Tourney Hot Take, Vol. 2: Who Would Purdue Rather Play, Nemesis Rutgers or Michigan?

Purdue has had all sorts of trouble with Rutgers the past two years, losing as the No. 1 team in the nation in back-to-back years. That raises a big question for Purdue fans. Who are you rooting for on Thursday afternoon, Rutgers or Michigan in their second-round matchup?

CHICAGO — For the past two years, little ol' Rutgers has knocked off Purdue as the No. 1-ranked team in the nation. On Thursday, the Scarlet Knights are 40 minutes away from getting another shot at the Boilermakers, the Big Ten regular season champs.

Rutgers plays Michigan in the first game of the second round of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday at the United Center in Chicago, and the winner advances to the quarterfinals, where No. 1 seed Purdue awaits.

It's an interesting question for Purdue fans. Who would you rather play, Rutgers or Michigan?

Rutgers has Purdue's number, but the Scarlet Knights are really struggling of late, losing six of eight games since Feb. 7, when they lost at Indiana 66-60. They're a bit of a mess right now.

Michigan, on the other hand, has been playing well lately. They won six of eight before two narrow losses in the last week to Illinois and Indiana. 

So what do you want, Boilers fans?

We've got a little Twitter poll going on, so feel free to weigh in.  

Rutgers is juggling their starting lineup, looking for some answers. They need some kind of jolt offensively, because they've been awful during this stretch.

Rutgers shakes up its starting lineup: Derek Simpson joins Paul Mulcahy, Caleb McConnell, Cam Spencer and Cliff Omoruyi. Aundre Hyatt is coming off the bench.

— Brian Fonseca (@briannnnf) March 9, 2023

If I'm Purdue, I would dearly love another shot at Rutgers, just to get the monkey off their backs. Purdue is the better team this year. They were better in that January loss, too, but definitely now in March, they should be able to power through them and on to the semifinals.

This is a proud Purdue team, and I'm sure they'd love to get some revenge. They should be salivating for another shot at the Scarlet Knights.

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