Caleb Swanigan's 25th Double-Double Leads Purdue Past Northwestern

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, March 5, 2017

The Purdue Boilermakers cemented their claim on the Big Ten regular season title, winning at Northwestern, 69-65. Finishing the regular season with a 14-4 record, the Boilermakers wrapped up two games ahead of Maryland and Wisconsin, at 12-6.

Fueling the Boilermakers was their candidate for national player of the year, Caleb Swanigan, who notched his 25th double-double of the season with 20 points and 14 rebounds.

The 6'9" sophomore from Fort Wayne, Indiana, was 8-for-15 from the field and hauled down 14 rebounds. Swingian's effort was aided by Vince Edwards' 25 points.

Swanigan and Edwards lead #16 Purdue into the upcoming Big Ten tournament, the winner of which will grab an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, though Purdue is assured to get at least an at-large bid should they not win the conference tourney.

Swanigan averages 18.6 points and 12.5 rebounds per game, making him one of the more versatile inside players in the collegiate ranks.

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A week out from Selection Sunday and there are already a host of teams that have played their way into the Big Dance.

On Saturday, Jacksonville State took down the Ohio Valley conference championship with a 66-55 win over UT-Martin. It's the first OVC title for the Gamecocks and their first NCAA invite since jumping to Division 1 and joining the conference in 2003.

Sunday began with Winthrop ending the dreams of Campbell, taking the Big South conference title with a no-doubter, 76-59 win over the upstart Fighting Camels. Winthrop had gone to the conference championship game in each of the past four seasons, but this is their first win during that span.

Florida Gulf Coast captured the Atlantic Sun conference championship, defeating North Florida, 77-61. The automatic bid is the third for the Eagles in the last six seasons.

The Missouri Valley conference championship went to Wichita State, as the Shockers pounded Illinois State, 71-51. Both teams were 17-1 in conference play, but 21st-ranked Wichita State was clearly the better of the two, racking up a 30-4 record overall.

Princeton, champions of the Ivy League, wrapped up an undefeated, 14-0, conference schedule with a 85-48 win over Dartmouth on Saturday. The perfect confernce mark was the sixth in Princeton's rich basketball history, but the kicker is that the Tigers, despite winning the conference title by four games, will have to play on in the first ever Ivy League Tournament. The league has implemented a four-team playoff, with the top seed playing #4 and #2 playing #3. All games will be played at the Palestra in Philadelphia, home to Princeton's first opponent, the Penn Quakers.

Semi-final games are on Saturday, March 11, with the finals on Sunday, March 12.

Robbie Hummel's Season High 27 Leads Boilermakers over Wildcats

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, February 12, 2012

Purdue's Robbie Hummel missed all of last season with a torn ACL, but he looks to be getting his game back in form just in time for the Boilermakers to make a late-season push and maybe get an invitation to the NCAA tournament.

Purdue's second win this season over Northwestern, an 87-77 home victory got the Boilermakers to 6-6 in the Big Ten, though they'll likely need a few quality wins down the stretch after recent losses to Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State and Indiana.

Hummel led five Purdue players in double figures with a season high 27 points and nine rebounds, offsetting the 30-point outburst from the Wildcats' leading scorer, John Shurna. Hummel converted six of 12 shots from the floor, including three triples. He also nailed down 12 of 14 free throws. The 6'9" senior leads the team in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots.

Purdue is 15-9 overall and will hit the road in their next game, a Wednesday (Feb. 15) night date at Illinois.

Round of 64 Results and Recaps - Friday Late Games

East

Marquette 66 Xavier 55 - Lightning quick, Marquette's Golden Eagles stymied the Musketeers and scored in transition regularly to knock off the #6 seed. Darius Johnson-Odom led all scorers with 19 points. Marquette shot 53% for the game.

North Carolina 102 LIU 87 - thhe Tar Heels rolled up the biggest score of the tournament thus far, as LIU could not handle their size and speed. Tyler Zeller: 32 points; John Henson: 28; Harrison Barnes: 24.

Washington 68 Georgia 65 - Surviving a furious last-minute rally by Georgia, the Washington Huskies moved on to face North Carolina in the next round. Isaiah Thomas was brilliant, scoring 19 points and dishing seven assists.

Syracuse 77 Indiana St. 60 - the Orange got more game than they expected from Indiana State, but tightened up their 2-3 zone and kept the Sycamores at bay for most of the game. Rick Jackson was superior inside. His23 points led the way for the Syracuse advance to the next round against Marquette.

