No. 3-Ranked Purdue Hosts Wisconsin on ESPN’s Super Tuesday
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
No. 3 Purdue (17-2, 6-0) vs. Wisconsin (9-9, 2-3)
Tuesday, Jan. 16 / 7 p.m. ET / ESPN (Dave Flemming, Dan Dakich, Molly McGrath)
West Lafayette, Indiana / Mackey Arena (14,804)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – No. 3-ranked Purdue returns home for the first time in 10 days when it hosts Wisconsin as part of ESPN’s “Super Tuesday “ at 7 p.m. ET.
Dave Flemming, Dan Dakich and Molly McGrath will provide the call on ESPN. Larry Clisby, Rob Blackman and Ralph Taylor will handle the radio broadcast on the Purdue Radio Network. Fans can receive in-game updates on Purdue Basketball’s official Twitter account (@BoilerBall).
The Boilermakers’ No. 3 AP ranking matches the highest ranking for the program since reaching No. 2 during the 1987-88 season.
Purdue is trying to match that squad for the best 20-game start in school history at 18-2. Purdue has won 13 straight games, tied for the 10th-longest winning streak in school history.
Purdue also puts an 18-game homecourt winning streak on the line Tuesday. Purdue last lost a home game on Nov. 14, 2016.
Purdue will hit the road Saturday for a noon ET / 11 a.m. CT tip against Iowa in Iowa City. Purdue hasn’t won in Iowa City since Dec. 28, 2011.
Looking Back
• Purdue improved to 17-2 overall and 6-0 in the Big Ten Conference with an 81-47 win at Minnesota.
• Purdue’s 6-0 Big Ten start marks just the third time in school history that Purdue has started league play 6-0. The 1968-69 (6-0) team that reached the Final Four and the 1989-90 (8-0) squad are the other teams to do so.
• The win was Matt Painter’s 150th conference victory in his 14 years of coaching (133 – Big Ten; 17 – Missouri Valley). He entered the year averaging 11.1 wins per year in conference play.
• The 34-point margin of victory was the second-largest margin of defeat for Minnesota in Williams Arena history, behind a 90-51 setback to No. 1-ranked UCLA on Dec. 20, 1968.
• Vincent Edwards scored 25 points (one shy of career high) with five rebounds and two assist, making a career-high five 3-pointers. He surpassed 1,400 career points in the victory.
• Carsen Edwards scored 14 points with a career-high seven assists against zero turnovers.
The Numbers to Know
• 3: Purdue’s AP ranking — matching its highest since being ranked No. 2 on March 7, 1988.
• 4: Teams nationally to shoot 50 (FG), 40 (3P), 75 (FT) pct. (Saint Mary’s, Villanova, W&M, Purdue).
• 6: All six of Purdue’s wins away from Mackey Arena have been against 2017 NCAA Tourney teams.
• 6: Number of teams nationally to have four players average 13.0 points per game.
• 9: Largest deficit during Purdue’s 13-game winning streak (19-10 vs. IUPUI).
• 10: Consecutive opponents held under 70 points (last – Maryland on Dec. 1, 2017).
• 12: Number of opponents held at or under 40.0 percent shooting this year.
• 15: Number of 20-point performances this year (C. Edwards – 5; V. Edwards, Haas – 4; Mathias – 2).
• 69: 3-pointers made in the last six games (69-of-153; .451).
• 150: Number of conference wins for head coach Matt Painter (133 – Big Ten; 17 – MVC).