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Purdue Upsets No. 1 Michigan to Win 2026 Big Ten Tournament, 80-72

The No. 7 seed capped four games in four days, leaving Braden Smith one assist from the NCAA career record.

Overview

  • Oscar Cluff scored 21 points and Trey Kaufman-Renn had 20 as Purdue dominated key interior stretches and sealed the game at the stripe.
  • Braden Smith posted 14 points and 11 assists, repeatedly finding Kaufman-Renn in pick-and-roll actions that broke the game open early in the second half.
  • Purdue made nine of its first 11 shots after halftime to build a double-digit lead that Michigan never cut below five in the final minutes.
  • The Boilermakers completed a four-games-in-four-days run after wins over Northwestern, Nebraska and UCLA to reach the final.
  • The championship is Purdue’s third Big Ten Tournament title and first since 2023, and the result bolsters Purdue’s seed as projections still place Michigan on the No. 1 line.