In early December of 2021, Purdue basketball ascended to their first #1 ranking in program history. Their time in the top spot lasted just one week. A year ago, Purdue was ranked No. 1 for seven weeks during the year, including Feb. 12, when they came to Evanston and lost to the Northwestern Wildcats.
Friday night brings the rematch, and the Big Ten opener for both sides.
#1 Purdue Basketball at Northwestern Wildcats FYIs
Tip time is 8pm, on Wednesday, Feb 16. It will be televised on BTN.
ESPN Matchup Predictor has it at 61% probability that Purdue basketball wins this thing.
Fast Fact: Until this past February, NU had never beaten a #1 ranked team.
Records: Purdue Basketball 7-0, Northwestern 5-1.
Metrics: KenPom- Purdue basketball 2 Northwestern 59 NET- Purdue basketball 6 Northwestern 37
#1 Fits on You, Yeah Baby Girl….
So we have Pharrell feat. Kanye West the subhead here, but we were tempted to go with “Cuz 2 is not a winner and three nobody remembers” instead. So more on your Purdue Boilermakers being ranked #1 in the nation, as of Monday.
The Boilermakers are the first Big Ten team to ever reach the #1 ranking in three straight seasons. Believe it or not, no Michigan State team has ever done that.
This also marks the ninth week in the last three seasons that Purdue has been ranked No. 1, tied with Gonzaga for the most in the country during that stretch. The only other ranked Big Ten team this week is Illinois, just barely staying in, at #24.
Northwestern Wildcats Early Returns
Chris Collins Exclusive: go here
Boo Buie Exclusive: go here
For the most part, they have just been a team doing what they’re supposed to; beating the teams they’re supposed to beat. The win over Dayton was really nice, but other than that, it’s just been playing and beating scrubs.
It’s not their fault, as the Big Ten/ACC Challenge no longer exists, replaced by the SEC/ACC Challenge, which is currently ongoing and relates to NU. The Wildcats have only suffered one loss thus far this season, to #21 Mississippi St. in the championship game of the Hall of Fame Classic.
However, Mississippi St. just lost tonight, to a very unimpressive Georgia Tech team in the SEC/ACC Challenge, so the Bulldogs will likely drop from the rankings.
Hawaii 3 and 0
Feature on Zach Edey and the Purdue tradition of ultra-uber-super alpha dogs: go here
That #1 ranking is very much deserved for this Purdue basketball team. They just won what might be the greatest regular season tournament of all-time. This year’s Maui Invitational was absolutely loaded beyond belief.
The Boilers beat Gonzaga, Tennessee and Marquette, three of the top 11 teams in the nation, on the way to the title.
Prediction: Purdue basketball 77, Northwestern 73
This will be much tougher for Painter’s crew than you might think. Look for the Cats to once again come close, keep it respectable, but ultimately, not get over the hump at the end.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.