Big Ten Basketball: Purdue vs. Northwestern preview, prediction, TV schedule
By Michael Foy
On Sunday night in the Big Ten basketball league, the Purdue Boilermakers travel to Evanston to take on the Northwestern Wildcats.
TV Schedule: Sunday, Mar. 5, 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS
Arena: Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston, Illinois
Prediction: Purdue 75 Northwestern 68
Northwestern is such a difficult team to figure out. At one point this year everyone was certain that the Wildcats would break their streak and finally make the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats were 18-4 and no one saw them stumbling enough to fall out of the NCAA Tournament.
Related Story: Wildcats clinch first ever NCAA Tournament bid?
Fast-forward a few weeks and dropping six of eight games later and now no one is certain of the Wildcats postseason destiny. Sure, the talking heads think they are in after beating Michigan earlier this week, but crazier things have happened than Northwestern once again getting shut out of the NCAA Tournament this year.
A win over Purdue would easily seal the deal for Northwestern’s NCAA Tournament birth, though.
Purdue, on the other hand, is one of the hottest teams in the country, winning seven of their last eight games. The Boilermakers are Big Ten outright champs and now NCAA Tournament seeding is the only thing on their mind.
The Boilermakers have officially won their first outright title since they three-peated between 1994-1996. It’s always great to win the Big Ten title, but it means a little extra when you are standing on that peak alone. Now Purdue is fighting for seeding in this match-up versus Northwestern, and no one should expect the Boilermakers to take their foot off the gas.
Next: Player of the Year power rankings (Final Edition)
Northwestern is fighting for an NCAA Tournament birth for the first time in their program’s history, while Purdue is fighting to impress the committee. To add to the storyline, Northwestern’s string of losses started when Purdue beat the heck out of the Wildcats in an 80-59 victory in West Lafayette on February 1st, so you best believe revenge is on the Wildcats’ mind. These three factors should create an incredible game on Sunday.