This is the difference between being on the 1-line for the NCAA Tournament, and being shipped across the country as an at large bid.
The Boilermakers started 13-0 before their first defeat at the hands of Rutgers back on January 2. A nine-game streak would happen right after, before falling at then-21st-ranked Indiana in Bloomington.
The Boilermakers have now lost back-to-back on the road against Northwestern and Maryland. The Terrapins are likely bound for the tournament, but Northwestern is the surprise of the Big 10 this season. The Wildcats sit at 10-5 in the conference, 19-7 overall, with a handful of games before the Big 10 tournament.
Purdue finishes the regular season with three of four at Mackey Arena, including the big rematch with the Hoosiers on February 25. Only Ohio State sits below .500 in their remaining schedule, as the Buckeyes are just playing out the rest of a disappointing season at this point.
Matt Painter took over from Hall of Famer Gene Keady in 2005, where Purdue has made the NCAA Tournament 13 times in 18 seasons. Purdue’s problem is that they have only once advanced past the Sweet 16, which was their Elite Eight appearance in 2019. Remember that last season Purdue was the Sweet 16 victim of Cinderella St. Peter’s run to the Elite Eight as a 15 seed.
Since entering the top 25 in Week 3, the Boilermakers have left a cloud of dust in their wake, including upsets over Gonzaga and Duke in the same week. This caused a 19-spot gain to sixth in the AP poll, which was the largest jump in program history.
Now the consecutive losses will surely see the Boilermakers fall outside the top five, with UCLA likely to pick up their two first place votes in the AP poll, with the Houston Cougars likely to eclipse Alabama for tops in the nation.
Uncharacteristic of Purdue was how cold their shooting went in the second half during Wednesday’s 68-54 loss to Maryland. The Terps went on a 29-4 run, taking a 41-40 lead with 12:38 remaining in the second half, and never trailing again. Purdue’s largest lead was eight with 16:21 left in the game.
Then one play changed the entire complexion. After Zach Edney missed a layup, Mason Gillis was whistled for a technical foul. Gillis was called for a foul against Maryland’s Julian Reese, then went ballistic when it was clearly shown that Reese pulled Gillis’ hand into his face to draw contact.
Edney, the Boilermaker’s leading scorer at 22 a game, scored at 16:21 of the second half, but would not convert from the floor again until 5:07. The astonishing aspect was how close the game was in every other aspect. Yes, Maryland came away with a decisive 35-23 rebounding advantage after Purdue’s ice-cold shooting in the second half, but the assists, steals, turnovers and total fouls were all within five on the final stat sheet.
While the Big 10 will likely get at least six teams in March Madness, the conference can only tout two teams currently in the AP Top 25…the Boilermakers and the Hoosiers. Northwestern and Illinois are likely to creep in when the new polls are released on Sunday, but the two currently ranked might be the best shot the conference has for a deep run in next month’s tournament.
Last year, the Big 10 sent an NCAA-best nine teams to March Madness, with Purdue’s loss to the Peacocks as a 3-seed being the last domino to fall. With the Big 10 tournament being in Indianapolis every season, and the possibility of going to Dayton or Des Moines for the first two rounds, Purdue cannot afford another loss this late.
-JC24