BY RODERICK BOONE
Go figure.
Purdue was picked to finish in the lower half of the Big 10 standings and the Boilermakers are proving why preseason predictions are about as trustworthy as the weather man.
With its upset 72-67 victory over No. 8 Wisconsin on the Badgers' home court Saturday, No. 24 Purdue found itself in first place as the Boilermakers extended their winning streak to nine while snapping the Badgers' 16-game home win streak.
It was Purdue's first road victory over a top 10 team since March 1, 1998 when it won at then-No. 10 Michigan State. It was also the first time the Boilermakers had knocked off the Badgers (19-4, 9-2) in Madison since Feb. 7, 1996. Freshman Robbie Hummel, who netted a career-best 21 points Saturday, was 6 years old then.
The Boilermakers are 19-5 overall and 10-1 in the league, their best start in the conference in 20 years. They control their own fate in terms of the Big 10 title race and are gunning for their first regular season crown since 1996. Their next test comes tomorrow when they host No. 11 Michigan State. The Spartans are the only team to handm Purdue a loss in conference play so far.
Keep your eye on the Baby Boilers. Purdue could be one of those teams that finds itself in the Sweet 16 -- or beyond -- in next month's NCAA Tournament.