The jury is still way, way out on if the Big Ten will prove that it deserved seven NCAA Tournament bids, but Purdue ensured that one of the conference's higher seeds would be around for the weekend. The fifth-seed Boilermakers fought off No. 12-seed Northern Iowa, 61-56 in the West Region's first round.The 5-vs.-12 matchup always carries heightened upset potential, and Northern Iowa looked fully capable of bouncing the Boilermakers, entering Thursday's game winners of five straight, which included the Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship. Purdue led by as much as 14 early in the second half before Northern Iowa came back. But with the game at a classic Big Ten pace, Purdue managed to hold on.
The Big Ten tournament champion Boilermakers also had to be happy with sophomore Robbie Hummel's stat line of nine points and 11 boards. Hummel has been battling back issues all season and Purdue has been a much more formidable team with him in the lineup. Despite getting popped in the face a few times by the Panthers in a rugged game down low, Hummel persevered, a good sign going forward for the Boilermakers.
Outside of No. 2 seed Michigan State, Purdue and Illinois are the highest-rated Big Ten teams in the field, both at the five spot. The Illini's fate looks up in the air with point guard Chester Frazier injured, and every other Big Ten team -- Ohio State, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin -- will have its hands full just getting out of the first round.
Purdue's win, then, was a must-have for the conference, considering the Big Ten's exclusive spot under the microscope this March.
