It was a game against the Wolverines in February that showcased Purdue's defense fading. It's gone further adrift rather than shoring it up like the Boilers had shown.

The Wolverines surged in the second half to beat Purdue and return to the Big Ten semifinals first time since 2021.

After losing three straight games to close out the regular season, Michigan basketball is finally into postseason play, playing as the 3-seed in the Big Ten Tournament. After a double bye, the Wolverines open up tournament play against a 6-seed Purdue team that blew them out in West Lafayette but succumbed to the maize and blue in Ann Arbor.