Indiana Hoosiers vs Purdue Boilermakers Picks and Predictions February 23rd 2025

No. 13 Purdue Stumbles Into Matchup with Rival Indiana

Before his team traveled to face No. 14 Michigan State on Tuesday, Purdue coach Matt Painter talked openly about the No. 13 Boilermakers improving on the defensive end after allowing 94 points in a loss to then-No. 16 Wisconsin.

Purdue’s Defensive Concerns

Purdue (19-8, 11-5 Big Ten) has fallen into a tie for fourth in the conference with Maryland heading into the weekend. A double bye for the Big Ten tournament, which seemed certain for most of the year, is now in jeopardy if the Boilermakers can’t correct their defensive struggles.

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Another poor defensive showing resulted in a 75-66 loss to Michigan State, likely knocking Purdue out of the race for the Big Ten regular-season title. The Boilermakers allowed the Spartans to shoot 58.3 percent from the field and hit 68.6 percent of their two-point attempts.

“We have to be better on the basketball,” Painter said. “We can’t get beat as bad as we got beat the other night and expect to have positive results.”

Turnovers were also an issue, as Purdue committed 12 against Michigan State, including six from star point guard Braden Smith.

Indiana’s Desperate Push

Indiana (15-11, 6-9) has been idle since Feb. 14, when it fell 72-68 at home to UCLA. The loss was the Hoosiers’ sixth in their past seven games, further complicating their hopes for an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.

The Hoosiers have struggled in close games, which has contributed to coach Mike Woodson’s decision to leave at season’s end.

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“If you win one or two of them, you’re feeling good about yourself when you’re in close games,” Woodson said. “The fact that we’ve lost them, it’s been guys searching. I’m searching as the coach in terms of trying to get them over the finish line.”

Despite Indiana investing heavily in NIL deals to attract top transfers, the team has yet to fully gel, particularly on the defensive end.

Last Meeting Recap

In the previous meeting on Jan. 31, Purdue secured an 81-76 win over Indiana. The Boilermakers shot 52.7 percent from the field and committed just 10 turnovers, while Indiana shot an even better 56.6 percent but gave the ball away 20 times, proving costly in the close loss.

What’s at Stake?

Purdue is fighting to regain its defensive identity and secure a top-four Big Ten finish, while Indiana is trying to keep its slim tournament hopes alive.