Purdue wins Big Ten
Purdue ripped through the Big Ten Tournament, winning four games in four days to beat Michigan in the championship and grab the conference title — a momentum spike heading into March Madness. The run capped a hectic week for the Boilers and keeps them hot despite Michigan still holding a No. 1 NCAA seed. CBS Sports Freep.
Purdue topped Michigan 80-72 in the Big Ten championship at the United Center in Chicago on March 15, 2026 espn.com. Oscar Cluff scored 21 points and Trey Kaufman‑Renn added 20 in the final, while Braden Smith finished with 14 points and 11 assists in the game. espn.com Braden Smith was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, and Purdue says he totaled 46 assists over the event; Smith also sits at 1,075 career assists, one shy of Bobby Hurley’s NCAA mark. usatoday.com The Boilermakers entered the conference tournament as the No. 7 seed with a 13‑7 Big Ten record, and Selection Sunday elevated Purdue to a No. 2 seed in the West Region for the NCAA Tournament. purduesports.com Purdue’s No. 2 West draw sends them to St. Louis to open March Madness on March 20 against 15‑seed Queens, according to the revealed bracket. si.com Michigan had won the Big Ten regular season and entered the tournament as the conference’s No. 1 seed, led by Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg. bigten.org The title is Purdue’s third Big Ten Tournament championship and the program’s first tournament crown since 2023; the official release notes Purdue’s seniors accounted for 69 of the team’s 80 points in the final. bigten.org
