My Two Cents: Winning Big Ten Means a Lot to Purdue's Sasha Stefanovic
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue has a goal of winning a national championship this season, but it's not the only goal. The most important one, for sure, but there are plenty of other things that matter a lot, too.
At Purdue, it is a big deal to win a Big Ten championship as well. Boilermakers coaches and players past and present take a lot of pride in those 24 league titles, more than anyone, including Indiana, who's second.
Winning another league title is certainly an important goal this year, too, and fans should never think otherwise, Purdue guard Sasha Stefanovic said. That's why he's thrilled to make it through this last brutal seven-game stretch in two-plus weeks with a 6-1 record and a spot back on top in the league standings.
Purdue is 23-4 right now and 12-4 in the league, They're tied with Illinois at the moment, and Wisconsin can join them on Sunday afternoon with a win over Michigan. So for Stefanovic and the Boilermakers, beating Rutgers on Sunday night is hugely important.
“It’s been a real tough stretch with everything going on and the amount of games we played in a short period of time, but it’s great that we handled all that adversity pretty well,'' Stefanovic said on the Sasha Live! podcast Thursday night. “To win the Big Ten, you have to overcome all of that, the injuries, the fatigue, the scheduling. Those are the teams that are successful. Having that goal of a Big Ten championship in the back of your mind is really important.
“It’s very important for us to win the Big Ten. Our university and our program is No. 1 all time in Big Ten championships, and that’s always a goal. Win a Big Ten championship., with the Big The Tournament, get the the Final Four and win a national championship. Those are all goals. You do everything you can to reach that, even on nights when things aren’t going our way. I think we’ve done a good job of weathering that, even in the games where shots haven’t gone in. Outside of the Michigan game, we kept finding ways to win, and that’s important.’’
Sunday's game — which starts at 5:30 p.m. ET and is on FOX Sports 1 — is huge to keep pace in the Big Ten, but there's also a bit of revenge at stake. The Boilermakers have four games left and, stunningly, are 0-3 against the teams left on their schedule. They took their first loss at Rutgers in December — just days after being voted No. 1 for the first time ever — and have lost to Wisconsin and Indiana already, too. They play at Michigan State, too, for the first time this season
You can expect Mackey to be amped up on Sunday night for sure, much like they were last week in that huge showdown for first place with Illinois, which the Boilers won, 84-68 to sweep the season series.
“It had a different type of energy in Mackey that night. There’s been a select few games where it was best-ever atmosphere, and that was one of them,'' Stefanovic said. "It was chaos in there, so loud and so hard to hear. It was such an important game for us, and we came out ready to play. It was a close game, and we had a lot of guys step up.''
Two nights later, Purdue laid an egg at Michigan for the first time all year, but then beat Maryland and Northwestern in tight games, making plays late to make a difference.
“We had a lot of guys contribute in different way (at Northwestern), and once again Eric (Hunter Jr.) gave us a great lift and Mason (GIllis) played well and we had a lot of contributions off the bench,'' Stefanovic said “We had a lot of fans up there, so that was a weird environment. We had a lot of chants for us. It was a great win for us.’’
Illinois had lost to Rutgers just before Purdue took the floor at Northwestern, and Stefanovic said they were all well aware that a win was going to put them back in first place.
“No, we were definitely aware. We were checking on the ESPN app beforehand,'' Stefanovic said. "We’re all fans of basketball, so we pay attention.''
Stefanovic is ready for a war with Rutgers on Sunday. They play hard on both ends of the floor, and playing them is never easy.
“I think they’re a very tough, physical team. Coach (Steve) Pikiell does a great job of getting them ready for big games,'' he said. "At home, it’s a great environment for them, and their fans are crazy. They have a lot of talent on that team and they just make things hard on you. Defensively, they try to make it tough, and take away your open looks. They’ve been playing great and they’ve had a lot of guys step up.''
Rutgers star Ron Harper Jr. injured his left hand against Illinois and is a game-time decision. The Scarlet Knights, 16-9 overall and 10-5 in the Big Ten, have had two-week stretch for the ages, beating four ranked teams — Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Illinois — in consecutive games. That's never happened before in NCAA history, where an unranked teams has won four straight games against a ranked foe. The Knights were underdogs in all four games, and won anyway.''
Stefanovic knows what's at stake in avenging these losses, but he's not going to look ahead either. He's zeroed in on Rutgers and Sunday night's game with Rutghers
“We’ve got four games left, and we’re going to have four one-game seasons. Each one is massive for us, and it’s going to be a great game Sunday night against Rutgers,’’ Stefanovic said. “Yeah, 100 percent it’s a must-win game. When you lose a game in the Big Ten and you’re able to play that team twice, you really want that split. You don’t want to get swept by anyone.
"Our goal is to win the Big Ten championship, and every game we win late is massive. We’ve had our struggles lately, but that’s just the way the season goes in the Big Ten. I know Mackey is going to be loud, and the fans, they’ll be ready to go. These are the games that you dream of. You’re in battle to win a Big Ten. To play Rutgers, to play at East Lansing and Wisconsin and to play my last game at home against my biggest rival (Indiana), that’s all great. It’s going to be a great finish, for sure.’’
Related stories on Purdue basketball
- HOW TO WATCH PURDUE, RUTGERS: No. 5 Purdue tips off against Rutgers on Sunday at Mackey Arena, and the game will be aired live of FOX Sports 1. The Scarlet Knights have won four straight games against the Boilermakers. Here's everything you need to know about the game, including start time, TV designation and the latest on the point spread. CLICK HERE
- BOILERS DOUBLE-DIGIT FAVORITE: Rutgers was the first team to beat Purdue this season, back in December when the Boilermakers had just ascended to No. 1 in the country, and now Purdue gets a chance at revenge on Sunday. They have opened as a huge double-digit favorite, which is something of a surprise. CLICK HERE
- DAY OFF HELPED BOILERS: Purdue basketball earned a much-needed day off Thursday ahead of a matchup with Rutgers on Sunday at Mackey Arena. It was the first break for the players after a 23-day stretch that included eight games. CLICK HERE
- PURDUE SET FOR CRITICAL MATCHUP WITH RUTGERS: The No. 5-ranked Purdue basketball team is prepared for its second matchup of the season with Rutgers. After the Scarlet Knights got the better of the Boilermakers earlier in the season, both teams will clash at Mackey Arena in a game with huge Big Ten implications. CLICK HERE
- RUTGERS FORWARD RON HARPER JR. UNCERTAIN FOR PURDUE GAME: Ahead of a pivotal matchup between No. 5 Purdue basketball and Rutgers at Mackey Arena, the Scarlet Knights announce that senior forward Ron Harper Jr. suffered a hand injury and is "day-to-day." He led the team to a 70-64 win over No. 12 Illinois on Wednesday. CLICK HERE
- PURDUE DOWN NORTHWESTERN FOR BIG TEN LEAD: Purdue basketball took the top spot in the Big Ten standings following a win over Northwestern on Wednesday. The Boilermakers held the Wildcats to 35% shooting from the floor and had three players score in double figures. CLICK HERE
Watch Episode 13 of the Sasha Live! podcast
Tom Brew is an award-winning journalist who's worked at some America's finest newspapers, including the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Indianapolis Star. He also owns the book publishing company, Hilltop30 Publishing Group, and he has written four books and published 16 others.