The last time these two teams squared off, IU’s Oumar Ballo stormed off the court. Mike Woodson assumed helplessness, and Purdue looked ready to win its third straight Big Ten title.

The cause for IU's frustration, Myles Rice, and another IU late game mishap. Once again, the seeds of dissension were at the foot of miscommunication and a young guard whose shot selection continued to let the Hoosiers down late.

For Purdue, the five point home win probably would have felt worse if it wasn’t an IU-Purdue rivalry game. On paper, IU wasn’t in Purdue’s league. Purdue was at the top of the Big Ten and IU was amidst a floundering stretch of losses.

But rivalries don't listen to Kenpom.

Fast forward a few weeks and IU is still towards the cellar of the B10. After helping Purdue out by knocking off MSU on the road behind two strong big man performances, IU lost to UCLA at home. The NCAA bubble is just weak enough to not be able to all the way write off the Hoosiers, but at this point, Mike Woodson’s squad would have to win its final five games to even have a chance to make the tournament.

On paper, Purdue is still leagues above IU, but this isn’t the same three-Pete threatening Purdue team that squeaked out the first win between these two at home. Purdue comes to Bloomington, weighed down by a three game losing streak, all to top-20 teams on Kenpom.

Purdue’s hopes for a third straight conference title are now in the hands of the teams in Michigan and Wisconsin. After the Spartans took down Michigan last night, Purdue trails both Michigan teams by two games. Wisconsin has a one game gap on Purdue after beating the Boilers in Mackey Arena.

Much like IU needs to win out to make the tournament, Purdue has to win its remaining games to have any hope for a share of the Big Ten Title.

Hanging over everything, this is likely the final rivalry matchup for Mike Woodson who will not coach the team past this season. With a win, Woodson would finish his coaching career with a .500 record against Purdue. Considering how lopsided the conference had tilted towards Purdue in those four years, it would be quite the accomplishment for the coach that took over his Alma mater from Archie Miller who never beat Purdue in four seasons. Woodson’s crowning achievement at IU might end up being snapping Purdue’s nine game win streak against IU.

The best part about this rivalry is that it always matters. Surprisingly, it’s been rare both teams have been successful at the same time. The last couple decades have belonged to Purdue, but a new era for IU is approaching and this one can end by ending Purdue’s hope for a third straight conference title.

Enjoy this preview of our premium content? Become a subscriber today for less than $9 per month.

Purdue's last three games haven't gone quite according to plan, losing at Michigan, at home against Wisconsin, and at Michigan State. That said, while the Big Ten title might be slipping away from Purdue, there were some positive developments when it comes to bench production.

Camden Heide seemed to come out of his two month slump at Michigan State. Heide was 2 of 3 from three, and knocked in another three that was wiped out by a defensive foul called just before away from the ball.

Heide has now made three threes in the last two games.

That's the amount of threes he had made in the previous 14 games. Purdue's bench production has been inconsistent at times this season, something that hasn't alarmed Purdue's staff. Purdue has three of the best scorers in the country, and the majority of shots will go to them, but as Purdue's losing streak has extended, any added production would be more than welcomed.

Heide is Purdue's stretch four, and even though he made two of his three shots, Matt Painter wanted him to have taken at least two or three more in the game. With a couple makes under his belt, Heide might be looking to be more aggressive with his shot against IU. He was 0-3 against IU in the first matchup. As a whole, Purdue was just 2 of 13 from three in that game.

Saturday: Oregon at #11 Wisconsin

Monday: #12 Michigan at Nebraska

Wednesday: #14 Michigan State at #20 Maryland

Thursday: Rutgers at #12 Michigan

Where: Assembly Hall, Bloomington, IN

When: 1:30 PM EST

How to watch: CBS