Northwestern basketball almost upsets Purdue, again: 3 takeaways from the loss
It almost happened, again.
Northwestern basketball went on the road and took Purdue to the wire in overtime.
Boo Buie starred, Ty Berry was right behind him and the Wildcats showed plenty of mettle in a hostile environment.
It wasn't enough. Purdue held on 105-96 in overtime.
Northwestern shot wild from 3-point range, hitting 14 of 27 shots from the perimeter. Five players scored in double figures.
Here are three takeaways from the near upset.
Boo Buie is close to earning a statue
The same week that Buie is named a finalist for the Bob Cousey award, he does his thing against Purdue.
He dropped 25 points, and filled the rest of the stat sheet with eight assists, five rebounds and a steal.
Buie plays with arguably the best star power Northwestern has ever had. Other Wildcats like Vic Law, Bryant McIntosh and others in the Chris Collins era.
Northwestern went to the NCAA Tournament just once before Buie became a Wildcat. Now, they're on the verge of going to two-straight dances.
Buie also orchestrated two upsets of No. 1 overall Purdue, and almost a third.
You can't ignore the influence Buie has had on a program that's finally brought in the star power it's wanted for years before the Collins era.
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Ty Berry emerges when the lights are brightest
Heading into Wednesday night, Ty Berry had 10 points against Ohio State and 14 against Illinois.
For the second time this season, he went over 20 points against Purdue.
Berry was stellar. He made 5 of his 8 3-pointers and finished with 25 points in the near upset.
Berry was also stellar against Purdue earlier this season, scoring 21 in the win. He also had 22 in a win over Michigan State earlier this season, too.
Having Chase Audige depart from the program for the NBA last season hurt. He had a dynamic-duo effect with Buie.
If the 'Cats can replicate that with Buie and Berry, that makes Northwestern a dangerous team come Big 10 and NCAA Tournament time.
WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA - JANUARY 31: Head coach Chris Collins of the Northwestern Wildcats directs his team during the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena on January 31, 2024 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Caster
The 'Cats are still a productive month away from an at-large bid
Northwestern has wins over Michigan State, No. 1 Purdue and No. 10 Illinois. That's three Quad 1 wins, with arguably a fourth in an early season win over 17-3 Dayton.
This puts the 'Cats in a prime position to earn an at-large bid at the start of February, even with the loss to Purdue on Wednesday.
Right now, NU is not slated to play a ranked team in February. That could change, but that just means the Wildcats will have a chance to take care of business.
Start with the home slate. Northwestern will host Nebraska, Penn State, Michigan, Iowa and Minnesota. Win those games, and that means the 'Cats should need just one or two road wins to clinch an at-large bid. The game to watch: March 6 at Michigan State. Winning on the road in East Lansing should all but wrap up an at-large bid.
Other Big 10 teams have earned the same with lesser resumes.