Boo Buie will continue to haunt the dreams of Purdue fans everywhere. The Northwestern star scored 31 points and dished nine assists on Friday night, leading the Wildcats to a 92-88 overtime upset victory over the top-ranked Boilermakers.
Friday's upset marked the second straight year Northwestern got the better end of No. 1 Purdue at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Last season, the Wildcats stunned the Boilermakers, winning 64-58. In that game, Buie dropped 26 points.
Safe to say that Buie has Purdue's number. For two straight years, the Boilermakers have lacked a player capable of shutting down the outstanding guard.
A lot of the conversation could be geared around Purdue's mistakes, but Friday night was about the Wildcats. To win those types of games, you have to play nearly flawless basketball.
Northwestern did that.
The Wildcats knocked down 10-of-20 shots from behind the 3-point line. They forced 17 Purdue turnovers. Northwestern ended the game with just three. The Boilermakers shot 43.3% from the floor, missing a number of shots right at the rim.
Buie was the star of the night, but Northwestern got significant contributions from others. Ty Berry scored 21 points and Ryan Langborg added 20. Combined, the two made seven-of-10 shots from the 3-point line.
Getting that kind of production from others certainly helped the Wildcats score the biggest upset of the season on Friday night.
Curt Cignetti Makes Bold Statement
He's only been on the job a few days, but already, Curt Cignetti is becoming a fan favorite in Bloomington. The Indiana head coach made a special appearance at the Hoosiers' Big Ten basketball opener on Friday night.
Boy, does he know how to fire up a crowd.
Not only are Indiana fans excited about a new era of football, there is a lot of anticipation about what Cignetti brings to Bloomington. Mostly, it's the confidence.
Cignetti made a bold statement while on the floor of Assembly Hall Friday night. It was the football equivalent of Babe Ruth calling his shot.
“I’m super fired up about this opportunity. I’ve never taken a back seat to anybody and don’t plan on starting now,” Cignetti said. “Purdue sucks! And so does Michigan and Ohio State!”
This is exactly what Indiana needs. It's no secret that the fanbase isn't the most passionate about football. So, Cignetti has to do something to rally the troops.
He did that on Friday night. Was it bold? Absolutely. But that's the type of confidence Indiana needs to infuse fans with some level of optimism about the future of the program.
Tony White Stays at Nebraska
Despite interest from other schools, Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White is staying in Lincoln. After a stellar first year running the Huskers defense, he received a pay raise to stick around.
Nebraska announced that it restructured the defensive coordinator's contract for the remaining two seasons. He received a $600,000 raise, bumping his salary up to $1.6 million annually.
“Tony White has all the attributes you look for in a coordinator or assistant coach,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said. “He builds great relationships with his players and fellow coaches and is an elite teacher and communicator. We made great strides on defense this past season, and I look forward to continuing to work with Tony as we move forward and build this program.”
White was a candidate for the head coaching vacancy at San Diego State. He was also being considered to become the next defensive coordinator at USC.
Nebraska's defense allowed just 18.3 points per game this season, ranking 17th nationally. The Huskers also ranked eighth against the run and 14th in total defense under White' guidance.
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