For the first time since March 4, 1990, the defending NCAA champion will play at Mackey Arena:
You may ask, “didn’t Michigan State win in 2000?” Yes, they did, but the Spartans did not come to Mackey the following season. The only game with Purdue was in East Lansing in 2000-01. That means you have to go back to the 1989 Michigan squad for the last time the champs came in. This makes for a huge game for Purdue. The Wildcats enter as the No. 3/4 team in the preseason polls with good reason.