Southwest
Kansas 72 Boston U. 53 - The Jayhawks overcame some early jitters to advance easily past Boston U., outscoring the Terriers, 39-24 in the second half for the easy win. Marcus and Markief Morris combined for 31 points and 17 rebounds.

Purdue 65 St. Peter's 43 - Never a contest as the Boilermakers ushered St. Peters out of the tournament. JaJuan Johnson had 16 points and 16 boards.

Illinois 73 UNLV 62 - The Runnin' Rebels were ice cold early and Illinois built an insurmountable lead. Mike Davis topped the scoring list with 22 points.

VCU 74 Georgetown 56 - Virginia Commonwealth used superior size and tight defense to dismantle Georgetown into a quick exit. Brandon Roselle hit six threes and scored 26 points in the win. The Rams face Purdue next.

Moore Scores 38 as Boilermakers Dump Buckeyes

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, February 20, 2011

Road wins are becoming harder and harder to get. Presumed walkovers go down to the final shot. Teams once thought to be pushovers are springing upsets against the Top 25... no, make that the Top Ten.

It must be late February.

The latest victim of late-season surging was the one many thought could not be beaten just a week ago, the Ohio State Buckeyes, who, in the course of just eight days and three games have proven not only to be beatable, but downright vulnerable. Of course, it helps when you have a player like Purdue's E'Twaun Moore, who normally plays big, but plays even bigger in big games.

Moore knocked down 7 of 10 three-pointers and was 13 of 18 from the field as he put up a career high 38 points to lead the Boilermakers to their 4th straight win, a 76-63 home court conquest of Ohio State.

Moore torched the Buckeyes from the start of the game to the finish as the Boilermakers snuck to within a game of Ohio State in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes, undefeated at 24-0 and 10-0 just a week ago, lost at Wisconsin on February 12 and beat up a depleted Michigan State squad on the 15th before falling at Purdue, casting doubt on their assumed superiority in the league.

Purdue looms a force with which to be reckoned as the regular season heads into its final two weeks and four games. The Boilermakers improved to 11-3 and 22-5 overall and will surely move up from their #11 ranking after knocking off the #2 Buckeyes.

NOTABLE: Four other Top 25 teams were on the hardwoods Sunday, all winners. #5 Duke polished off Georgia Tech, 79-57; #10 Wisconsin handled Penn St. 76-66; visiting #14 Florida held off a late rally by LSU for a 68-61 win, and #23 Temple scorched St. Joseph's, 66-52.

E'Twaun Moore Drains 31 as Boilermakers Triumph

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, November 26, 2010

sticking out like the proverbial sore thumb at the Chicago Invitational Challenge tournament, the Purdue Boilermakers smothered their undersized opponent, Southern Illinois, 79-60, advancing to the final of the tourney against Richmond on Saturday. The Spiders topped Wright State, 71-61, in their semi-final match.

The only ranked team invited, the Boilermakers are expected to win it all. They had little trouble knocking off Oakland and Austin Peay in the first two rounds, but got off to a slow, 1-for-13 start against the Salukis, but after trailing 13-7, outscored them, 72-48, for the win.

Senior guard E'Twaun Moore was outstanding, hitting 10 of 18 shots from the field, including 3 of 5 treys for a season-high 31 points. Moore also ripped down nine rebounds.

Though the games have been easy thus far, Purdue will be tested by Richmond, a solid team out of the Atlantic-10. The Spiders are 5-1. The Boilermakers will have to guard against early-season overconfidence. Already this week, #2 Michigan State, #7 Villanova and #8 Kentucky have suffered losses. The latest, Villanova, fell to Tennessee, 78-68, in the preseason NIT at Madison Square Garden.

Notable: Marcus Morris of Kansas scored 26 points, to go with 8 boards as the Jayhawks dominated the Ohio Bobcats, 98-41, improving to 5-0.

Maryland's Jordan Williams continues to impress as one of the best young big men in the country. The Terrapin center knocked down 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in a 76-57 win over Elon College. It was Williams' 5th double-double for the 5-2 Terps.

Johnson's 25 and 11 Lead Purdue to 3-0 Record; Heels Drop Second Straight

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, November 21, 2010

It would be a mistake to ignore the Purdue Boilermakers, even though they've lost their star forward, Robbie Hummel for the season. Hummel tore his right ACL back in October and is done for the season. It was the second time in eight months that Hummel's suffered the same injury, but the Boilermakers are committed to moving on without him.

