No. 3 Seed Purdue Faces No. 5 Seed Iowa in Big Ten Tournament Championship Game
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
[3] Purdue (27-6) vs. [5] Iowa (25-9)
Sunday, March 13 | 3:30 p.m. ET | Gainbridge Fieldhouse
CBS (Jim Nantz, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill, Tracy Wolfson)
THE NOTES TO KNOW
• Purdue will be making its fifth Big Ten Tournament Championship game appearance following a 75-70 victory over Michigan State in Saturday’s semifinals. The Boilermakers are 1-3 in Big Ten title games (winning in 2009) and will be making its first Title Game appearance since the 2018 season (lost to Michigan in New York City, 75-66).
• Purdue is now 9-3 all-time as the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Purdue was the No. 3 seed when it won the tournament in 2009 and the No. 3 seed when placing as the runner-up in both 1998 and 2018. It has now reached the finals in four of the five years it has been the No. 3 seed.
• Purdue recorded its first win over Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament on Saturday. The Boilermakers entered the contest with an 0-4 mark against the Spartans.
• Purdue defeated Iowa 77-70 (at home) and 83-73 (on the road) this season. In the first meeting in December, Iowa All-American Keegan Murray did not play. The win in December propelled Purdue to its first No. 1 ranking in school history (the following Monday; Dec. 6).
• In the Quarterfinals win over Penn State, Purdue rallied from a 10-point deficit for the victory. It marked the fourth time this season (Villanova, North Carolina State, Maryland, Penn State) in which Purdue rallied from a double-digit deficit for the victory.
• Purdue is now 16-6 this season against the KenPom Top-100.
• After struggling earlier in the season on defense, Purdue has now held six of its last eight opponents to 70 or fewer points.
• Purdue leads the country in offensive efficiency (122.0). Iowa is third in offensive efficiency (121.8).
• The Boilermakers are third in the country in field goal percentage (.495) and 3-point percentage (.395).
• Purdue’s 27 wins are the sixth most in school history. A win over Iowa would give Purdue 28 wins entering the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in school history (2018; entered NCAA Tournament with a 28-6 record; finished 30-7).
• Purdue has nine more wins than last season (18 in 2021), the seventh-largest improvement by wins in school history (largest since the 2005-06 to 2006-07 season; 13 more wins).
• Purdue has now shot at least 50.0 percent in 18 of its 33 games, the fourth-highest total nationally (South Dakota State – 23, Gonzaga – 20, Arizona – 19).
• In its 33 games, Purdue has had 28 runs of 10 points or longer. Opponents have had 11 runs of 10-0 or longer.
• Purdue is 1-of-2 teams to rank in the KenPom Top-25 in each of the last seven seasons (Gonzaga).
• Purdue has outscored its opponents by 186 points at the free throw line, the fourth-best margin in the country (485 to 299).
• The big three of Jaden Ivey, Zach Edey and Trevion Williams scored 48 points against Michigan State and is averaging 43.1 points per game between them. The trip is accounting for 53.7 percent of Purdue’s scoring. The trio has 89 of Purdue’s 144 points in the Big Ten Tourney (61.8 percent of Purdue’s scoring).
• Trevion Williams moved into fifth place on Purdue’s career rebounds list (869) against Michigan State, needing 13 rebounds to tie Walter Jordan (882) for fourth place. He is 27th on Purdue’s career scoring list (1,351 points).
• Jaden Ivey needs two assists to become the third Purdue player with 550 points, 150 rebounds and 100 assists in a season (E’Twaun Moore – 2011; Troy Lewis – 1988). Should he reach that, Ivey would join Duke’s Paolo Banchero and San Francisco’s Jamaree Bouyea would be the only players in America this season with 550 points, 150 rebounds, 100 assists and 15 blocked shots (Ivey has 555-158-98-19). With two assists and one blocked shot, Ivey would become the sixth Big Ten player since 1992-93 with 550 points, 150 rebounds, 100 assists, 20 blocks.
• Purdue has finished in the top three of the Big Ten standings in 10 of the last 15 seasons under Matt Painter.
• The Boilermakers are likely going to be one-of-two schools with a top-five NCAA Tournament seed in each of the last six NCAA Tournaments (Kansas and Purdue) since 2016.
• Purdue is 6-0 this season in neutral-site games, including three wins at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Purdue is 6-0 in games played on Sunday.
• Purdue has won 29 straight games when leading at halftime, including 24-0 this season.
• When Purdue shoots 48.0 percent or better from the field, the Boilermakers are 20-1 this season. When Purdue shoots a better field goal percentage than its opponent, Purdue is 25-3 this season.
• Purdue is 24-0 when scoring 70 or more points. When held under 70 points, Purdue is 3-6.
• Matt Painter will coach in his 14th NCAA Tournament this season, the most for an active coach under the age of 55.
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