Based on the schedule, Purdue was always unlikely to get through this week with a zero still in the loss column. I made note of that in Monday morning’s Top 25 And 1.
But the loss was supposed to come Thursday.
Not Monday.
Which is why what happened inside Mackey Arena in the Boilermakers’ first game of 2023 qualified as a surprising development. Yes, it was overshadowed by the scary situation on Monday Night Football, rightfully so. But Rutgers still shook up the sport with a 65-64 win at Purdue that dropped Matt Painter’s program to 13-1 and cost the Boilermakers the top spot in the Top 25 And 1.
“We [knew what was] coming with Rutgers,” Painter said afterward. “What Rutgers did tonight didn’t shock the coaching staff. We sold it and sold it and sold it, like, ‘Hey, man, these guys are coming.’ If we were going to war, we would stop by New Jersey and pick them up. Them cats, they play for keeps.”
Rutgers led by 10 points at the break and by as many as 13 early in the second half. So the Boilermakers were playing catchup most of the night, which was difficult considering A) national player of the year favorite Zach Edey wasn’t getting as many touches as usual, and B) Purdue’s inability to consistently make 3-pointers was once again a problem. Regardless, Purdue eventually erased that deficit and actually led in the final minute. But Rutgers’ Cam Spencer made a 3-pointer with 13.3 seconds left that gave Rutgers a 65-64 edge and proved to be the game-winner after Purdue’s Brandon Newman missed a jumper in the final moments.
With the loss, Purdue is down to No. 3 in Tuesday morning’s updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings. (Houston is the new No. 1.) The Boilermakers’ next game is Thursday at Ohio State, where KenPom.com projects them as two-point underdogs against a Buckeyes team that’s on a three-game winning streak and ranked 20th in the Top 25 And 1.
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