How to Watch No. 13 Michigan State vs. No. 8 Purdue With TV Info, Key Stats & Preview
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — No. 8 Purdue closes out its three-game homestand on Thursday night, hosting No. 13 Michigan State in an important Big Ten clash. It's the only regular-season meeting between the two teams this year.
With four losses, both Purdue and Michigan State are effectively out of the Big Ten title race. However, positioning for the Big Ten Tournament and seeding for the NCAA Tournament are still at stake. It makes for an important showdown at Mackey Arena.
Here's everything you need to know about Thursday's clash between the Spartans and Boilermakers.
#13 Michigan State (22-5, 12-4) vs. #8 Purdue (22-5, 12-4)
- What: Big Ten Conference game
- Date: Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026
- Tipoff time: 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. (14,876 capacity)
- TV: Peacock
- App: Peacock/NBC Sports Network
- Announcers: TBD
- Radio: Purdue Global Radio Network — WAZY 96.5 FM (Lafayette); WKJG 100.9 FM (Fort Wayne); WNDE 1260 AM (Indianapolis); WGBF 1280 (Evansville); Sirius XM TBD.
- Radio announcers: Rob Blackman (play-by-play), Bobby Riddell (analyst), Wes Scott (producer).
- Live stats: Purdue.StatBroadcast.com
- All-time series: Purdue leads the all-time series vs. Michigan State 77-57
- ESPN Matchup Predictor: Purdue has a 71.8% chance to defeat Michigan State
Rankings
Purdue Boilermakers
- Associated Press — Purdue is ranked No. 8
- Coaches — Purdue is ranked No. 8
- KenPom — Purdue is ranked No. 7
- NCAA NET — Purdue is ranked No. 6
Michigan State Spartans
- Associated Press — Michigan State is ranked No. 13
- Coaches — Michigan State is ranked No. 13
- KenPom — Michigan State is ranked No. 9
- NCAA NET — Michigan State is ranked No. 12
Team Stats
Stats (per game) | #13 Michigan State | #8 Purdue |
|---|---|---|
Scoring | 78.4 | 82.9 |
Points allowed | 66.1 | 69.3 |
FG% | 46.6% | 50.2% |
3FG% | 35.2% | 38.0% |
Rebounds | 41.1 | 36.4 |
Assists | 18.6 | 19.7 |
Steals | 5.3 | 5.9 |
Blocks | 4.3 | 2.8 |
Turnovers | 11.8 | 9.1 |
Key Players
Purdue Boilermakers
- Braden Smith, G — Smith has been Purdue's top offensive weapon this season, leading the team in scoring and is among the top passers in college basketball. He is averaging 14.9 points and 8.7 assists per game. He has an opportunity to surpass 1,000 career assists on Thursday night, needing just six to hit the impressive milestone. Because of his ability to score and distribute, he's a tough matchup for any opponent.
- Fletcher Loyer, G — Loyer has scored in double figures in each of Purdue's last six games and has shot 49% from three-point range in that span, as well. He continues to be a weapon from behind the arc for the Boilermakers, hitting at a 40.2% clip for the year. Loyer is coming off an 18-point performance against Indiana, going 5-of-5 from the field.
- Trey Kaufman-Renn, F — Kaufman-Renn has feasted in the post in Purdue's last two games. He finished the Michigan game with 27 points and 12 rebounds and followed it up with a 20-point performance against IU. Kaufman-Renn may not have the same scoring average as he had last season, but he's still a major problem in the post.
- Oscar Cluff, C — Cluff has helped Purdue on the glass this season, a big part of the team's success. The 6-foot-11 senior is averaging 10.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, though he's had a bit of a bumpy road over the last month. His ability to box out the five spot has been a big help for the Boilermakers in the rebounding department.
Michigan State Spartans
- Jeremy Fears Jr., G — Fears has been outstanding for Michigan State this season, leading his team in scoring at 15 points per game and leading the nation in assists with 9.2 per contest. He has played extremely well over the last five games, recording a double-double four times. As skilled as he is as a passer, he's also had multiple games scoring 20 points or more this year.
