Purdue Basketball Game 29 preview: Indiana

WEST LAFAYETTE – Saturday presents the first opportunity for Purdue to earn a share of the Big Ten regular-season championship when the fifth-ranked Boilermakers host No. 17 Indiana at Mackey Arena. Purdue holds a two-game lead over second-place Northwestern with three to play. The Wildcats lost at Illinois on Thursday, giving the Boilermakers a chance to clinch a piece of the program’s 25th title against their in-state rivals. The Hoosiers snapped Purdue’s nine-game winning streak on Feb. 4 at Assembly Hall.

Where: Mackey Arena

When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET

TV: FOX

Radio: Purdue Sports Network (WAZY locally)

In-game updates: GoldandBlack.com | Twitter @mike_carmin

ABOUT THE TEAMS

Purdue: Roster | Schedule | Stats

Indiana: Roster | Schedule | Stats

NUMBERS AND SUCH

Team	AP	Coaches	NET	KenPom	KenPom Win%
Purdue	5	5	5	4	77%
Indiana	17	17	20	25	23%

ON #17 INDIANA (15-7, 10-6 B1G)

• When the Big Ten season resumed in early January, the Hoosiers were headed in the wrong direction. Three straight losses, dropping their conference record to 1-4 and a defense that was allowing points at an alarming rate. But starting with the 18-point victory against Wisconsin, Indiana began putting things together. A five-game winning streak was briefly interrupted by a loss at Maryland and another three straight wins put the Hoosiers in a position to potentially catch the Boilermakers. However, losses at Northwestern and Michigan State in the last 11 days have dashed those hopes. Now, IU’s mission is to secure a top-four spot in the Big Ten tournament.

• Trayce Jackson-Davis has already decided to forego his extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19 and will go through Indiana’s Senior Day ceremony next week when the Hoosiers play their final home game at Assembly Hall. Jackson-Davis’ decision certainly adds plenty of motivation for IU to take this season as far as possible and add another chapter to his legacy. He’s the first player in program history with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.

• While most of the attention is focused on Jackson-Davis, freshman point guard Jalen Hood-Schifino has stepped up for the Hoosiers. He pushed IU to the finish line in the first matchup against Purdue and has developed a knack for playing well down the stretch. In close games, ones decided by single-digits in the final four minutes, Hood-Schifino is shooting 9 of 15 from the field, including two 3-pointers, and made 7 of 8 free throws. If Saturday’s game is close near the end, look for the ball to be in Hood-Schifino’s hands.

PROJECTED INDIANA LINEUPS

Forward— 23 Trayce Jackson-Davis (6-9, 245, Jr.)

Collected 25 points in the first meeting against the Boilermakers and also registered five blocked shots. He was able to play in transition, pouncing on turnovers, which led to dunks and igniting the crowd. Gaining momentum for Big Ten Player of the Year based on his recent play but it’s going to be hard to overtake Edey and what he’s accomplished this season.

Forward — 25 Race Thompson (6-8, 235, Redshirt Sr.)

Scored in double figures in two of the last three games, including a Big Ten-high 13 at Northwestern.

Forward— 12 Miller Kopp (6-7, 215, Sr.)

Deadly 3-point shooter, who has made more than 200 in his career. Hit at least one 3-pointer in nine straight games and is 6 of 8 in the last two games.

Guard — 32 Trey Galloway (6-4, 203, So.)

Totaled 11 points in the first meeting against Purdue and also scored 11 in Tuesday’s loss at Michigan State, hitting three 3-pointers.

Guard — 1 Jalen Hood-Schifino (6-6, 213, Fr.)

Had eight points in the final 7:14 to keep the Boilermakers from staging a dramatic comeback earlier this month. Struggles shooting on the road, hitting just 3 of 21 from 3-point range in the last six games away from Assembly Hall. Reached double figures in four straight games.

Bench

Forward – 5 Malik Reneau (6-9, 233, Fr.)

Was 3 of 3 from the field and totaled eight points against the Boilermakers

Forward – 10 Kaleb Banks (6-7, 200, Fr.)

Pulled down three offensive rebounds and scored four points in the first matchup.

Guard — 53 Tamar Bates (6-5, 198, So.)

Forward – 22 Jordan Geronimo (6-6, 220, Jr.)

Missed the Purdue game but has appeared in five straight.

Xavier Johnson remains out with a foot injury.

ON #5 PURDUE (24-4, 13-4 B1G)

• Sunday’s victory over Ohio State gave the Boilermakers a winning record against every Big Ten team. Purdue leads the all-time series 93-92, its third-straight victory over the Buckeyes. It’s quite an accomplishment for the program to hold a winning record against the other conference teams, but reaching that level against the league’s traditional opponents carry more weight.

