How Purdue Can Still Get a Triple-Bye for the Big Ten Basketball Tournament

The final stretch of Purdue's regular season may not have gone quite according to plan, but the Boilermakers still have an opportunity to earn a triple-bye for the Big Ten Tournament. A 70-66 win over Northwestern kept Matt Painter's team in the running for the No. 4 seed, but it's not within its own control.

With one game remaining on the schedule, Purdue can earn anything from the No. 4 seed to the No. 7 seed in this year's Big Ten Tournament, scheduled for March 10 through March 15 at the United Center in Chicago.

For Purdue to obtain the highest seed possible, the first priority is beating Wisconsin on Saturday on Senior Day inside Mackey Arena. With a win, the Boilermakers will finish with a 14-6 record in Big Ten play. They would then need Iowa to defeat Nebraska on Sunday, which would drop the Huskers to 14-6, as well.

Thanks to an 80-77 overtime win in Lincoln, Purdue owns the tiebreaker with Nebraska and would receive the No. 4 seed and a triple-bye in the Big Ten Tournament. If both the Boilers and Huskers win, Nebraska would finish 15-5 and receive a triple-bye.

Here are a few other scenarios that could play out.

Purdue's potential seeding for the Big Ten Tournament

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide. | David Leong-Imagn Images

Heading into the final game of the regular season, Purdue could land anywhere from the No. 4 seed to the No. 7 seed. Here's a look at what must unfold for the Boilermakers in each scenario. Most of these scenarios are pretty simplistic.

No. 4 seed

If Purdue defeats Wisconsin and Iowa beats Nebraska, the Boilermakers will earn the triple-bye as the No. 4 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. They would not play until Friday, with tip-off scheduled for approximately 2:30 p.m. ET.

No. 5 seed

If the Boilermakers beat the Badgers but the Huskers defeat the Hawkeyes, Purdue will be cemented in the No. 5 seed. There's a scenario where Illinois could lose to Maryland (unlikely), which would result in both teams finishing with a 14-6 record in conference play. However, Illinois' win over Purdue at Mackey Arena would serve as the tiebreaker. The No. 5 seed will play on Thursday at approximately 2:30 p.m. ET.

No. 6 seed

This one is a little more complex, but not by much. If Purdue loses to Wisconsin on Saturday, it will fall behind the Badgers in the standings, finishing with a 13-7 record in league play. The Boilermakers would then need UCLA to lose to USC to stay ahead of the Bruins for the sixth seed. The No. 6 seed would play its first game on Thursday in the final game of the day, set for approximately 9 p.m. ET.

No. 7 seed

If Purdue loses to Wisconsin and UCLA beats USC, the Bruins would jump the Boilermakers in the standings, as both teams would be 13-7 in conference play. UCLA has the tiebreaker with a home win over Purdue in January. This would put the Boilers at the No. 7 seed, playing at 6:30 p.m. ET on Thursday.

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