Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/468382
GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 25, EXPRESS 22 • 2 THE BIG TEN Since 2000, Purdue has reached 10 conference wins before March eight times. (It reached the feat this season after last week's win against Indiana.) Six of the previous seven teams went on to at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Date of 10th Season conference win Postseason advancement 1999-00 Feb. 19 Elite Eight 2002-03 Feb. 21 First round NIT 2007-08 Feb. Round of 32 2008-09 Feb. 21 Sweet 16 2009-10 Feb. 17 Sweet 16 2010-11 Feb. 16 Round of 32 2011-12 Feb. 29 Round of 32 2014-15 Feb. 19 ?? "Rapheal Davis has been un - believable. He's one of the best, if not the best, perimeter defensive players out there," Painter said. "… Every night, he takes that on as a challenge and look who he's guarded. I think one guy all sea- son in Big Ten play has gotten him, D.J. Newbill. Outside of that, I think he's gotten the upper hand on everybody he's guarded. "He has been one of the best defenders we've had here in the past 10 years." Behind its upperclassmen, Purdue has peaked at the right time, though too late to do any- thing about some of the past transgressions that continue to haunt it. Purdue seems strongly posi- tioned for the NCAA Tournament right now, with road games at Ohio State and Michigan State providing opportunities to seal it, but the Bubble is an unsettling place. Bad losses, specifically those North Florida and Gardner-Webb setbacks in December, have put Purdue in this spot. Those were regrettable, but also perhaps part of the process that brought Purdue from 8-5 in non-conference play to a surpris- ing 10-4 in Big Ten games, likely to be 11-4 after it hosts Rutgers, which has lost 11 straight. Painter refers back at sun- shine blown at Big Ten media days in October. "Everything's great, great, great, but where's the adversity?" he said. "You don't have adversity in the spring, summer and fall like you have in the winter, and then right when adversity sets in, who are you? We've proven (who we are). We've got to keep going, but I think as a whole we've proven it." j Weekly Pic Tom Campbell Stephanie White was caught in an emotional moment at halftime of Saturday's game with Illinois. The Boilermaker legend was obviously touched by the response of the Boilermaker faithful as she was the game's guest of honor.