Backed by Big Ten Player of the Year Braden Smith, Purdue entered the tournament as the Midwest Region's No. 4 seed. The Boilermakers traded buckets with the No. 13-seed High Point Panthers for a majority of the first half, but a strong final five minutes before intermission fueled Matt Painter's team to a 10-point halftime lead.

The Big Ten is represented by eight teams in the 2025 NCAA tournament. That number is a slight increase from the six squads that were in the 2024 tournament. The conference had the opportunity to send as many as 10 teams to the Big Dance, with both Indiana and Ohio State on the bubble. However, neither team made it in.