- Jaxon Kohler, F — Kohler is the perfect example of a stretch four, as he can score in the post but can also step outside the perimeter and knock down shots. He is one of Michigan State's top three-point threats, hitting at a 40% clip this season. Kohler is also a problem on the glass, pulling down 9.3 rebounds per game. The senior has struggled to score the past five games, hitting double figures just once.
- Coen Carr, F — Carr is an incredibly athletic forward, a player capable of producing highlight-reel plays multiple times in a game. He's a guy who must be accounted for in transition. Even though he's 6-foot-6, Carr is a lob threat and a player who gives defenses a lot of trouble because of his athleticism. He's averaging 11.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game for the Spartans.
- Carson Cooper, C — Cooper has had great performances in Michigan State's last two games. He scored 20 points and pulled down 11 rebounds against Ohio State and finished with 12 points and seven boards against UCLA. Cooper provides the Spartans with good size in the post and a player who is capable of finishing at the rim.
The Coaches
Matt Painter, Purdue
Painter is in his 21st season at Purdue and his 22nd year overall with the Boilermakers. In that time, he's led the program to five Big Ten regular season championships, two Big Ten Tournament titles, 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, and a trip to the National Championship Game in 2024.
A lot of Purdue's success has come in the last decade, with the Boilers adding four Big Ten championships to their collection since the start of the 2016-17 season. Painter has had four different players win the Big Ten Player of the Year Award five times: JaJuan Johnson (2010), Caleb Swanigan (2017), Zach Edey (2023, 2024), and Braden Smith (2025).
Painter is a Purdue alum, playing under legendary coach Gene Keady from 1989-93. After his playing career ended, he jumped right into coaching, working as an assistant at Washington & Jefferson (Division III) and Barton (Division II) before getting a job at Eastern Illinois (1995 to 1998). Painter then joined former Purdue assistant coach Bruce Weber at Southern Illinois as an assistant from 1998 through 2003. Painter then became head coach of the Salukis for the 2003-04 season.
In 2004, Painter returned to Purdue as the associate head coach alongside Keady before taking over the program for the 2005-06 season. In a win over Akron on Nov. 16, 2025, Painter won his 500th career game as a head coach.
- Overall record: 517-225
- Record at Purdue: 492-220
Tom Izzo, Michigan State
Izzo is in his 31st season at Michigan State, having spent his entire career as a head coach in East Lansing. He has more Big Ten wins than any other coach in the conference's history and, if he sticks around, could hit 800 career victories in the near future.
Even before he became the head coach at Michigan State, Izzo was an assistant under Jud Heathcote from 1983 through 1995. Prior to that, he was an assistant at Northern Michigan, his alma mater, from 1979 until 1983.
Izzo took over the program ahead of the 1995-96 season. The Spartans went to the NIT each of Izzo's first two years at the helm, but then really took off. Michigan State went to three consecutive Final Fours from 1999 through 2001, winning the national championship in 2000. It is still the last Big Ten team to win a national title.
Michigan State has won 11 Big Ten regular-season titles and six Big Ten Tournament championships under Izzo. He has led the program to eight Final Four appearances and his teams have played in the NCAA Tournament every year since 1998.
Izzo isn't just one of the best Big Ten coaches in history, he's one of te best to ever coach college basketball.
- Overall record: 759-306
- Record at Michigan State: 759-306
Preview
Both Purdue and Michigan State have effectively been eliminated from the Big Ten title race, but they're still hoping for a triple bye in the Big Ten Tournament and chasing a higher seed for the NCAA Tournament. There's a lot at stake when the Boilermakers and Spartans take the floor Thursday night.
At times this season, Purdue has had trouble with opponents that rebound the basketball at a high level. Michigan State is one of those teams, averaging 41.1 rebounds per game and owning a plus-12.6 differential on the glass, third-best in the country.
Purdue will try to keep guys like Carr, Kohler, Cooper and Fears out of the paint, but that's easier said than done. Michigan State can get the ball deep in the post and attack the rim, making them difficult to defend.
The Boilermakers' offense is also tough to stop, especially when Loyer, Smith, Gicarri Harris, CJ Cox and others are knocking down open shots. It's important for Purdue to establish a presence down low with Kaufman-Renn and Cluff, which should open up its three-point shooters.
This game could come down to the battle on the boards. If Purdue can win that battle, it will put itself in a great position to win an eighth straight game over the Spartans at Mackey Arena.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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