Rutgers sent shockwaves through college basketball Thursday night, handing Purdue—ranked No. 1 for the first time in school history—its first loss of the 2021-22 season. The Scarlet Knights, who made their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 30 years this past spring, saved the best for last, pulling off a miracle in the final seconds to score one of the biggest upsets you’ll ever see.
After a Trevion Williams layup put the visiting Boilermakers ahead with 3.4 seconds left in regulation, Ron Harper Jr. pulled up from the logo, draining a game-winning three at the buzzer. Students mobbed the court in celebration, sending fans at Jersey Mike’s Arena into a frenzy.
Purdue, who climbed to the top of the NCAA rankings on the strength of eight straight victories including wins over bluebloods Villanova and North Carolina, became the fifth school and first since Michigan State in 2007 to fall to an unranked team in their debut at No. 1, according to ESPN Stats and Info.
Sophomore shooting guard and potential NBA lottery pick Jaden Ivey (ESPN had him going ninth overall in a recent mock draft) contributed 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting (2-for-5 from downtown) in the losing effort. Harper, meanwhile, paced Rutgers with 30 points, matching a career-high for the senior forward and son of five-time NBA champion, Ron Harper. With Purdue falling to 8-1, defending national champion Baylor could be poised to take over the top spot in next week’s rankings, though first, the Bears will have to get past Villanova when the Wildcats visit Waco Sunday at 3 PM ET.
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