Big Ten Daily (March 4): Tom Izzo Wants to See Purdue, Matt Painter Advance in March

Michigan State's Tom Izzo has a lot of respect for Matt Painter and Purdue. He said the Boilermakers are the best team in the country and hopes "this is the year" they finally break through during March Madness.

Purdue locked up at least a share of the regular season Big Ten championship on Saturday night, defeating Michigan State 80-74 in Mackey Arena. Spartans head coach Tom Izzo had nothing but great things to say about Matt Painter and the Boilermakers after the game.

Izzo — the most veteran coach in the Big Ten — praised Purdue as the top team in the country following Michigan State's loss on Saturday. More interestingly, he said he wants to see Painter and the Boilermakers make a deep run during March Madness.

"I'm hoping, for his sake, for their sake and for your sake, this is the year that he advances because I just think they've earned it and I think he's earned it the way he's handled it," Izzo said. "But, that tournament is a miserable thing. It really is.

"Matchups, time you play them, second team you play — there's so many things that play a factor in that. I think of one of my best teams, we got beat in Detroit by an average Syracuse team. ... So I've been there, done that. But the way Matt has handled it, you're lucky you got him. Better cherish him. Don't worry about how many Final Fours he gets. (He) Wins a lot of games and does it the right way. He's a hell of a coach."

Purdue has won back-to-back Big Ten regular season titles and is an impressive 55-9 over the last two seasons. However, March struggles continue to haunt the program.

In 2022, the Boilermakers were defeated in the Sweet Sixteen by No. 15 seed St. Peter's. Last season, Purdue became just the second No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament's history to lose to a No. 16 seed, falling to Fairleigh Dickinson.

Without question, Purdue has been one of the top teams in the country over the past three years. But the goal in 2024 is to make a Final Four. Izzo believes Painter has the team to get there.

"I think their guard play is a lot better than it was a year ago," Izzo said. "He's got one of the great teams that guys will play to their role. ... I think this team (is the best in the nation)."

Nebraska finishes undefeated at home

Nebraska's impressive season continued on Sunday, taking down Rutgers 67-56 at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Senior Night. That victory concluded the Huskers' home schedule — and they finished with a perfect record in Big Ten play on their home court.

The Huskers finished conference play with a 10-0 record in home games this season. That included wins over then-No. 1 Purdue and then-No. 6 Wisconsin — two huge victories for the NCAA Tournament resumé. 

Josiah Allick, Juwan Gary and Keisei Tominaga all had huge nights for the Huskers. Allick recorded his first double-double of the season, scoring 10 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in the win.  Gary also finished the night with a double-double with 15 points and 11 boards.

Tominaga scored a game-high 18 points, connecting on six-of-13 shots from the floor.

Nebraska improved to 21-9 on the season and 11-8 in league play. The Huskers are 18-1 at Pinnacle Bank Arena, with the lone loss coming to in-state rival Creighton.

"To our fans who made this season so special for our seniors & this entire program, thank you from the bottom of my heart," coach Fred Hoiberg said on X.

Nebraska has one game remaining, traveling to Ann Arbor to play Michigan on Sunday.

Caitlin Clark breaks Pistol Pete's record

Sunday was an historic day for college basketball. Iowa's Caitlin Clark became the NCAA all-time scoring leader, passing "Pistol" Pete Maravich's record of 3,667 points while at LSU.

Clark broke the record on a free throw in Sunday's win over Ohio State. It was the final game of the regular season for the Hawkeyes — a fitting way to conclude the year.

While Clark's incredible accomplishment is something worth celebrating, she says it's not the most important part of her career.

"A record is a record. I don't want that to be the reason people remember me," Clark said. "I hope people remember me for the way I played with a smile on my face, my competitive fire. Sure, they can remember the wins, but also just the fun me and my teammates had together."

Women's tournament bracket set

Sunday marked the conclusion of the Big Ten women's regular season. That means the bracket is set for the Big Ten Women's Basketball, scheduled for the upcoming week in Minneapolis.

Here are a look at the final standings:

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (16-2)
2. Iowa Hawkeyes (15-3)
3. Indiana Hoosiers (15-3)
4. Michigan State Spartans (12-6)
5. Nebraska Cornhuskers (11-7)
6. Michigan Wolverines (9-9)
7. Penn State Nittany Lions (9-9)
8. Maryland Terrapins (9-9)
9. Illinois Fighting Illini (8-10)
10. Wisconsin Badgers (6-12)
11. Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-13)
12. Purdue Boilermakers (5-13)
13. Northwestern Wildcats (4-14)
14. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (2-16)

For a complete look at the tournament schedule — beginning on Wednesday, March 6 — you can visit our bracket tracker here.

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