GAME NOTES
https://purduesports.com/documents/2023/3/10/GAME33_Purdue_Game_Notes.pdf
LISTEN LIVE VIA THE VARSITY NETWORK (APP)
https://thevarsitynetwork.com/audioapplink/source/oas-1457/content/purdue:allaccess-Live-4443
DIGITAL PROGRAM
https://digital.learfield.com/purdue-mbb-10.html
GAMEDAY INFO
Saturday, March 11, 2023 | 1 p.m. ET, Noon CT
[1] Purdue (27-5) vs. [13] Ohio State (16-18)
Chicago, Illinois | United Center (20,917)
TELEVISION: CBS | RADIO: Purdue Sports Network
ANNOUNCERS: Jim Nantz, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill, Tracy Wolfson
THE NOTES TO KNOW
• After a gritty, come-from-behind victory over Rutgers in Friday’s quarterfinals, the top-seeded Boilermakers look to reach the Big Ten Championship game for the second straight season when it battles Ohio State in Saturday’s semifinals. A win would give Purdue its fourth title-game appearance in the last seven tournaments played (2016, 2018, 2022).
• Purdue leads the all-time series with Ohio State by a 93-92 advantage. Entering the season, Ohio State was the only Big Ten team with a winning record over the Boilermakers, but a pair of regular-season wins (71-69 in Columbus; 82-55 in West Lafayette) has given Purdue the lead. After being just 5-15 against Ohio State in his first 20 games, Matt Painter is 10-4 in the last 14 meetings (since the 2014-15 season).
• The last time Purdue beat a team three times in one season came in 2018 (Rutgers, 3-0). The Boilermakers, which defeated Rutgers in Friday’s quarterfinals, also defeated the Scarlet Knights in the 2018 quarterfinals to give them the three-game sweep. The only other time with a three-game season sweep came in 1998 (Illinois, 3-0).
• Head coach Matt Painter has finished in the top three of the Big Ten standings in seven of the last nine seasons. His 11 top-three finishes are the sixth most in Big Ten history, while his four Big Ten titles are tied for the ninth most in league history (sixth since 1950).
• Zach Edey became Purdue’s fifth Big Ten Player of the Year in school history, joining Caleb Swanigan (2017), JaJuan Johnson (2011), Glenn Robinson (1994) and Steve Scheffler (1990) as recipients. Edey became the fifth player in Big Ten history to win the league scoring title, be a conference champion and win POY honors (Swanigan, Evan Turner, Robinson, Jim Jackson).
• Purdue is 56-13 since the start of last season. The 56 wins over a two-year span are tied for the second most in school history and Purdue needs just one win to tie the record for most wins in a two-year span (57 in 2017, 2018). Iowa is second among Big Ten teams with 45 wins.
• Purdue’s 10 quad-1 wins (at the time of the printing of these notes) are tied for the fourth-most nationally, and Purdue’s 17 quad-1 and quad-2 wins combined are second nationally (Kansas – 20). The Boilermakers’ 13 wins away from Mackey Arena are the most among power-conference squads. Purdue tied a school record with seven Big Ten road victories — the most in the league this season.
• Purdue is 13-5 against KenPom top-50 teams (most wins nationally). Zach Edey is averaging 23.1 PPG, 12.1 RPG and 2.1 BPG in those games.
• Zach Edey has tied Caleb Swanigan (2016-17) for third on the school’s career double-doubles list with 36.
• Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith have started all 32 games, the second most by a freshman in Purdue history.
• Purdue is now 5-0 in neutral-site games, including 4-0 in NBA arenas (Gonzaga, Duke, Davidson, Rutgers).
• Purdue won its 22nd straight game when shooting a higher field goal percentage than its opponent with the win over Rutgers.
• Mason Gillis scored 20 points with nine rebounds and an assist. It marked his second 20-point game of his career (29 vs. Penn State).
• Zach Edey recorded his 24th double-double of the season with 16 points, 11 rebounds, one assist and a block. Edey now has 1,450 points and surpassed 800 rebounds for his career in the win over Rutgers.
• David Jenkins Jr., scored 12 points off the bench, going 4-of-4 from the field and 3-of-3 from long range. He now has 1,972 points and 346 career 3-pointers.
• Purdue has been ranked in the AP top 5 in 15 straight weeks, more than double the longest stretch in school history. Since the start of last season, Purdue has been ranked in the top 5 in 27 weeks, six more weeks than the next-closest team (Gonzaga).
• Purdue is in search of its fourth No. 1 seed in school history, previously earning the No. 1 seed in 1988, 1994 and 1996. In addition, Zach Edey is the leader to earn consensus National Player of the Year accolades. The last time Purdue earned a No. 1 seed, it was led by its last consensus National Player of the Year recipient, Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson.
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