Purdue Proved It Can Go Far In March
The Purdue Boilermakers went into the Big Ten Tournament facing a ton of questions.
They struggled through a tough February as well as the beginning of March, losing games to Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin, while barely getting by Northwestern. After being the #1 team in the AP Top 25 preseason poll, it looked like the Boilermakers were on the fast track to an early exit once March Madness began. Then, the Big Ten Tournament started, and the Boilermakers went about changing the narrative.
Four straight strong wins; first, a 13-point victory over Northwestern, then a 16-point win over Nebraska; they beat UCLA 73-66, before moving on to the championship game against the top-ranked Michigan Wolverines. Against Dusty May’s squad, Braden Smith and company were outstanding, getting the looks they wanted on offense while doing a good job of clamping down on the defensive side. The result: an 82-70 victory and a 3rd Big Ten Tournament Championship.
With the win over Michigan, Purdue proved it could go on a run in the NCAA Tournament. There are obviously no guarantees; play like they did against Ohio State, or their first game against Northwestern, and they could find themselves sitting at home in a hurry. But after an up-and-down month that felt like it had way more downs than ups, the Boilermakers are alive and kicking as they head into the tournament.
During the Monday edition of The Ride With JMV, John spoke to former Purdue guard Chris Kramer as well as Purdue radio analyst Bobby Riddell. Listen to those conversations below and tune into The Ride With JMV weekdays from 3-6pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan!
