Big Ten basketball schedule sends Purdue west in January

GoldandBlack.com video — Purdue’s Braden Smith after Day 1

The most complicated Big Ten basketball schedule ever assembled is complete, as the full slate of conference games incorporating USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon was released by the conference Thursday.

Purdue, vying for its third Big Ten regular season title in as many years, will make its first league-season trip west in mid-January, for a double-header against Washington and Oregon Jan. 15 and 18, respectively. USC and UCLA will visit Mackey Arena in February.

Other notables from the Big Ten schedule …

• As was already known, Purdue’s three — yes, only three now — double-play opponents are Indiana (as always), Michigan and Rutgers.

Its single-play home opponents are Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, UCLA, USC and Wisconsin. Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Oregon, Penn State and Washington are the Boilermakers’ road-only Big Ten games.

• Indiana games: Jan. 31 in Mackey Arena, then Feb. 23 in Bloomington. For no apparent reason, the game at IU has more often come first in recent years.

• Purdue’s December games: Dec. 5 at Penn State and Dec. 8 vs. Maryland, a week before Purdue plays Texas A&M in Indy then Auburn in Birmingham a few days later.

• The final five games of what Purdue will hope is a championship run include trips to Indiana, Michigan State and Illinois. Tough draw down the stretch.

The full Big Ten schedule …