Fletcher Loyer Talks About Purdue's 'Win or Go Home' Mindset in Big Ten Tournament

Purdue had closed out the regular season with losses in four of its last six games. Three of those four defeats came at Mackey Arena, including a 97-93 loss to Wisconsin on Senior Day.

Despite ending the regular season on a low note, Purdue has been able to flip the page rather quickly. This is a program that has seen a lot, especially its senior leaders. Loyer, Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn have experienced nearly everything in college basketball.

When the calendar turned to March, it's almost like a new switch was flipped for the Boilers.

"It's what you work for growing up. It's what you work for all offseason. Obviously, you want to build that resume in the regular season, but now it's time to really go," he said. "Just getting the message across. Glad to see we've played pretty well these last couple of games and got some in the win category."

Loyer thriving in Big Ten Tournament play

It feels like ages ago that Loyer went through that dreaded shooting slump during a portion of Purdue's schedule. The senior shot himself out of that funk in February and it's carried over into the Big Ten Tournament.

On Thursday night, the senior guard scored 14 points and dished out three assists in Purdue's win over Northwestern. He followed it up with a 19-point outing against Nebraska, also collecting four rebounds and recording two steals in the victory.

Loyer's contributions aren't limited to his offense either. He's also played much better on the defensive end and has been much scrappier, diving for loose balls and creating extra opportunities for Purdue.

His energy and effort has been contagious for Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament. If Loyer continues to make those contributions on both ends of the court, he can help take the Boilermakers a long way in March.