GAMEDAY INFORMATION
[4 / 4] Purdue (17-2, 7-1) vs. [11 / 11] Illinois (16-3, 7-1)
Saturday, January 24, 2026 | 3 p.m. ET
West Lafayette, Indiana | Mackey Arena (14,876)
TELEVISION: FOX (Kevin Kugler, Miles Simon)
RADIO: Purdue Global Radio Network (Rob Blackman, Bobby Riddell)
THE SCENE SETTER
• No. 4-ranked Purdue plays its lone home game in a 23-day span on Saturday, when the No. 11-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini visit for a huge Saturday afternoon showdown. Both teams enter the contest with identical 7-1 Big Ten records and look to stay within one game of league-leader Nebraska as the halfway point of Big Ten Conference play looms.
• Following the Illinois game, Purdue hits the road again for two more games; Tuesday at Indiana and next Sunday at Maryland.
THE MATCHUP
• Purdue and Illinois will meet for the 199th time in a series that dates all the way back to 1906. The Boilermakers lead the series 107-91, including 66-37 since the 1967-68 season (Mackey Arena era).
• However, the series has been very even during its history. Purdue has scored 11,599 points to Illinois' 11,548 points -- a difference of just 51 points in the 199 games played (0.26 points per game).
• Six of the last seven games have been decided by single-digits.
• The Boilermakers have won nine of the last 13 meetings, including three straight games in Mackey Arena (total of 26 points).
• Purdue has scored at least 77 points in six straight games against Illinois.
• Purdue is 16-3 as a ranked team against Illinois in Mackey Arena. The last Purdue loss as a ranked team came on Dec. 30, 2008 (71-67 in overtime).
• This marks the third straight home game against Illinois where both teams were ranked in the AP top 15 at the time of the contest.
NEWS AND NOTES
• Saturday's game is designated as the yearly Hammer Down Cancer game for the Boilermakers. Purdue will wear specially-designed jerseys accentuated by the Volt color used by the Purdue Center for Cancer Research to symbolize the celebration, recognition and honoring of everyone affected by cancer. The jerseys, shooting shirts and Nike Air Force 1's (designed by kids at Riley's Children Hospital) will be auctioned off with all proceeds going to both the Purdue Center for Cancer Research and Riley's Children Hospital (shoes).
• To date, the Hammer Down Cancer games have raised about $275,000 for cancer research.
• Purdue is coming off a 69-67 loss to UCLA on Tuesday, as the Bruins ended the game on an 8-0 run capped by a 3-pointer with eight seconds left to complete the rally. It snapped a nine-game winning streak by the Boilermakers.
• Saturday's game features the two most-efficient offenses in the country via KenPom. Illinois is ranked No. 1 in offensive efficiency (129.6), while Purdue is second (129.3).
• Purdue is in the midst of a gauntlet of playing six games in an eight-game stretch away from Mackey Arena (road games vs. USC, UCLA, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Iowa). This marks the fourth game of a five-game stretch against a Quad-1 opponent (Iowa, USC, UCLA, Illinois, Indiana). The two home games in that stretch are against No. 11 Illinois and Oregon.
• Purdue's 15 wins in the first three quads are the second most nationally behind Michigan (16). Purdue has played just two quad-4 games and the Boilermakers' six quad-1 wins are tied for second nationally with Arizona and Nebraska (Duke has 8).
• A win on Saturday would give Purdue an 18-2 start (or better) for the third time in the last four seasons (2022-23, 2023-24, 2025-26). Purdue has started 18-2 or better four times in school history.
• Since the start of the 2022-23 season, Purdue owns the nation's best winning percentage against teams ranked in the AP top 12, posting a 12-4 record (.750).
• Purdue ranks in the top 25 nationally in offensive efficiency (2nd), assist / turnover ratio (2nd), assists per game (3rd), field goal percentage (11th), turnovers per game (16th), scoring margin (19th), 3-point percentage (21st) and rebound margin (22nd).
• Braden Smith needs 19 assists to move into the top 10 on the NCAA career assists list.