Picking up much of the slack is JaJuan Johnson, a big-time player in his own right. Johnson, a 6'10" senior who is likely to be a first round pick in next year's NBA draft, is a force in the pivot. In Sunday's 82-67 Boilermaker win over Oakland, Johnson scored 25 points to go with 11 boards, 5 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks.

E'Twaun Moore led all scorers with 26 points, as Purdue improved to 3-0. Purdue is currently ranked in the Top 15 in all polls.

Notable: Those who thought the North Carolina would be back in their usual Top 10 form this season might want to rethink that notion after the Tar Heels suffered their second straight loss, as Vanderbilt dumped them, 72-65, in one of the consolation games at the Puerto Rico Tip Off Sunday. Minnesota, who won the tourney with a 74-70 win over West Virginia, bested Carolina on Friday, 72-67.

The problems for the Tar Heels are very much the same as last season's, in the back court. There's plenty of talent, but nobody seems to be able to handle or distribute the rock. In the loss to Vanderbilt, they only had eight assists, while committing 22 turnovers.

Xavier's Tu Holloway scored a career-high 31 points, leading the Musketeers to a 57-52 victory over Seton Hall in the Paradise Jam tournament Sunday. Xavier will face Old Dominion, 61-60 winners over Clemson, in the tournament championship Monday night.

Purdue in OT; Duke, Xavier Still Dancing

NCAA Tourney Update: 2nd round results

South Region

4 Purdue 63
5 Texas A&M 61 OT
Purdue was extended to overtime. Chris Kramer's layup with 4 seconds left proved to be the margin of victory.

1 Duke 68
8 California 53
Nolan Smith scored 20 for the Blue Devils, who advance to the 3rd round to face Purdue.

West Region

6 Xavier 71
3 Pittsburgh 68
Jordan Crawford's 27 points and 6 rebounds helped Xavier escape to the regional semi-final, downing Pitt, the sixth of eight Big East teams to depart in the first two rounds. The Musketeers advance to face Kansas State.

NCAA Conference Scoreboard (through games of March 21)

Conference W-L
ACC (5-5)
Atlantic-10 (2-2)
Big East (6-6)
Big Ten (7-2)
Big 12 (7-4)
Conference-USA (0-2)
Mountain West (2-4)
PAC-10 (3-1)
SEC (4-2)
West Coast (3-1)
Western Athletic (0-2)
Other (9-16)

*Conferences with only one tournament team listed as "Other."

Johnson's 23 and 15 for Purdue Friday's Top Performance

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, March 19, 2010

When the Purdue Boilermakers took the court against Sienna in their opening round game Friday night, they were well aware of two things: Sienna was a dangerous team that had produced upsets in each of their last three NCAA appearances, and that Purdue would have to find a way to win without Robbie Hummel, one of their best players.

Pudue found resolve in their defense and lane domination from senior center JaJuan Johnson, who posted 23 points and tied his career high with 15 rebounds in the 72-64 triumph. Johnson kept the Saints out of the paint with his imposing 6'10" frame and long wingspan, blocking 3 shots officially, but intimidating and changing quite a few forays toward the rim.

Johnson and his Boilermaker teammates will attempt to advance to the regional semi-final when they face the Texas A&M Aggies Sunday afternoon in round two.

Mizzou, Badgers, Aggies, Boilermakers Move Forward

NCAA Tourney Results: 1st round

East Region

10 Missouri 86
7 Clemson 78
In a literal battle of Tigers, Missouri broke open a close game with pressure defense and sharp floor skills. Keith english missed time due to foul issues, but returned to spark a second half run and join teammate Keith Ramsey with 20 points. Missouri advances to play West Virginia, with the winner advancing to the regional semi-final.

13 Wofford 49
4 Wisconsin 53
Bo Ryan's Badgers survived a serious scare from little Wofford, making its first-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament. Jon Leuer came up big late, scoring the final four points for Wisconsin, on a short jumper and a pair of free throws. Leuer finished with 20 points and 8 boards. Teammate Treveon Hughes scored 19. The Badgers face Missouri next.

South Region

13 Siena 64
4 Purdue 72
Purdue roared out of the intermission and turned a 3-point half time deficit into a 15-point lead in short order, then held on as Sienna eventually cut the lead to 5 points late in the contest. The Boilermakers were paced by JaJuan Johnson, who led in both points and rebounds, with 23 and 15, respectively.

