If the Boilermakers defeat the Hawkeyes, they also likely will be No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the first time on Monday
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Purdue has won lots of Big Ten titles, made multiple Final Fours, and generally been a very good college basketball program for basically my entire life. But one thing the Boilermakers have never done, believe it or not, is sit atop the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
That could change Monday, though.
The only thing between Purdue and history is Friday night’s home game against Iowa. If the Boilermakers win, they’ll move to No. 1 when the AP poll updates Monday. It’s a big deal and not something Matt Painter is trying to hide from his players or minimize as a possible accomplishment.
Does he want to be ranked No. 1 in the AP poll?
Yes, of course he does.
“It’s like getting into the NCAA Tournament and saying, ‘Hey, we want to go to the Final Four.’ No shit. … Everybody wants to go to the Final Four,” Painter said, his point being that just as everybody wants to make a Final Four, everybody wants to someday be ranked No. 1. “But you have to win the first game to get to the second game [of the NCAA Tournament]. It’s process-based. It’s not results-based. [You can’t] think about, ‘Hey, I want to go to the Final Four.’ You better think about transition defense and ball-screen defense and taking care of the basketball. So it’s just really important for us to stay process-based, keep our focus right there, and have fun.”
The Boilermakers moved to No. 1 in the CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings on Wednesday morning and obviously remain there in Friday morning’s updated rankings. They’re listed as 12.5-point favorites over Iowa, which is 7-0 and led by sophomore Keegan Murray. The 6-foot-8 forward is averaging a Big Ten-best 24.6 points in 26.1 minutes per game. If the Hawkeyes are to challenge Purdue inside Mackey Arena, they’ll likely need a massive effort from the three-star high school recruit who has, in less than two years, developed into a legitimate NBA prospect.
Friday’s tipoff is set for 9 p.m. ET.
You can watch it on the Big Ten Network.
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