The Purdue Boilermakers made history on Sunday, March 15, against the Michigan Wolverines with their 80-72 Big Ten Tournament win.
Purdue came into the game as a No. 7 seed and were underdogs to the No. 1-seeded Michigan Wolverines, so their win was a true upset. But, it ended up meaning even more than expected with a historic milestone.
During the game, Purdue shot 53 percent from the field and committed just two turnovers. Oscar Cluff scored 21 points, Trey Kaufman-Renn had 20 and Fletcher Loyer notched 14. Moreover, Braden Smith scored 14 points with 11 assists, which was only one behind Bobby Hurley’s NCAA Division I career record of 1,076, according to ESPN college basketball research.
But, the big news is that Purdue is now the first No. 7 seed ever to win the Big Ten Tournament.
Purdue Lands Honor as Being the Only No. 7 Seed to Win the Big Ten Tournament
So, with their 80-72 win, the Boilmakers become the first No. 7-seeded team in the Big Ten Tournament to win the championship. It’s an honor they’ll take with them into the NCAA Tournament.
Purdue have been up-and-down all season, finishing the regular season with a 24-8 record and 13-7 in the Big Ten, which is why they were No. 7 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. But, they’re peaking at the right time.
For Michigan, Yaxel Lendeborg scored 20 points during Sunday’s game, Aday Mara had 14, Elliot Cadeau had 10 with 10 assists and Nimari Burnett notched 12 points.
When Does March Madness Start? Plus Bracketology and Tips
March Madness starts on Tuesday, March 17, with the beginning of the First Four games kicking off the action. The start of the first round is on Thursday, March 19.
So, now is the time to start shaping your bracket. In a feature published on Sunday, March 15, for Yahoo Sports, Jason Owens lays out some tips. He says it’s okay to pick upsets, but do so with caution.
“Picking early upsets correctly is key to winning your bracket. Even more important is not losing a team you predict to make a deep run,” he notes in the feature. “There are six rounds of NCAA play beyond the First Four, and the stakes double with each round in Bracket Mayhem (1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 points).”
He adds, “Picking first-round winners will earn you one point, while correctly picking the NCAA champion is worth 32 points — the equivalent of correctly picking every first-round game. Losing Final Four and championship game teams in the first round is a good way to knock yourself out of the running early.”
So, to avoid making that mistake, you should “pick your higher-seed upsets selectively and to know the history of early-round upsets.” He also warns that “higher seeds are more vulnerable than they’ve ever been before.”
Some personal advice from this reporter is to choose with your head but also your heart. You don’t’ want to be the person rooting against your own team because you had them out in the first round in your bracket. But, be honest with yourself about how far your favorite team will really go, and pick accordingly.
Purdue Announces Historic News After Big Ten Championship Win Over Michigan