Looking Back: 3 Takeaways From Purdue's Victory Over Illinois

The regular season is over just as fast as it started.

Purdue, with expectations placed on them of a rebuilding season after losing four starters, including two to the NBA, was unranked in the preseason, selected to finish in the bottom half of the Big Ten, and had no pre-season All-Americans, blew those expectations out of the water.

Matt Painter would have one of his more masterful seasons behind the post presence of Zach Edey who made a huge sophomore to junior season jump. This leap has become a trademark under Coach Painter.

Purdue would find themselves winning their 25th Big Ten Championship, they would find themselves ranked number one over the course of the season for a total of seven weeks, and will eventually have the National Player of the Year, in Zach Edey.

While it has not been pretty at all times of the season, what is life without adversity? Purdue found a way to accomplish a great regular season, but now the focus turns to the post-season, where you are one and done.

Purdue, who led by 21 at halftime found themselves in another grinder late game.

Illinois is a team that has made several second-half comebacks this season, and Sunday at Mackey Arena was no different. In the first half, even with Zach Edey and foul trouble in the last five minutes of the half, Purdue extended their lead.

That lead would quickly dwindle at the start of the second half when Illinois found their three-point shot and Purdue's three-point shot disappeared. At halftime the Boilers were shooting 50% from deep, a season-high, led by Junior Brandon Newman, but would finish the game shooting under 35% again and right at their season average of 33%.

With 1:17 left in the contest, Illinois tied the game at 67. Purdue would respond with a six-to-nothing run before Illinois began hitting ridiculous three-point shots.

When the final buzzer went off, Purdue found themselves winning 76 to 71, followed by Senior Day for David Jenkins Jr. and Matt Frost, as well as time to celebrate the Big Ten Championship with their home crowd.

Nets were cut, pictures were taken, and confetti fell. Winning is winning, and Matt Painter does it quite often in West Lafayette.

Brandon Newman found himself in the starting lineup for the second game in a row. He has seized the opportunity to its fullest, sparking the Boilermaker defense in back-to-back games.

He also has provided Purdue with additional scoring that seemed to lack with the previous starting group. Newman led Purdue Sunday in scoring, with 19 points. He also would add five rebounds and six assists. While that is all great, he had two accomplishments that some would turn a blind eye to.

He had only one turnover, something that has plagued his career. He also defended Illinois' best player for the majority of the game, Terrance Shannon Jr. Shannon was held under his season average after being pestered all game long by Newman and Ethan Morton.

Purdue is teetering right on the 1 to 2 line for the NCAA Tournament. A rough month of February made the seeding line debatable. But, Purdue has won three of their last four now and looks to win the Big Ten Tournament.

If they win the BTT, I believe one seed would be locked up. Even making the Big Ten Tournament championship game could do it.

A loss to Rutgers or Michigan on Friday though would all but cement a second seed come to Selection Sunday. Personally, I do not care either way. While one seed would be a great accomplishment, there is not much of a difference between the two.

If Purdue does land as a two-seed, they should be the highest two-seed and will avoid whoever is the number one overall seed.

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