NCAA Basketball: Purdue, Virginia falls, Marquette and Gonzaga rise in top 25 power rankings

8. Purdue Boilermakers – 24-5 (13-5 Big Ten)

After a two-game losing skid, Purdue was able to take a breather last Sunday, taking on the worst team in the Big Ten. And I don’t mean Minnesota, as the Ohio State Buckeyes have been playing the worst of any team in the league.

And the result went as expected, as the Boilermakers, who were at home, ran away with the 82-55 victory. Zach Edey was the lone starter in double figures but he did plenty enough on his own, scoring 26 points and 11 rebounds on 11/20 shooting from the field. Forward Trey Kaufmann-Renn had 11 points off the bench, while Mason Gillis pulled down 10 rebounds.

The level of competition quickly heated up, with the Indiana Hoosiers coming to town. It was a game that Purdue was in control of for a bit but the guards struggled mightily on both ends of the court in what ended up being a 79-71 defeat. Edey had another big game with 26 points and 16 rebounds, with Fletcher Loyer going for 14. But he and Braden Smith combined to shoot 6/23 from the field, which played a role in the defeat.

With the loss, Purdue now isn’t guaranteed to win the Big Ten regular-season title. They still are the favorite and can win it on their own if they win the next two games on the schedule. But a road game at Wisconsin and a home battle with Illinois won’t be easy games for them.