Purdue Takes Over Top Spot in Big Ten Basketball Standings
In this story:
The quest for a third straight Big Ten title is alive and well in West Lafayette. After the results from Tuesday night in the conference, Purdue now sits atop the league standings alone.
Purdue defeated Iowa 90-81 and Michigan State dropped a 63-61 decision to UCLA, moving the Boilermakers into sole possession of first place in the Big Ten standings.
Entering Tuesday night, the Boilers trailed the Spartans by a half game. Purdue now sits at 10-2 in league play while Michigan State owns a 9-2 record. The two teams will meet just once this season, a Feb. 18 showdown in East Lansing.
Purdue has won each of the last two Big Ten titles and is looking to win a third consecutive league crown. There's still a lot of basketball remaining, but right now, the Boilermakers are in a great position to accomplish that feat.
The Boilers return to action on Friday, hosting USC. Michigan State will play again on Saturday, hosting Oregon.
Also in the race for the Big Ten title are Michigan (8-2), Wisconsin (8-4), UCLA (8-4) and Maryland (7-4).
Related stories on Purdue basketball
SMITH'S HALFTIME MESSAGE PROVIDES SPARK: Purdue lacked energy in the first half on Tuesday night against Iowa. At halftime, Braden Smith reminded his teammates of their goals this season, which provided a major second-half spark. CLICK HERE
WHAT PAINTER SAID: Purdue got its fifth Big Ten road victory over the season, defeating Iowa 90-81. Everything coach Matt Painter said after another Boilermakers victory. CLICK HERE
SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS OVER BRADEN SMITH: Braden Smith had a 31-point night in Purdue's win over Iowa on Tuesday. Throughout the game, college basketball fans and analysts raved about the junior guard. CLICK HERE
SMITH HITS BUZZER BEATER: Purdue guard Braden Smith hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at halftime, giving the Boilermakers some momentum heading into the locker room Tuesday vs. Iowa. CLICK HERE
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.
Follow SchutteDustin