In these team's last matchup last year, Nebraska gave Purdue its only double-digit loss of the regular season. Purdue will now get the chance to host the Cornhuskers and get some revenge.


Purdue comes in as one of the Big Ten's hottest teams after a rocky start that saw it lose its first conference game of the season at Penn State. Purdue has won each of its last four games by at least 18 points, including coming off a road win against Rutgers on Thursday.


Nebraska comes to Mackey Arena kicking themselves after letting a road game against Iowa slip away late before losing in overtime, 97-87. The win would have been Nebraska's third road win of the season. Instead, Nebraska falls to 2-2 in the Big Ten, and will have an uphill battle to compete for the conference title after a non-conference schedule that saw Nebraska pick up a big win over Creighton on the road.

With UCLA picking up another loss and Illinois losing to USC, the Big Ten's two remaining lossless conference players are Michigan and Michigan State. After losing its first conference game of the season, Purdue sits just one game back of them both now before it heads out for its first west coast trip in the new Big Ten.

With a win, Purdue will have five straight Big Ten wins.

With a win, Nebraska will pick up its third road win and a signature victory against a top-20 and avoid back to back losses.

Fred Hoiberg is building something in Lincoln.

"They've gotten better from year to year and they keep building," said Matt Painter on Fred Hoiberg and his program at Nebraska. "And that's a heck of a statement because even though they have experienced players they don't have a bunch of experienced players of being there."


It starts at the defensive end for Nebraska. Nebraska has Kenpom's 14th best ranked defense in the country currently, something Purdue knows a little something about. This will be the seventh top-20 defense Purdue has faced this season.

"Obviously they've got one of the best defenses in the country," Painter said on Saturday. "They obviously beat us last year. I thought they were the tougher team last year and normally the tougher teams win."


Purdue will be challenged, particularly Trey Kaufman-Renn. There's not many teams in the country better coordinated at trapping, disguising, and going after bigs with the ball in their hands than Nebraska. Purdue, with Zach Edey, lost the rebound and turnover battle to Nebraska last season. As always, that will be an important indicator for Purdue. Something Purdue has done well with in the last four games.


In general, Purdue has been a more disciplined and tougher team of late. Part of that has been sparked by a change to Purdue's starting lineup with true freshman C.J. Cox taking the third guard spot and Caleb Furst moving into the 4/5 spot next to Trey Kaufman-Renn.


Purdue's responded by having its best defensive performances of the season, holding back to back teams to less than a point a possession.


"I think we've made improvements since Christmas," Purdue assistant coach Paul Lusk told me Saturday. "I do think, too, adding Caleb to the lineup, just with his length and athleticism, that's what he brings to the table."


But one player doesn't explain Purdue's complete turnaround on the defensive end. It's taken a team-wide approach.

"Guys have bought in," Lusk continued. "They've done a good job of following the scouting report."

Against Nebraska, Purdue will try to do what Nebraska is so good at doing on its end. Keep the Cornhuskers out of the paint and slow down 20+ point scorer, Brice Williams.


"When we keep the ball out of the paint, we're most successful," Lusk said.

Last year, Nebraska was one of just three regular seasons losses for Purdue for the entire season. This year's Purdue team comes into the game with four losses already on its record This is on the heel of Purdue spending three seasons without a non-conference loss.

That kind of success is unprecedented. It can also play with a team's mind.

"You sometimes become numb to it," Assistant Coach Lusk told me Saturday. "Oh, we'll just go undefeated in the preseason with all the people we play."

"What is it?" Lusk answered about what's gotten Purdue in such a better place to start the year than how it finished. "It's having those losses, coming back and letting guys understand where we've got to get better. I think we're still getting combinations figured out."

Part of that figuring things out has been multiple changes to the starting lineup, something Purdue has done a handful of times this season already.


"Here's the deal," Lusk said, sounding and talking like one of Matt Painter's best assets, an assistant coach that has been and will be a head coach again. "At the end of the day, was it nice, was it great to be undefeated the last three non-conference seasons? Sure. But if these losses can make us better with the teams we've played, that has prepared us for stuff we're gonna need that's gonna make us better."


Purdue will take on that task of being better against on Sunday as it tries to get the best of Nebraska before a two-game west coast swing to finish the week.