GAMEDAY INFORMATION
[18 / 18] Purdue (23-8) VS. Northwestern (14-18) -or- Indiana (18-13)
Thursday, March 12, 2026 | 6:30 p.m. ET, 5:30 p.m. CT
Chicago, Illinois | United Center (20,917)
TELEVISION: BTN (Kevin Kugler, Robbie Hummel, Andy Katz)
RADIO: Purdue Global Radio Network (Rob Blackman, Bobby Riddell)
PURDUE'S NUMBERS
• Overall: 23-8 | Big Ten: 13-7
• Home: 12-5 | Away: 8-3 | Neutral: 3-0
• Q1: 8-8 | Q2: 5-0 | Q3: 7-0 | Q4: 3-0
• NCAA NET: 10th | KenPom: 8th
• Off. Eff.: 2nd | Def. Eff.: 39th
• NCAA SOS: 7th | KenPom SOS: 8th
THE SCENE SETTER
• Starting what hopes to be a long March postseason run, the No. 18-ranked Purdue Boilermakers head to the Windy City for the 2026 Big Ten Tournament, starting Thursday against the winner of the Northwestern vs. Indiana contest. The Boilermakers are looking for their third Big Ten Tournament title, and second straight title in Chicago after winning the last tournament played at the United Center in 2023.
• The Boilermakers will hear their names on Selection Sunday for the 11th straight year, when the brackets come out Sunday night.
THE SERIES
• Purdue is looking for its third tournament title in school history when the Big Ten Tournament gets underway for the Boilermakers on Thursday evening in Chicago. The Boilermakers won the event in 2009 in Indianapolis and in 2023 in Chicago.
• Over the last five years (since 2021-22), Purdue has the most wins in the Big Ten Tournament with seven. Penn State (6), Wisconsin (6) and Iowa (5) are next.
• Purdue is the only team to have won at least one game in each of the last four Big Ten Tournaments, entering this year's tournament.
• Purdue has faced both Northwestern and Indiana just once in the Big Ten Tournament. The Boilermakers topped Indiana in Purdue's first Big Ten Tournament game in school history, 76-71, on March 6, 1998. Purdue defeated Northwestern, 69-61, on March 12, 2010.
• Matt Painter's 18 wins in the Big Ten Tournament are the fourth most by a coach in tournament history (Tom Izzo - 36; Thad Matta - 23; John Beilein - 21). Painter's two titles are tied for fourth. Greg Gard is next among active coaches with 11 Big Ten Tournament victories.
NEWS AND NOTES
• Purdue aims to turn it on now that the postseason is upon us, entering the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 7 seed with a 23-8 overall record. The Boilermakers ended Big Ten play with a 13-7 record, with five of the losses coming by two or fewer possessions.
• Purdue aims to make history this week in Chicago as no number seven seed has ever reached the championship game.
• Purdue has reached the title game six times in school history, winning titles in 2009 and 2023. The six title-game appearances are the fifth most in the league (Ohio State, Wisconsin - 9; Illinois - 8; Michigan State - 7).
• Purdue is averaging 82.3 points per game, tied for the highest average of the Matt Painter era (2024), and the highest since the 1988 season (84.6 PPG). Purdue is also shooting 50.1 percent from the field, the highest percentage in a season since the 1989-90 season (52.2 percent).
• The Boilermakers are on pace to shatter the NCAA record for assist-to-turnover ratio in a season, posting a 2.16 ratio (current record: 2.07 by Gonzaga, 2024-25 season).
• Over Purdue's last six games, each opponent has shot over 51.0 percent from the field. Opponents are shooting 160-of-304 (.526) from the field in the last six games.
• Purdue's eight quad-1 victories are tied for the seventh most nationally. Purdue's lone loss outside quad-1A is against Wisconsin on March 7, in Mackey Arena. The Badgers are currently ranked No. 26 in the NCAA NET rankings. Purdue is 18-1 outside quad-1A.
• Purdue continues to play one of America's toughest schedules, owning the eighth-most difficult schedule in America. In the last three seasons, Purdue's strength of schedule has ranked 8th (2025-26), 8th (2024-25) and 2nd (2023-24).
• In Purdue's 23 wins this season, Purdue is holding opponents to 42.0 percent from the field and 30.4 percent from 3-point range. In Purdue's eight losses, foes are shooting 52.2 percent from the field and 44.9 percent from long distance.
• Braden Smith was named a first-team All-Big Ten performer for the third straight year, joining Robbie Hummel, Rick Mount, Dave Schellhase and Terry Dischinger as the only Purdue players to be named first-team All-Big Ten three times.
• Braden Smith was named a Sporting News second-team All-American on Wednesday, becoming the eighth player in school history to be named All-American twice.