Purdue faces Northwestern in a must-win game for Big Ten tournament hopes, with both teams fighting for March Madness positioning.

No. 15 Purdue, struggling after a 6-11 slide and dropped from the Top 10, visits Northwestern seeking a turnaround as both teams vie for Big Ten tournament positioning. Purdue, fifth in the conference with two games left, needs outside help to secure a top-four seed, hampered by defensive lapses and inconsistent play despite strong individual efforts from Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn. Northwestern, 13-16 and 5-13, is on a three-game win streak led by senior Nick Martinelli, who averages 26.3 points and hit a game-winning layup with 1.8 seconds left against Oregon. Martinelli’s leadership is key as the Wildcats fight for a tournament berth and a shot at March Madness.