Getting to the middle of February and being right in the conference title chase is something that is earned. Getting to the end of the season and being in first would be even better.

No. 14 Michigan State is sitting at 11-3 in Big Ten play, one game behind No. 12 Michigan for first place. The Spartans have a chance to put a banner up in the Breslin Center for the first time since March 2020.

The Spartans are coming off an emotional comeback victory against Illinois on Saturday that made Tom Izzo the Big Ten’s winningest head coach in conference play.

“The most important thing about Saturday is it still keeps us in the hunt,” Izzo said about the win in Champaign. “Right now, that's been my goal since the day I got here. After we won our first Big Ten championship, I said if we could have two, three weeks left to go in the season and you're in the hunt, that's where you’ve gotta be. And then from there on, it's who knows?”

MSU and Izzo haven’t gotten much time to enjoy the win, though. That’s because No. 13 Purdue — holding an 11-4 conference record this year and 9 wins in its last 10 tries against Michigan State — is coming to East Lansing on Tuesday. Having now lost consecutive games, the Boilermakers aren't coming in with much momentum, but Purdue hasn't dropped three straight since Feb. 2020.

“There's not a program I respect more than Purdue,” Izzo said. “(There are) a lot of good programs in our league, a lot of good programs in the country. But it's been since I was a (graduate assistant), not old school or new school, as I say, right school. They’ve done it the right way. They do it the right way. I have nothing but great things to say and I'll be happy as hell when the game's over because I don't like respecting people that much that I have to play against.”

The Boilermaker topped the conference’s preseason media poll and boast what is perhaps the most talented roster in the Big Ten. Matt Painter’s squad is led by guard Braden Smith and forward Trey Kaufman-Renn, who will both probably receive first team All-Big Ten honors along with serious All-American consideration.

“They have been as consistent as anybody in the last four years and they have remained that way this year,” Izzo said. “I think (Painter’s) done an incredible job with the (Kaufman-Renn) kid. He's averaging almost 25 points a game in the last five games.

“And really they had a lot of those guards — you win with guards and Loyer and, of course, Smith have been two anchors for them the entire time. (Kaufman-Renn) is playing at an elite level. He's shooting better than sixty percent; as I said, he's averaging almost 20 (points per game), but 25 in the last five games.”

Izzo knows that if you want to win in the Big Ten, it takes great players at the guard position.

“(Purdue) had a lot of those guards — you win with guards and Loyer and, of course, Smith have been two anchors for them the entire time," he said. "(Kaufman-Renn) is playing at an elite level. He's shooting better than sixty percent; as I said, he's averaging almost 20 (points per game), but 25 in the last five games.”

Kaufman-Renn is coming off a career-high 30 points in Purdue’s most recent game against Wisconsin. Even before that performance, Kaufman-Renn scored at least 20 points in six of the Boilermakers’ seven previous contests and had scored at least 11 points for Purdue in every single game this season.

Smith currently ranks second in the country at setting up his teammates, currently sitting at 8.8 assists per game. He also leads the conference in steals, making him a big-time pest on the other end, as well. That doesn't even include the fact that putting 16 points is an average day for him.

There’s also Fletcher Loyer, who is currently averaging almost 14 points a contest and is a 45% three-point shooter. That creates a backcourt featuring an elite distributor in Smith and tremendous shooter with Loyer that is tough for any team to defend.