12 Utah St. 53
5 Texas A&M 69
Texas A&M won the battle of Aggies, knocking off Utah State handily. Freshman Khris Middleton led all scorers with 19 points in 25 minutes of action. A&M took control early and was never seriously threatened.

Cousins, Kentucky Get Revenge; Hummel Out for Season

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, February 25, 2010

Avenging their only loss of the season, the #2 Kentucky Wildcats cruised past SEC leading-scorer Devan Downey and his South Carolina teammates for an 82-61 win, boosting their gaudy record to 27-1 and 12-1 in the conference.

The Gamecocks had no answers for Kentucky's powerful front line, as DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson ruled the lane on both ends of the floor. Cousins finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds, his 18th double-double of the season. Patterson provided a team-high 23 points, 8 boards and 4 blocked shots.

Kentucky leads Vanderbilt by 2 games in the SC East, with 3 to play, though their remaining games are against Tennessee, Georgia and Florida, among the best in the league, though the Wildcats have already beaten each of them. The Tennessee and Georgia games are on the road. Kentucky finishes their regular season at home, hosting Florida.

Notable: In the midst of one of the best seasons in school history, the Purdue Boilermakers suffered a devastating blow as star forward Robbie Hummel has been ruled out of the season with a torn ACL. The injury took place in Purdue's 59-58 win over Minnesota Wednesday night.

With just three games left in the regular season, the Boilermakers lead the Big Ten at 10-3, though they face a tough test Sunday when they host Michigan State. A loss by Purdue opens the door for both the Spartans and Ohio State to capture the conference title. Purdue was ranked #3 - their highest ranking of the season - and has won 10 straight Big Ten games after dropping their first three.

The blow to the Boilermakers will be significant. Hummel was second on the squad in minutes, scoring and rebounding. He was CBD's Player of the Day three times this season.

Purdue, Hummel Ready for Big Time

College Hoops Player of the Day for DAY, Month, 2010

Tthe race for first place in the Big Ten conference is now down to three teams - Purdue, Ohio State and Michigan State. After Saturday's 75-65 victory over Illinois, it now appears that the Boilermakers have the upper hand heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.

Robbie Hummel posted his sixth double-double of the season, scoring 22 points and snatching 12 rebounds for Purdue, which won for the 9th straight time, including wins over conference rivals Wisconsin, Michigan St. and Ohio State. At 11-3, the Boilermakers are tied with the Spartans, a game ahead of the Buckeyes (10-4) and two games better than Wisconsin (9-5).

With just four games remaining on their slate, the only obstacles between Purdue and the Big Ten regular season championship are their next two games: at Minnesota on Wednesday and home for a rematch with Michigan State on Sunday, Feb. 28. Should they manage to win both of those games, the championship would likely belong to them, along with a possible #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Purdue has not won the regular season title since 1996, when they won their third straight, then under coach Gene Keady.

That was before the conference installed a post-season tournament. The Boilermakers won that last season under head coach Matt Painter, and look to win both the regular season and tournament titles this time around.

Turner Outduels Hummel; Ohio St. Outlasts Purdue

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, January 12, 2010

After missing 6 games due to injury, Evan Turner entered his third game back as the Ohio State Buckeyes traveled to face Purdue in a key Big Ten tilt. But even he couldn't have expected Robbie Hummel to score 29 first half points, hitting 8 of 10 3-pointers, before going on to a game-high 35. Hummel's eight 3's in a half tied a Purdue record set by Cuonzo Martin in a 1994 Sweet 16 win over Kansas, but the second half belonged to Turner and the Buckeyes, who scrapped back and eventually tied the game at 62 on a Turner trey and went on to win, 70-66, handing the Boilermakers their second loss of the season. For the Buckeyes, the game was their first road win of the season, and second conference win in five tries. Turner, who scored 23 in the second half, finished with 32, plus 9 rebounds and 3 assists.

Hummel scored 18 straight points heading into the half before E'Twaun Moore's layup with 5 seconds left put Purdue up, 41-29, at the break, but was stymied in the second, scoring four points within the first two minutes, but then being held scoreless by Ohio State's best defender, David Lighty, until he canned a pair of free throws with 22 second left in the game and Ohio State already ahead. Hummel dislocated a finger on his non-shooting hand late in the game and missed some key court time. He had ten rebounds.

The scoring outbursts by Hummel and Turner were both personal season highs, Turner's a career best.

