Purdue Moves Up One Spot, Comes in at No. 4 in Latest AP College Basketball Top 25 Poll

Victories over Northwestern and Rutgers pushed Purdue to the No. 4 ranking in this week's AP College Basketball Top 25 poll. The Boilermakers have a 24-4 overall record and are 13-4 in the Big Ten.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — After a road victory over Northwestern, Purdue basketball returned to Mackey Arena and earned a convincing win over Rutgers, 84-72. The pair of victories last week allowed the Boilermakers to move up to No. 4 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 Poll. 

Gonzaga remained the No. 1-ranked team in the nation with a unanimous vote, followed by Arizona and Auburn. 

Purdue was one of five Big Ten programs ranked this week, and remains the highest-ranked team in the conference. The other teams include No. 13 Wisconsin, No. 15 Illinois, No. 22 Ohio State and No. 25 Iowa. Michigan State and Rutgers also received votes. 

The Boilermakers now sit atop the Big Ten standings with a 24-4 overall record, which includes a 13-4 mark in league play, with three games left in the regular season. 

On Wednesday, Feb. 16, Purdue staved off a late Northwestern rally to hang on for a 70-64 win. The team held the Wildcats to 35% shooting from the floor as senior Eric Hunter Jr. and sophomores Mason Gillis and Zach Edey all scored in double figures. 

Sophomore guard Jaden Ivey tied a season-low scoring output with just eight points in the contest. But he bounced back with a 25-point showing against Rutgers on Sunday. Ivey made 15 of his 18 free throws to lead the Boilers to victory.

Next up, Purdue will go on the road to face off against Michigan State on Saturday. The game is scheduled to tip off at noon ET and will be aired live on ESPN. 

AP Top 25 College Basketball Poll, Feb. 21

Here is the Week 16 Associated Press Top 25 college basketball poll, with Big Ten teams in bold.

1. Gonzaga (23-2)
2. Arizona (24-2)
3. Auburn (24-3)
4. Purdue (24-4)
5. Kansas (22-4)
6. Kentucky (22-5)
7. Duke (23-4)
8. Villanova (21-6)
9. Texas Tech (21-6)
10. Baylor (22-5)
11. Providence (22-3)
12. UCLA (19-5)
13. Wisconsin (21-5)
14. Houston (22-4)
15. Illinois (19-7)
16. USC (23-4)
17. Tennessee (19-7)
18. Arkansas (21-6)
19. Murray State (26-2)
20. Texas (19-8)
21. Connecticut (19-7)
22. Ohio State (16-7)
23. Saint Mary's (22-6)
24. Alabama (17-10)
25. Iowa (18-8)

Others receiving votes:

Michigan State 58, Rutgers 35, Wyoming 24, Boise State 22, Davidson 19, San Diego State 14, South Dakota State 13, LSU 13, Marquette 12, Wake Forest 11, Colorado State 10, Belmont 5, Notre Dame 4, SMU 3, Xavier 2, North Texas 2, Creighton 1, Vermont 1, Wagner 1

Stories Related to Purdue Basketball

• PURDUE RETAKES BIG TEN LEAD WITH WIN OVER RUTGERS: No. 5 Purdue was the first Big Ten team to get to 13 league wins on Sunday, knocking off red-hot Rutgers 84-72 at Mackey Arena to move a half-game ahead of Illinois and Wisconsin in the league standings with three games to go. CLICK HERE
• IVEY SHOWS AGGRESSIVENESS AGAINST RUTGERS: Purdue sophomore guard Jaden Ivey scored a team-high 25 points in an 84-72 victory over Rutgers on Sunday at Mackey Arena. He was 15-of-18 from the free-throw line and threw down a highlight-reel dunk to help the Boilermakers snap the Scarlet Knight's four-game winning streak. CLICK HERE
• TIPOFF TIME ANNOUNCED FOR GAME AGAINST MICHIGAN STATE: Purdue basketball will tip off against Michigan State on the road Saturday, Feb. 26, at noon ET, and the game will be aired live on ESPN. The matchup marks the start of a three-game stretch to end the regular season for the Boilermaker. CLICK HERE 

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