Three Thoughts is a new feature GoldandBlack.com will run every Monday morning in-season.
ON THE BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
This weekend, Purdue heads to the Big Ten Tournament with little at stake. It's possible the Boilermakers could move up to a 2 seed by winning the thing, but Purdue's place in the NCAA field Is obviously set, and it'll have a favorable seed regardless of what happens in Indy.
That said, Purdue ought to head to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to win the thing. Doing so would matter.
The counter-argument there would be that for a team with bigger aspirations, playing three games in as many days isn't worth the tread on the tires a few days before the NCAA Tournament tips off. I get that.
But I'll also point out that Purdue was one-and-done in the Big Ten Tournament last season and the extra rest was so valuable that the Boilermakers were dismal In the first half against North Texas and went on to lose that game in OT.
I'll also add that that much-needed week of rest that just came Purdue's way preceded the Boilermakers' trip to Michigan State, where they thoroughly beat themselves against a team that's shown itself to be quite average, to put it nicely. That game wound up costing Purdue a Big Ten title as much as Wisconsin's bank jobs did.
You know what Purdue needs right now?
Positive momentum.
