WEST LAFAYETTE — Preseason plaudits as the nation’s No. 1 team already have the conversation of Purdue men’s basketball‘s season focused on the destination.
The Boilermakers now know the full extent of their path, after the Big Ten released game dates Thursday. The focus on returning to conference championship form will precede any postseason goals. The path to that trophy has never before required more travel, physical maintenance — and, some might argue, dumb luck.
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The meandering road begins Dec. 2 at Rutgers. Here are the most critical junctures along the way to March.
When do Purdue and Indiana play in college basketball?
Matt Painter‘s first game against Darien DeVries as IU coach comes in Bloomington on Jan. 27. The Hoosiers make their return to trip to Mackey Arena on Feb. 20. The Big Ten made this series one of its protected rivalries when expanding the schedule to 20 games in 2017.
Purdue and IU have split the past eight meetings dating back to the start of the 2021-22 season. Where those games fall on the schedule can matter a great deal. They tend to get physical, even personal, and both winning or losing requires a quick mental recovery.
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That second meeting comes in the middle of a major three-game home stand for the Boilermakers. Michigan comes in Feb. 17, and Michigan State visits Feb. 26. That’s three matchups of typically heightened intensity — not to mention ones traditionally pivotal to the Big Ten race — in a span of 10 days.
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The Los Angeles trip comes in the first half of the Big Ten schedule. After playing at USC on Jan. 17, the Boilermakers travel across the city to face John Wooden’s other former team, UCLA, on Jan. 20.
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Purdue learned the timing of the return is more timing than the crucial of the departure. Last season, it had to be back on the court against Ohio State two days after flying home from Oregon.
This season, it returns on a Tuesday and won’t play again until a Saturday, Jan. 24, against Illinois. That could allow for a full day off for players.
Purdue plays six games in 17 days from the resumption of Big Ten play on Jan. 3 — at Rutgers — to that Jan. 20 game at UCLA. Last season its tightest stretch included six games in 16 days.
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Based on current expectations, this never set up as an overly arduous schedule for Purdue. Some of its toughest games — at least based on far from 20-20 foresight entering the season — are single-play opponents who only come to Mackey Arena.
However, the first Indiana game starts a stretch of four out of five games on the road — at Maryland (Feb. 1), at Nebraska (Feb. 10) and at Iowa (Feb. 14). Purdue comes of out that portion of the schedule with the three straight home games mentioned above.
If the Boilermakers are in conference championship contention, they’ll need to close things out both on the road — March 1 at Ohio State, March 4 at Northwestern — and against an old nemesis. Wisconsin, which torched Mackey Arena for 94 points last season, is the senior day opponent.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue basketball schedule: When play Indiana, trip to Los Angeles?
