NC State basketball opponent scouting report: Purdue

NC State basketball is on the road and set to face one of its toughest tests of the season when it tips off against No. 1 Purdue Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

The Wolfpack is 7-2 for the season after defeating Bethune-Cookman on Thursday evening in its annual Heritage Game at Reynolds Coliseum.

Here is a rundown of what to expect from Purdue.

Purdue Overview

Up until the hiccup the Purdue had at Rutgers on Thursday evening, when the Boilermakers lost for the first time in nine games this season, head coach Matt Painter’s squad had been rolling.

In its first eight games of the season, Purdue scored at least 90 points in seven of them, and five of its wins were by at least 25 points.

Among its most impressive victories were against ranked opponents North Carolina and Villanova on a neutral court and a 28-point shellacking of Florida State at Purdue.

The success is not surprising. Close observers of Purdue basketball had been predicting this could be one of the best Boilermakers teams in memory.

Purdue unsurprisingly rose to No. 1 in the polls this week, although it may be short-lived after its loss to Rutgers, which came on a running three-pointer from the Scarlet Knights just past half court as time expired.

Rankings

NCAA’s NET: Purdue checks in at No. 6 (out of 358 teams). NC State comes in at No. 142.

ESPN’s BPI: The Boilermakers are No. 4. The Pack is No. 82.

KenPom.com: Purdue is No. 2. NC State is No. 79.

Three Purdue Players To Watch Against NC State Basketball

Sophomore center Zach Edey: It seems like Purdue always has talented, (very) tall big men, and Edey is the latest example. He is listed at 7-foot-4, 295 pounds, and the Toronto native was on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team last season when he averaged 8.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game while averaging just 14.7 minutes.

His playing time has seen a modest bump to 18.2 minutes per contest, but his averages have seen a bigger increase to 15.2 points and 7.0 rebounds while blocking 1.3 shots. He is shooting a staggering 71.2 percent from the field, and Edey is also a strong free throw shooter at 78.6 percent.

Sophomore guard Jaden Ivey: At the rate Ivey is playing, this may be his last season in a Boilermakers uniform. He is averaging a team-high 15.8 points per contest while adding 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals.

He has range, making 40.0 percent of his threes (16 of 40) and is shooting 52.6 percent overall from the field.

Preseason hype had Ivey as a potential lottery pick, and it’s unlikely he has done anything to dampen those expectations.

Senior center Trevion Williams: It is an embarrassment of riches for Purdue in the post.

Williams was a first-team Big Ten choice a year ago, honorable mention All-American and one of five finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award given to college basketball’s top center.

And he is averaging just 19.8 minutes per game currently due to Edey’s emergence. The 6-foot-10, 255-pound Williams is still very productive, averaging 13.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game while shooting 57.8 percent from the field.

Three Things NC State Basketball Should Expect From Purdue

1. A great team: Purdue has a 1-2 punch in the post against a Wolfpack team that struggles with its depth in the paint. The Boilermakers have an NBA guard in Ivey and an experienced three-year starter joining him in the backcourt in Sasha Stefanovic.

The sharp-shooting Stefanovic has made 25 of 57 threes (43.9 percent) and is averaging 11.9 points and 4.2 assists per contest.

2. Lots of scoring: Purdue is fourth in the country in points per game at 88.0 points and sixth in field goal shooting percentage at 51.7 percent. In addition to its two-headed post play, Purdue is tied for 27th in three-pointers made per game at 10.1, and its 41.9 percent accuracy from long range is seventh.

In other words, there are not many holes in its offense.

3. Perhaps the biggest test of the season: Purdue is likely to be extra motivated against NC State after its stunning loss at Rutgers. On paper, the Boilermakers are a tough matchup. The Wolfpack has struggled shooting this year and do not have a lot of size and depth in the frontcourt.

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