• Are the Boilermakers back to their rebounding superiority? The +23 margin over the Buckeyes was the largest in the series since 1976, but it also provided a nice bounce-back performance after getting crushed by Maryland. Purdue has ruled rebounding margin most of the season, mostly dominating opponents and controlling the offensive boards. The Boilermakers lead the Big Ten and rank second nationally (behind Connecticut) in offensive rebounding efficiency. They pounded the Hoosiers in the first meeting and had 17 offensive rebounds but only 12 second-chance points.

• Turnovers weren’t the only reason Purdue lost to Indiana in the first meeting, ending a nine-game winning streak and the start of dropping three games over 12 days. The turnovers continued to mount during the next two games against Iowa and Northwestern, but the Boilermakers started to settle down against Maryland and played with more composure in Sunday’s win after the first few minutes. But what happens in the turnover department will once again play a big role in Saturday’s game. The Hoosiers will play physical on the perimeter and attempt to take away Zach Edey‘s passing lanes out of the post.

PROJECTED PURDUE LINEUPS

Starters

Center — 15 Zach Edey (7-4, 290, Junior)

Totaled 33 points in 32 minutes in the first meeting against the Hoosiers but the blemish of five turnovers added to the theme of the day. Also pulled down 18 rebounds as the Boilermakers dominated Indiana on the glass. Interesting statistic – Purdue is 6-0 when Edey attempts nine or fewer field goals, more of a nod to his teammates getting involved in the offense.

Forward — 0 Mason Gillis (6-6, 230, Junior)

Pulled down a season-high 10 rebounds against Ohio State, helping the Boilermakers re-establish themselves on the boards following the performance at Maryland. Gillis was coming off a career-high 29-point performance prior to the first matchup against the Hoosiers but struggled with three turnovers.

Guard — 3 Braden Smith (6-0, 180, Freshman)

Didn’t shoot well at Assembly Hall, missing seven of eight attempts but handed out six assists. Handled the physicality from IU’s guards, committing just one turnover, but needs to make sure the Boilermakers are getting into the offense in a timely manner.

Guard — 2 Fletcher Loyer (6-4, 185, Freshman)

Also struggled from the field against the Hoosiers, going 1 of 6 from 3-point range. Did help bring the Boilermakers back from a 15-point halftime deficit with a solid stretch in the second half. Made multiple 3-pointers once in the last 10 games.

Guard/Forward — 25 Ethan Morton (6-7, 215, Junior)

Picked up two early fouls in the first meeting, hurting the Boilermakers on the defensive end. Went through a two-game stretch where Morton committed seven fouls but hasn’t been whistled for one in the last two games. Was 2 of 2 from 3-point range against the Buckeyes.

Rotational Reserves

Forward — 1 Caleb Furst (6-10, 230, Sophomore)

Grabbed six rebounds coming off the bench against Ohio State for the first time since Nov. 30 at Florida State. Played just 14 minutes at Maryland due to an illness. Scored five of Purdue’s first 10 points at IU but finished with six.

Guard — 14 David Jenkins Jr. (6-1, 200, Senior)

Snapped a string of seven straight misses from 3-point range with a pair against the Buckeyes. Made 2 of 3 from beyond the arc against the Hoosiers.

Guard — 5 Brandon Newman (6-5, 200, Junior)

No turnovers in a combined 58 minutes in the last three games.

Forward/Center — 4 Trey Kaufman-Renn (6-9, 225, Redshirt Freshman)

Solid game against Ohio State, totaling 11 points and three rebounds in 14 minutes. Made 15 of 21 field goals in the last nine games.

Guard/Forward — 11 Brian Waddell (6-8, 195, Redshirt Freshman)

Note: Freshman center Will Berg and wing Camden Heide will redshirt this season.

LIGHTNING-ROUND TAKES

• Do you want the Boilermakers ranked No. 1 in the country? Purdue is 15-1 this season when not sitting atop the polls.

• Will Purdue use Furst to help defend Jackson-Davis, similar to the approach in the second half in Bloomington? Jackson-Davis did a good job of keeping his dribble alive when the double teams came and when the extra defender left, he had one-on-one matchups.

PREDICTION: PURDUE 72, INDIANA 65

This is shaping up as the perfect scenario for the Boilermakers – a chance to win a share of the Big Ten championship by defeating the Hoosiers at Mackey Arena. The loss earlier this month was filled with numerous first-half turnovers and breakdowns defensively that Purdue hadn’t shown up to that point. IU torched the Boilermakers for 50 first-half points and took advantage of 11 turnovers. Expecting the defense to be more sound, a higher level of concentration in taking care of the ball to keep the Hoosiers out of transition and continued dominance on the boards.