Purdue Takes Over Top Spot in Big Ten Basketball Standings

The quest for a third straight Big Ten title is alive and well in West Lafayette. After the results from Tuesday night in the conference, Purdue now sits atop the league standings alone.

Purdue defeated Iowa 90-81 and Michigan State dropped a 63-61 decision to UCLA, moving the Boilermakers into sole possession of first place in the Big Ten standings.

Entering Tuesday night, the Boilers trailed the Spartans by a half game. Purdue now sits at 10-2 in league play while Michigan State owns a 9-2 record. The two teams will meet just once this season, a Feb. 18 showdown in East Lansing.

Purdue has won each of the last two Big Ten titles and is looking to win a third consecutive league crown. There's still a lot of basketball remaining, but right now, the Boilermakers are in a great position to accomplish that feat.

The Boilers return to action on Friday, hosting USC. Michigan State will play again on Saturday, hosting Oregon.

Also in the race for the Big Ten title are Michigan (8-2), Wisconsin (8-4), UCLA (8-4) and Maryland (7-4).