Purdue Powers Past Minnesota; Texas Tested

College Hoops Player of the Day for Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Robbie Hummel, Purdue's 6'8" junior forward, has been hailed as one of the best players in college basketball ever since he took the floor as a true freshman two years ago. Now, with the Boilermakers a perfect 14-0 after grounding Minnesota's Golden Gophers, 79-60, Hummel is being mentioned prominently in player of the year discussions.

Scoring in double figures for the 13th time in 14 games (he had 9 points in an 85-60 win at St. Joseph's back in November), Hummel and teammate E'Twaun Moore each scored a game-high 18 points as the Boilermakers shot 52% from the field while holding Minnesota to an ugly 31% shooting. Hummel also ripped down 11 boards, along with 3 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocked shots.

Purdue took a 35-28 lead into the break and then blistered the Gophers in the second stanza, shooting 65% from the floor. The 14 wins to open the season matched Purdue's 1993-94 start when Glenn Robinson led the Boilermakers to the first of three straight Big Ten championships and a finish in the Elite eight of the NCAA tournament under coach Gene Keady.

Last season, Purdue won the Big Ten tournament and reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA's, finishing the season with a 27-10 record.

NOTABLE:Plagued by foul trouble, Texas forward Damion James still managed to put up 20 points with 9 rebounds in just 17 minutes to help the #2 Longhorns pull away late from a determined Arkansas squad, 96-85. Dexter Pittman had 21 points as the Longhorns won their 14th game without a loss.

On the other side of the coin, #15 New Mexico suffered tis second loss of the season (14-2), dropping a 74-64 decision to conference foe San Diego State (12-3). It was the Lobos' second loss in their last four games and raises questions about their ability to endure over the long haul, especially against the expected challenge in the Mountain West from teams such as BYU, UNLV and Air Force, not to mention the Aztecs, who got 18 points and 15 rebounds from Malcolm Thomas in Tuesday's win.

Badgers Bury Buckeyes; Purdue Punished Mountaineers

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, December 31, 2009

Don't think twice about the Wisconsin Badgers reaching the top of the Big Ten and doing some serious damage in March - this team can play with anybody, and, usually, beat them.

The Badgers opened Big Ten play hosting Ohio State on the last day of 2009, and left the Buckeyes feeling like they'd rather leave memories of that year behind them. Wisconsin, playing tenacious defense and turning take-aways into points, built and early lead and pulled away late for the lopsided 65-43 win. By holding Ohio State to their worst shooting performance of the season, 14-of-43 (33%), Wisconsin established themselves as one of the top defensive teams in the conference, maybe the country.

Trevon Hughes led the scoring with 16 points, hitting 5 of 10 shots overall, but making 3 of 5 from 3-point range. The Badgers shot 10-for-21 from beyond the arc. Hughes, a 6-foot senior guard, also snatched 7 rebounds, a category in which the Badgers beat the Buckeyes, 34-25.

Wisconsin improved to 11-2, their losses coming on the road at Gonzaga and an 88-84 overtime loss at Wisconsin-Green Bay. However, the Badgers can look to quality wins over Arizona, Duke, Marquette, and now, Ohio State, for positive reinforcement that they are one of the best in the nation.

Ranked #23 coming into the Ohio State game, the Badgers are likely to move up in the polls, though they face a tough stretch with four tough games just ahead: at Penn St. January 3, at Michigan St. Jan. 6, Purdue Jan. 9, at Northwestern Jan 13.

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College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, January 1, 2010

...And then there were five.

The Purdue Boilermakers knocked West Virginia out of the ranks of the undefeated, opening the new year with a 77-62 thumping of the Mountaineers, leaving the 13-0 Boilermakers - along with Kansas, Texas, Kentucky and Syracuse - as the only unbeaten teams in Division 1.

Led by 6'10" center JaJuan Johnson's 25 points and 10 rebounds, the Boilermakers expanded a 5-point half time lead to as many as 26 in the second frame, turning a Top 10 showdown into a one-sided blowout. Johnson's season-high point tally came on 8-for-14 shooting, mostly on dunks and shots from inside the paint, and a 9-for-11 performance on the free throw line.

Purdue is tied with four other teams at 1-0 in the Big Ten after having beaten Iowa, 67-56, on Tuesday, to open conference play. They were ranked #4 coming in, with West Virginia #6. The Mountaineers will surely drop a few spots in the polls, but Purdue should stay put behind Kansas, Texas and Kentucky.

Boilermakers are Big Ten Champs

Purdue 65, Ohio State 61

After a 40-40 second half tie, Purdue used a 12-3 run to establish a solid lead and went on to capture the Big Ten tournament championship, besting a game Ohio State squad in the final.

