Purdue Boilermakers Play Big In Big Game

How long has it been since either the Purdue Boilermakers or Indiana Hoosiers were considered the best college basketball team in Indiana? Was it during Brad Stevens’ extraordinary run with the Butler Bulldogs?

Right now, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish sit No. 8 in the AP and Coaches polls — Indiana is 22, and Purdue is nowhere to be found. But as we all know, none of this matters during a rivalry game. Mackey Arena in West Lafayette has sold out their last 43 contests between the Boilermakers and the Hoosiers, and whether it was the energy of the rivalry reinvigorating Purdue, or the start of a run through the Big Ten, the Boilermakers showed up for work.

One team wears their surname on their collar, the other doesn’t. One dons old gold, the other opts for crimson. This is tradition. What is new to the story is how Purdue is now known for their size — and on Wednesday night, they made Indiana look diminutive.

Three-point shooting wasn’t even a factor, and outside of Yogi Ferrell cutting and kicking out, Indiana didn’t have a solution for Purdue’s formidable front court. A.J. Hammons protected the rim for Purdue. The Anthony Davis athletic doppleganger finished with a season-high eight blocks.

Yet it was one of Purdue’s smallest players, Bryson Scott, who played the biggest. Coming off the bench, Scott contributed 11 points and surprisingly the 6-foot-1 point guard ripped six rebounds, leading all Boilermakers.

Purdue improves to 13-8 and enters an interesting five-game stretch; on the road at the Northwestern Wildcats, at home against the Ohio State Buckeyes, on the road to the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Rutgers Scarlet Knights and then back home to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers. In what could be the deciding stretch of Purdue’s season, it’ll be their longest stretch of 2015 devoid of playing a ranked opponent.

The timing could not be any better for Purdue either, and as long as they can play big, who says they can’t keep winning big too?

Jerry Landry is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow Jerry on Twitter at @Jerry2Landry, “Like” him on Facebook or add him on Google.