The Badgers would never admit that one game was more important than another. As head coach Bo Ryan reiterated during his weekly press conference, he views every game as a big game.
Nevertheless, when the No. 8 Badgers take the floor against the Purdue Boilermakers Saturday night, do not be surprised if the crowd at the Kohl Center cheers a little louder. After all, even if the Wisconsin players will not admit it, fans know this is not just another"" conference matchup - first place in the Big Ten is on the line.
The Boilermakers (9-1 Big Ten, 18-5 overall) also handed the Badgers (9-1, 19-3) their only conference loss Jan. 26 in West Lafayette, Ind. Down two with under a minute to play, Wisconsin had a chance to tie the game or take the lead, but Purdue freshman Robbie Hummel blocked senior guard Michael Flowers' layup in the closing seconds.
While many Badger backers felt Hummel had fouled Flowers on the shot, the referees thought otherwise, and two Boilermaker free throws gave them a 60-56 victory.
Since that loss, Wisconsin has won three straight games by playing stellar defense and limiting their turnovers. Badger opponents averaged just 50 points over the last three contests.
No UW player in particular has carried Wisconsin through its three-game winning streak, but Flowers, senior forward Brian Butch, junior forward Marcus Landry and sophomore guard Trevon Hughes have all played exceptionally well at times.
Landry led the Badgers with 16 points in their victory over Iowa Wednesday while Hughes posted his fourth 20-point game of the season Sunday at Minnesota.
The Boilermakers enter Saturday night's game on an eight game conference win streak. Purdue has not fallen since a 78-75 defeat at Michigan State early in January.
During the streak, the Boilers' have won games in seemingly every way possible. They defeated Iowa 51-50 in a game dominated by defense, and then downed Illinois 83-75 just three days later.
Like the Badgers, Purdue lacks a superstar, but head coach Matt Painter gets key contributions from several young players.
Freshman guard E'Twaun Moore leads the Boilermakers with 11.2 points per game. He has scored in double figures in eight of Purdue's 10 conference games.
Sophomore guard Keaton Grant averages 10.8 points per game, while Hummel posts 10.4 and 5.8 rebounds each time out.
Purdue has never won a game at the Kohl Center and has not won in Madison since 1996. However, even if the Boilermakers get down early, they have a knack for hanging close with opponents. They have lost four of their five games by three points.
The Badgers and Boilermakers will tip off at 8 p.m. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