The Buckeyes had knocked off two of the best in the conference - Wisconsin and Michigan State - to reach the final, but found Purdue too much to handle down the stretch. At 22-11, the Buckeyes look like a good bet to reach the field of 65.

E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson led the Boilermakers with 17 and 16 points, respectively. Purdue gets the automatic bid from the selection committee and should fall into a 4-5 seed.

With conference tournaments wrapped up, the field will be announced at 6:00 pm, live on CBS.

Big Ten: Buckeyes Slam Spartans;

Ohio State 82, Michigan State 70

Ohio State figured they needed to make a good showing in the Big Ten tourney and by knocking off Michigan State, their message has been sent. Ohio state shot 52% for the game, took a lead early on and kept the Spartans at bay the rest of the game. Michigan State shot just 38% and hit just 3 of 28 3-pointers. Ohio State took their first lead just 6 1/2 minutes into the game and never gave it back, stretching it to as many as 16 points in the second half.

By reaching the finals tomorrow against Purdue, Ohio State has virtually assured themselves a spot in the NCAA field.

Purdue 66, Illinois 56

Purdue shot just 38%, but Illinois shot only 35%, and the Boilermakers used a 20-point half time edge to coast to a semifinal win in the Big Ten tourney. JaJuan Johnson scored 20 and Robbie Hummel had 19 to lead Purdue, who will face upset-minded Ohio State Sunday in the tournament final.

LSU Upends Kentucky; Purdue Hammers Ohio State

#18 LSU 73, Kentucky 70

Tasmin Mitchell's 3-pointer with 9.3 seconds left provided the winning margin for LSU's 10th consecutive victory, as they won at Kentucky for the first time in 20 years, leaving no doubt that they are a team to be reckoned with in the post-season.

The Tigers led by as many as 12 points in the first half, only to see Kentucky to come back to lead by 10 in the second half.

As the two SEC foes battled through a memorable contest, Bo Spencer's 3-pointer at 1:18 gave the Tigers a 69-66 lead. After the teams traded free throws, Darius Miller hit a clutch three for Kentucky to tie the game at 70, but then Mitchell hit the biggest shot of the game, his only 3-point make of the game, with 9.7 left.

Marcus Thornton led the Tigers with 23 points to go with 6 rebounds; Michell had 21 and 8 boards. Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks had 28 and 24 points, respectively, for Kentucky.

LSU has already wrapped up the SEC West and is assured an NCAA bid, but Kentucky lost for the third time in four games and is on the tournament fringe, at 8-6 and 19-10 overall.


#16 Purdue 75, Ohio State 50

In a team effeort, Purdue shot 55%, put five players in double figures, and seriously damaged Ohio State's chances of getting a NCAA invite.

The Boilermakers sent the Buckeyes to an 8-8 record in the conference and 18-9 overall. The Buckeyes need to win their remaining Big 10 games - March 3, at Iowa and March 8, against Northwestern - in order to keep their hopes alive as they have lost 4 of their last 5.

Big 10: Purdue Upset, Illinois Cruises

DeShawn Sims poured in 29 points and Manny Harris contributed 27, as the Mihigan Spartans upset #16 Purdue, 87-78.

#20 Illinois won at Minnesota, 52-41, holding the Gophers to 32% shooting.

#5 Memphis won their 324,678th straight Conference-USA game, extending the nation's longest win streak to in a 71-60 win over UAB. The Tigers look like the most solid #2 NCAA seed ever.

Purdue Bombs Spartans, 73-54

Robbie Hummel's game isn't back to where it should be, but the Boilermakers keep winning, thanks Monday night to a #6 Michigan State team which shot just 33% for the game. #19 Purdue took care of business and the Spartans by a 73-54 tally.

Hummel scored just two points in his last outing at Iowa, and improved to 11 points against the Spartans, but all but two of his points came early. Hummel scored just two points in the second half on a pair of late free throws.

The win was Purdue's third straight following a pair of road losses, putting the 9-4 Boilermakers just a game back of 10-3 Michigan State in the Big 10. Purdue is now 20-6. Michiagan State is 20-5 overall.

Purdue took over the game early in the second half, opening up a double-digit lead on the Spartans, which stretched to as many as 22 points as the Boilermakers laid it on their conference foes.

JaJuan Johnson led the scoring with 17 points on 5 of 7 shooting and 7 of 8 from the foul line.