The No. 13 Purdue Boilermakers still can’t find a way to end their slump, as they fell prey to No. 14 Michigan State Spartans on Tuesday, 75-66.
The Spartans are having surprising success in the 2024-25 college basketball season, with not many people believing before the campaign that they would seriously contend for at least the Big Ten regular-season title, but after beating Purdue, Michigan State improved to 12-3 in conference play and 21-5 overall.
Purdue Boilermakers’ Matt Painter praises Tom Izzo
Michigan State’s success wouldn’t have been possible without the coaching of the legendary Tom Izzo, who got his flowers from Purdue head coach Matt Painter following the game.
“Oh, it’s unbelievable, I think they cut me off in the video, which is probably a smart decision to cut me off, but I compared it to Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hit streak, and obviously it still stands,” Painter said about Izzo’s Big Ten record (h/t the Spartans’ official website).
Before the Purdue game, Izzo guided the Spartans to a 79-65 win on the road over the Illinois Fighting Illini. That victory gave Izzo the sole ownership of the record for most Big Ten wins, breaking a tie with former Indiana Hoosiers head coach Bob Knight. Michigan State’s win against the Boilermakers was Izzo’s 355th ever in the Big Ten.
“He’s worked it. It’s hard, man, like battling everybody else in competition, but also battling your own people. I think people don’t understand that. The people that support you, you battle also, because when you raise your expectations and you go to eight Final Fours and 10 Big Ten Championships, like people expect that,” added Painter about Izzo.
Meanwhile, Purdue dropped to 19-8 overall and 11-5 in conference games. The Boilermakers will try to end their skid on Sunday versus the Hoosiers in Bloomington.
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