Purdue won't repeat the Big Ten titles this season.
The regular-season Big Ten champions lost 76-75 to Wisconsin in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Saturday. Max Kleschmid hit a shot in the lane with less than five seconds left in overtime for the win before Lance Jones' long pull-up 3-pointer missed everything before the buzzer.
Purdue held the lead at the end of regulation before Wisconsin forced overtime. As Wisconsin got the ball and Chucky Hepburn hit a game-tying layup, Boilermakers star center Zach Eddy guarded the inbounds pass.
The loss drops Purdue to 29-4 overall and doesn't hurt the Boilermakers' chances for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Thanks to Arizona's loss in the Pac-12 Tournament on Friday, the Boilermakers should be safely in line for the No. 1 seed on Sunday.
The trick was to avoid the upset loss that stunned college basketball a season ago. Purdue became just the second No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed in 2023 when Fairleigh Dickinson upset the Boilermakers.
The win should cement Wisconsin's position as a top-six seed in the tournament. The Badgers finished fifth in the Big Ten after losing three of their final four regular season games, but beat Maryland and Northwestern to open the Big Ten Tournament. A three-game hitting streak is once again a nightmare for the Badgers, as they've lost eight of their final 11 games.
