Indiana is again on the highway Friday evening to play rival Purdue in primetime at Mackey Area. The Boilermakers are 16-5 and a contender for the Large Ten title at 8-2.
Friday’s sport will tip at 8 p.m. ET on FOX:
Indiana’s 20-game Large Ten schedule has reached its most tough juncture. The Hoosiers start a six-game stretch Friday evening in West Lafayette in opposition to groups within the higher half of the league standings.
Up first is Purdue, which hasn’t skipped a beat within the post-Zach Edey period. The Boilermakers are within the thick of the Large Ten title race and have a pair of potential All-Large Ten first-team gamers in Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn. After a shocking 73-70 loss at Mackey Area to Ohio State on Jan. 21, Purdue rebounded with a 27-point dismantling of Michigan three days later.
The Boilermakers might be engaged on a full week off when Friday’s sport suggestions in opposition to the Hoosiers.
MEET THE BOILERMAKERS
Now in his twentieth season as Purdue’s head coach, Matt Painter has constructed a program that contends within the Large Ten nearly each season. Final spring, Painter broke via within the NCAA match with a nationwide championship sport look. He has additionally gained 5 Large Ten regular-season titles and two convention match championships.
The departure of a two-time nationwide participant of the 12 months would set most applications again. Not Purdue. Mixing a strong returning nucleus with savvy highschool recruiting has Painter and the Boilermakers proper again within the combine for an additional league crown.
Kaufman-Renn has taken a major leap in his redshirt junior season after a complementary function on final season’s nationwide runner-up. The Silver Creek product has the very best utilization price within the Large Ten on the midway level of the convention schedule. His 18.1 factors per sport lead the crew and he’s capturing 59.5 p.c from the sector. He leads Purdue in rebounding at 6.5 per sport and is the sixth-best offensive rebounder within the convention. Kaufman-Renn has tried a team-high 121 free throws and he’s changing at a 59.5 p.c clip from the stripe.
The preseason decide for Large Ten participant of the 12 months, Smith is firmly within the combine to earn that honor. There’s no higher distributor in faculty basketball than Smith, who has one of the best help price within the nation at 46.8 p.c. Smith’s assist-to-turnover ratio is 3.22-to-1 and he averages 8.9 assists per sport. He’s additionally capturing 38.8 p.c on 3s and is averaging 15.4 factors per sport, second on the roster. He’s additionally a wonderful rebounder for a guard, as his 4.8 rebounds per sport rank second on the crew.
Purdue’s third double-figure scorer is junior guard Fletcher Loyer. One of many nation’s premier shooters, Loyer makes 46.7 p.c of his triples and is 44 p.c from distance in Large Ten video games. His 14 factors per sport are third on the roster. With defenses keyed on Kaufman-Renn and Smith, Loyer does an excellent job shifting away from the ball to get open. He doesn’t want a lot time to get his shot off and has one of many purest strokes within the nation.
The remainder of the Purdue roster consists of function gamers who fill within the manufacturing round Kaufman-Renn, Smith and Loyer.
Upperclassmen Caleb Furst has been terrific in convention play. The 6-foot-10 Fort Wayne native is capturing 69 p.c on 2s in convention video games and is among the many high 15 offensive rebounders within the league. Freshman Raleigh Burgess has seemed the a part of a younger massive man with a brilliant future in West Lafayette. Burgess, a 6-foot-11 middle from Cincinnati, is capturing 56.5 p.c on 2s and 42.9 p.c on 3s in restricted minutes. He’s coming off a powerful six-point, three-rebound effort in 14 minutes in opposition to Michigan final Friday.
Freshman CJ Cox, one other under-the-radar recruiting discover by the Purdue teaching employees, has began the final eight video games. A 6-foot-3 guard from Lexington, Massachusetts, Cox is 20-for-48 (41.7 p.c) on 3s on the season. He’s making 72.7 p.c of his 2s in Large Ten video games. He’s additionally a wonderful defender.
Sophomores Myles Colvin and Camden Heide, together with freshman Gicarri Harris, the son of program nice Glenn Robinson, have Purdue followers excited in regards to the future guard and wing rotation.
Colvin was considered by many as a possible breakout candidate within the preseason. He’s struggled with perimeter capturing – 31.4 p.c – however is a productive finisher. Colvin is making 58.8 p.c of his 2s and had a big-time 20-point effort earlier within the season in opposition to Ole Miss. Heide makes successful performs, is athletic, brings a ton of vitality and is environment friendly. He’s making almost 70 p.c of his 2s and averages 4.9 factors in 19.9 minutes per sport. Harris shoots simply 36.4 p.c from the sector however is 9-for-10 from the free-throw line over Purdue’s final three video games.
TEMPO-FREE PREVIEW
(We’ve up to date the tempo-free chart to incorporate Large Ten video games solely. Stats under are up to date via Tuesday’s video games.)
By means of Tuesday’s Large Ten video games, Purdue ranks within the high three within the league in defensive turnover and rebounding percentages.
Boilermaker opponents are turning it over on 22.8 p.c of possessions and their league foes are grabbing solely 27 p.c of their missed pictures.
Purdue ranks third within the league in 3-point capturing proportion – 36.7 – and first in 2-point area objective proportion – 58. The Boilermakers care for the ball, play at a deliberate tempo and have some extent guard in Smith who can decide aside defenses within the half courtroom.
WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO
The KenPom projection favors Purdue by 12, with a 13 p.c probability of an IU victory. The Bart Torvik projection favors the Boilermakers by 14, with a ten p.c probability of a Hoosier upset.
That is probably the most tough sport remaining on the Indiana schedule and Mackey Area is arguably one of the best house atmosphere within the convention. With the Hoosiers dropping 4 of their final 5, this system has little momentum heading into this rivalry matchup.
Purdue might be trying to humiliate the Hoosiers, much like final season’s 20-point defeat in West Lafayette. Will Indiana compete or succumb to a different lopsided highway defeat?
Filed to: Purdue Boilermakers
