INDIANAPOLIS – For Purdue fans of a certain age - me, for example – the No. 3 Boilermakers' 92-84 win over No. 1 Arizona on Saturday rang a bell. The last time Purdue beat the No. 1 team in the AP poll was on Nov. 25, 2000 in a 72-69 victory also against Arizona in Indianapolis. And It even happened in the same building, although Gainbridge Fieldhouse was known as Conseco Fieldhouse back then.
That game 23 years ago was billed as the Wooden Tradition and was a homecoming of sorts for Wildcats star and Indianapolis native Jason Gardner, who had 14 points in the loss. Arizona might have been a bit jet-lagged after having won the Maui Invitational just three days earlier. The Wildcats were also playing without 7-foot-1 All-American Loren Woods, who was suspended for having received improper benefits. He was a couple decades too early to benefit from NIL.
Purdue was coming off a loss to Central Michigan to start the season, so unlike Saturday's victory, the Boilermakers were not favored. In fact, the 2000 victory was likely one of the biggest upsets of the season.
The Boilers were led by Rodney Smith, who was from Indianapolis, with 20 points, while Joe Marshall, coming off the bench, and Willie Dean each scored 16 points. Deane sealed the game with a breakaway layup that started with Brett Buscher blocking a shot that would have given Arizona the lead. Even the most diehard of Purdue fans may not recognize some of those names.
Hall of Fame coach John Wooden, a Purdue alumnus and one if its all-time greatest players, presented the team the Wooden Tradition trophy after the game.
Gene Keady's Boilermakers finished that season 17-15 overall, 6-10 in the Big Ten and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1992. Arizona went on to advance to the final of the 2001 NCAA Tournament, but fell 82-72 to Duke and finished 28-8.
Saturday's win over Arizona moves Purdue to 3-19 overall against No. 1 teams. The last time the Boilermakers faced a top ranked team was Feb. 16, 2013, when they lost at Indiana 63-55. This was just the sixth time Purdue has faced the No. 1 team since that last victory in 2000.
Purdue itself may move back to No. 1 this week after spending one week at the top of the polls earlier this season. The Boilermakers have been No.1 in the AP Top 25 poll for ten weeks total, all of them over the last three seasons. They are 10-4 as the top-ranked team in the poll.
