night, now having won at least 12 league games for the 10th time in the last 11 seasons. The Boilermakers went 9-11 during the 2019-20 season for their lone season of not having 12 wins.
• Purdue has won at least 12 league games in five straight seasons.
• Purdue (2015-25) and Wisconsin (2007-17) are the only programs in Big Ten history to have had 10, 12-win seasons in an 11-year span.
• Purdue's is also the only program in league history to have had two different, 5-year spans of 12-win seasons (2015-19; 2021-25).
THE LEADERS: Purdue's has shot at least 50.0 percent from the field in 12 of 18 Big Ten contests. In league games only, Purdue leads the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.499), while USC is second at 48.4 percent.
• Purdue leads the Big Ten (league games only) in 3-point percentage (.373) and steals (7.6) and is second in turnover magin (+2.94).
• In league games only, Trey Kaufman-Renn is first in the Big Ten in scoring, while Braden Smith leads in assists again and is second in steals.
• Braden Smith's 8.6 assists per game average in league play would rank as the highest in Big Ten history (2019 - Cassius Winston, 7.9).
THE RECORD-SETTERS: Purdue players have set long-standing career records in the three major statistical categories during the last two seasons.
• Zach Edey broke a 54-year scoring record a year ago, previously set by Rick Mount in 1970.
• Zach Edey broke a 44-year rebounding record a year ago, previously set by Joe Barry Carroll in 1980.
• And on Friday, Braden Smith broke a 48-year assists record, previously set by Bruce Parkinson in 1977.
ON THE CUSP: Point guard Braden Smith needs just four assists to become the first player in NCAA history to have scored at least 1,250 points, dish out 700 assists and grab 500 rebounds by the end of his junior campaign.
500-POINT PACE: Trey Kaufman-Renn (567) and Braden Smith (465) are on pace to become the first Purdue teammates since 2017-18 (Carsen Edwards, Isaac Haas) to both have at least 500 points in a season, on pace for almost 1,300 combined points.
• Fletcher Loyer is on pace to surpass 475 points. Purdue hasn't had three 475-point scorers since 2017-18 (Edwards, Edwards, Haas).