Matt Painter previews Michigan: Purdue basketball press conference
The Boilermakers coach on Yaxel Lendeborg, the Wolverines’ size and physicality and more from a top-10 Big Ten matchup.
- Purdue basketball faces top-ranked Michigan as a rare home underdog at Mackey Arena.
- Michigan enters the game with only one loss and is on a 10-game winning streak.
- A Purdue victory would significantly impact the Big Ten championship race for several contending teams.
WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue basketball enters Tuesday’s game against top-ranked Michigan in an unfamiliar spot.
The Boilermakers are underdogs at Mackey Arena.
The last time Purdue was a home underdog based on point spread was against Alabama in 2024. The Boilers won that game.
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Favorites or not, Purdue coach Matt Painter knows the stakes.
“You’re not winning the Big Ten if you can’t win this game,” Painter said Monday. “Because I don’t know how many losses they’ll get.”
To date, Michigan has just one loss, and it took 15 3-pointers from Wisconsin on Jan. 10 for the Badgers to win by three.
A No. 1-ranked visiting team hasn’t played at Mackey Arena in 26 years, not since Bruce Weber’s Illinois team on Jan. 10, 2005.
“Michigan is definitely going to be a good challenge and a big opportunity for us,” Purdue center Daniel Jacobsen said.
When the season began, it was Purdue owning the No. 1 ranking and tabbed as the Big Ten title favorite.
Now, in the only regular season meeting between the two, the Boilermakers need to knock off a Wolverines team on a 10-game winning streak with half of their wins by at least 25 points.
Last season, Purdue lost a double digit lead in the second half at Michigan, knocking Purdue from atop the Big Ten standings. Much of that Purdue team returns in tact with a few added pieces.
Michigan revamped its roster, making it the most complete team in the country. The Wolverines rank fourth in offensive efficiency and first in defense by KenPom.
If Purdue can find itself victorious Tuesday, it opens the door for several Big Ten title hopefuls.
Illinois and Nebraska, like the Boilermakers, have three conference losses.
Remaining Big Ten opponents among contenders
Six teams currently have four losses or fewer in Big Ten play. The remaining conference schedules for each are as follows:
Michigan (14-1): at Purdue; vs. Minnesota; at Iowa; at Illinois; vs. Michigan State
Illinois (12-3): at USC; at UCLA; vs. Michigan; vs. Oregon; at Maryland
Purdue (11-3): vs. Michigan; vs. Indiana; vs. Michigan State; at Ohio State; at Northwestern; vs. Wisconsin
Nebraska (11-3): at Iowa; vs. Penn State; vs. Maryland; at USC; at UCLA; vs. Iowa
Wisconsin (10-4): at Ohio State; vs. Iowa; at Oregon; at Washington; vs. Maryland; at Purdue
Michigan State (10-4): vs. UCLA, vs. Ohio State; at Purdue; at Indiana; vs. Rutgers; at Michigan
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