When Matt Painter coached at Southern Illinois two decades ago, he would often tell his team as March Madness approached, "We're good, we just can't lose anymore." It was a pressure-filled message to his team that, if the Salukies wanted to participate in the NCAA Tournament, they couldn't leave any doubt.
Purdue has seen considerable jumps in the NCAA NET, KenPom and Associated Press rankings following a 2-0 week in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers are now back inside the top 10 of all three following wins over Nebraska and Iowa.
When Michigan walks into Mackey Arena on Tuesday night, it will have the No. 1 ranking beside its name. It will mark the 24th time Purdue has played the top-ranked team in the country, but it hasn't had much success in these games.
Matt Painter reached another major milestone in his coaching career on Saturday night, one that only four other Big Ten coaches have achieved. With Purdue's 78-57 road win over Iowa, Painter has now won 250 career Big Ten games.
It might be hard to believe that a dunk 5:30 into a college basketball game can swing momentum, but that seemed to be how Saturday's game between No. 13 Purdue and Iowa unfolded.
This was a pretty solid road trip for Purdue. A few days after taking down No. 7 Nebraska in Pinnacle Bank Arena, the 13th-ranked Boilermakers walked out of Carver-Hawkeye arena with a convincing victory over Iowa.
Gicarri Harris might be responsible for the most ridiculous dunk of the season for Purdue. The sophomore guard stole the spotlight early in the first half, throwing down the hammer while drawing a foul against Iowa.
Go ahead and set the binoculars back down on the side table. To fans, Purdue might find itself in a "trap game" situation in Saturday's rematch with Iowa, but Matt Painter is not worried about his team looking ahead.
A Big Ten rematch is on the docket for Valentine's Day. On Saturday evening, No. 13 Purdue will play Iowa, hoping to sweep the season series and keep its hopes of a Big Ten title alive.
One of the top players on the open market will finish his college basketball career at Purdue. Caden Pierce, a former Ivy League Player of the Year and a 6-foot-7 forward, announced his commitment to Purdue on Friday.
There are only seven games remaining on Purdue's regular-season schedule, but the Boilermakers have one of the toughest roads ahead in the Big Ten. There are still two top-10 teams on the docket, as well as mutiple opponents that will make an NCAA Tournament appearance.
Purdue is on the rise after defeating a top-10 Nebraska team in Lincoln on Tuesday night. Multiple bracket projections have bumped the Boilermakers up a seed line following an 80-77 overtime win over the seventh-ranked Huskers.
Braden Smith had heard some of the rumblings before No. 13 Purdue defeated No. 7 Nebraska 80-77 in overtime on Tuesday night. He's aware that some out there were questioning whether or not this team had a championship DNA.
Matt Painter loves to challenge his team in the non-conference portion of the schedule. The 2026-27 season will be no exception, as Purdue is reportedly working on scheduling Gonzaga as part of a doubleheader in Las Vegas in November.
Purdue picked up one of its biggest wins of the season on Tuesday night in Lincoln. The 13th-ranked Boilermakers defeated No. 7 Nebraska 80-77 in overtime, needing every last second to escape Pinnacle Bank Arena with the victory.
The No. 7 Nebraska Cornhuskers let one slip away on Tuesday — literally and figuratively. Seemingly on the verge of pulling off an astounding come-from-behind win against the No.
It doesn't always matter how you got the win, it's that you get it at all. That was certainly the case on Tuesday night in Lincoln, as No. 13 Purdue escaped Pinnacle Bank Arena with an 80-77 win over No.
Simply making the NCAA Tournament wasn't the goal Purdue set out to accomplish this season. So, hearing that the Boilermakers are a "lock" for March Madness probably doesn't move the needle in West Lafayette much.
Purdue freshman Bella Douglas has received recognition from the Big Ten after making her collegiate debut over the weekend. The utility player was named the conference's Freshman of the Week after helping the Boilermakers to a 4-1 record in the UNLV Leadoff Classic.
Given the option, Purdue would rather not have a 9-3 Big Ten record and sitting fifth in the conference standings. But, unless there's access to a time-traveling DeLorean, the Boilermakers can't change the past and must instead focus on the schedule that lies ahead.
After suffering through a three-game losing streak, Purdue has placed a few tallies in the win column. The Boilermakers have recently posted victories over Maryland and Oregon, improving to 19-4 on the season and 9-3 in Big Ten play.