#17 Purdue carries a five game win streak to the west coast as Purdue takes its first trip to the west coast schools where it will hit Washington on Wednesday before heading to Eugene to take on Oregon on Saturday.


Washington and first year coach Danny Sprinkle hasn't found the Big Ten all that hospitable in its first go round. After a 6-1 start to the season, Washington has dropped five of its six conference games to start its venture in the Big Ten including three straight losses to the top of the Big Ten standings: Illinois, Michigan State, and Michigan.


Now Washington gets to play the back to back Big Ten Champion and a team that has won each of its last five games by at least 18 points.

Sprinkle, and his best player, Great Osobor, are a familiar name and foe to Purdue. Purdue played Sprinkle and Osobor last season in the NCAA Tournament when both were part of Utah State's team. Purdue won that game 106-67.


Now Purdue sits just one game back of undefeated in conference play Michigan and Michigan State. It's one of the nation's hottest teams and can make a major statement on the road on its west coast swing before a three game homestand.


Purdue will come into Washington the heavy favorites, but the Huskies get the opportunity to make its first big wave in the Big Ten by taking down the Boilers.

Washington's introduction to the Big Ten has been brutal. It started with playing its fellow west coast brethren, losing on the road to UCLA and getting blown out at home to USC, and then got harder from there.

The traditional Big Ten hasn't been much kinder to the Huskies. Washington's best win of the year is over Maryland at home, but following that, it's fallen to the top of the Big Ten with losses to Illinois, Michigan State, and Michigan. Both of those Michigan games were on the road.

The road doesn't get much easier for Washington despite getting to play host to Purdue in their only matchup of the season. Washington hosts Purdue and then has to go to Oregon before hosting UCLA in the next three games.


Washington will win some games as its conference schedule lightens up in the back half of the schedule, but if Washington has any post season hopes it will need to start winning games now against the Big Ten elites. Which means it needs to win against Purdue on Wednesday.

Great Osobor has been as his name states, scoring 14.3 points a game, 8.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists with more than two steals a game, but the do everything big hasn't been enough to cover up for an offense that struggles to put up points.

Washington has just three scorers in double-figures and two players shooting better than 40% from three.

Washington is one of the least effective and prolific three-point shooting teams in the country and the spacing on offense feels that way on the floor. Washington has been forced to exist in the mid-range, scoring more than half its points from there.

Add in one of the worst free throw shooting percentages in the country, a team that doesn't really protect the ball, or rebound it well, and Washington's advanced numbers might be even bleaker than its 10-7 record indicates. Only Minnesota sets lower in record and Kenpom rating than the Huskies in the Big Ten.

A lot has been made of the travel schedule with the Big Ten's expansion to go out west and add the two California teams and Washington and Oregon.


This will be Purdue's first attempt at it and only one of the season. Purdue plays Wednesday and then again on Saturday. Purdue's flight left early Tuesday morning and will stay on the west coast for the days between games.


Matt Painter talked with us at length last week about preparing and handling the time on the road. His main focus for his team was that the travel wouldn't be their main focus. Instead, they would worry about and control what they could control.

Even if he joked that he knew that sometimes the travel was a legitimate excuse, it wouldn't be an excuse for them.

Purdue won't get much time to recover at home either. It will fly home after the game Saturday and will have to be ready to play Ohio State at home on Tuesday, but that does start a three game homestand that will feature a week break between playing Michigan on January 24th and IU on the 31st.


Purdue will have to avoid overlooking Washington before its showdown with Oregon on Saturday to keep pace with the top of the Big Ten.