'We Want to be Big Ten Champions': Now Tied Atop the Conference, Purdue Looks to Close Season Strong
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — All season long, Purdue basketball has claimed the highest national ranking among all Big Ten programs. Not once has it dipped below the top seven teams in the country, yet the Boilermakers had to make a long climb toward the conference lead.
With a statement 84-68 victory over league-leading Illinois on Tuesday at Mackey Arena, No. 3-ranked Purdue finally took its share atop the Big Ten. Wisconsin is right there with them after taking down Michigan State on the road.
The Boilers, tied with the Fighting Illini and the Badgers in the league standings, are shouldering a six game win streak and have won nine of their last 10 contests after starting 1-2 in conference play. With seven games left in the season, the team has put itself in position to battle for its 25th Big Ten Championship.
"Our guys just have to take it the one game at a time. I know it's coach's talk, but it's true," Purdue coach Matt Painter said after the team earned a season sweep of Illinois. "So many things get out in front of you, but when you're 4-3, I told them in the locker room you're not competing for a Big Ten Championship. Now that you're 10-3, you are."
Of course, Purdue was forced to take a back seat after dropping a game on the road against Rutgers back on Dec. 9. A half court buzzer-beater handed the team its first loss of the year at a time when it boasted the No. 1 ranking for the first time in program history.
But something shifted for Purdue after Wisconsin came to West Lafayette and escaped Mackey Arena with a victory on Jan. 3. It's hard to win the Big Ten Conference if you drop games on the road, but it becomes impossible if you lose at home.
Since tasting defeat on its home court, the team has just one loss in 10 matchups. It took Indiana everything it could muster to take down its bitter rival for the first time in six years inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
The Hoosiers have since dropped three of five while the Boilermakers ride a six-game streak heading into a matchup with Michigan on Thursday.
"Just trying to keep our focus on the next team and understanding the most important team is us," Painter said. "Just not beating yourself, you felt like in the first half of the Indiana game we just beat ourselves. We lost our composure, we turned the ball over, and you can't do that. Purdue can't beat Purdue."
Before season's end, the team will have a rematch with Wisconsin and face off against Michigan State, two teams very much in the thick of the Big Ten race. But Purdue knows that it's a marathon, not a sprint.
The majority of the final seven games for the Boilermakers are on the road, including matchups with the Badgers and Spartans.
"Now that we've put ourselves in position, we just gotta take care of business," Painter said. "But Illinois is in the same boat we are, Wisconsin is in the same boat, Michigan State still can get there, Ohio State can still get there. There's probably still another team or two in there that can make a run at it.
"You still have to keep your focus and understand what you have to do, especially on the road. You've got to be able to win road games if you want to win a Big Ten Championship."
For now, taking down Illinois for the second time this season was a monumental step in achieving a goal set back at the start of the 2021-22 season. Purdue has learned from its losses and battled for some gritty wins.
The team has also seen players like guard Jaden Ivey completely change the complexion of a game. The sophomore star did just that against the Fighting Illini, scoring 26 points while notching six assists and four rebounds.
Combining Ivey with the duo of Zach Edey and Trevion Williams in the post surrounded by role players that could very well be starters, the Boilermakers have the making of a championship team.
"Obviously, we had our goals before the beginning of the season, and the Big Ten was one of them," Ivey said. "After we lost those games, there was no doubt. There was the same goal. We just had some faults, and everyone loses games. We didn't want to lose games, but it happens and we just have to keep winning.
"I'm just so proud of our guys. We just kept fighting each and every game. We just have to keep doing that until the end. Whatever the outcome is, we want to be Big Ten Champions."
2021-22 Big Ten Basketball Standings
- Purdue Boilermakers (21-3, 10-3 in the Big Ten)
- Wisconsin Badgers (19-4, 10-3)
- Illinois Fighting Illini(17-6, 10-3)
- Ohio State Buckeyes (14-5, 7-3)
- Michigan State Spartans (17-6, 8-4)
- Rutgers Scarlet Knights (13-9, 7-5)
- Michigan Wolverines (12-9, 6-5)
- Indiana Hoosiers (16-7, 7-6)
- Iowa Hawkeyes (15-7, 5-6)
- Northwestern Wildcats (12-10, 5-8)
- Penn State Nittany Lions (9-11, 4-8)
- Maryland Terrapins (11-12, 3-9)
- Minnesota Golden Gophers (11-9, 2-9)
- Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-17, 0-12)
Purdue Basketball Remaining Schedule
- Feb. 9: at Michigan
- Feb. 13: vs Maryland
- Feb. 16: at Northwestern
- Feb. 20: vs Rutgers
- Feb. 26: at Michigan State
- March 1: at Wisconsin
- March 5: vs Indiana
Stories Related to Purdue Basketball
- JADEN IVEY TAKES OVER IN WIN OVER ILLINOIS: Purdue sophomore guard Jaden Ivey scored 22 of his 26 points in the second half against Illinois on Tuesday to lead the team to its sixth straight victory. The No. 3-ranked Boilermakers are now among three teams tied atop the Big Ten standings. CLICK HERE
- PURDUE, ILLINOIS LIVE BLOG: Purdue basketball was searching for a season sweep against Illinois when the two teams met inside Mackey Arena on Tuesday night. A win gave the Boilermakers their sixth in a row and a share of the Big Ten lead. CLICK HERE
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.