Purdue Basketball Game 19 Preview: at Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS — Third-ranked Purdue looks to clinch the greatest start in school history by improving to 18-1 with a win Thursday evening at middling Minnesota. Here’s our comprehensive GoldandBlack.com preview of the Boilermakers’ rematch with the Golden Gophers, which Purdue beat 89-70 in Mackey Arena back in December.

Where: Williams Arena (Minneapolis)

When: Thursday, Jan. 19, 7 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN2

Radio: Purdue Sports Network (WAZY locally)

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

ABOUT THE TEAMS

Purdue: Roster | Schedule | Stats

Minnesota: Roster | Schedule | Stats

NUMBERS AND SUCH

Team	AP	Coaches	NET	KenPom	KenPom Win%
Purdue	3	3	4	5	89%
Minnesota	—	—	214	186	11%

ON PURDUE (17-1, 6-1 B1G)

• Purdue’s looking to improve to 5-0 away from Mackey Arena in Big Ten play and remain alone in first place in the standings. The Boilermakers are looking to complete a two-game regular season sweep of the Gophers.

• In the first meeting with Minnesota, Purdue outrebounded the Gophers 41-21 and scored 17 second-chance points.

PROJECTED PURDUE LINEUPS

Starters

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

Last time Edey met Minnesota, he went for 31 points and 22 rebounds.

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

Furst has been a force on the offensive glass but is also making threes in Big Ten play, now 6-of-10, including a big one down the stretch at Michigan State. Jamison Battle will be a tricky matchup for Purdue’s 4 men.

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

For as much as the freshman has brought to Purdue with his playmaking ability, competitiveness, etc., the fact that he’s shooting 45 percent from three in Big Ten games is kind of gravy but a welcomed addition, for sure.

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

The Big Ten’s reigning Player- and Freshman-of-the-Week — yes, a redundancy — is averaging almost 18 per game in Big Ten play, coming off a great game at Michigan State and about to face an opponent he scored 20 against last month. Loyer’s making threes at a high rate and really asserting himself in “winning time” during conference play.

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

Morton’s value obviously lies most in his defense and offensive savvy, but even though Purdue doesn’t need him scoring, it would really make Purdue that much more formidable if he and Brandon Newman start seeing some threes go down.

Rotational Reserves

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

Like Morton, Gillis’ value lies in a variety of areas, but Purdue’s trying to get him open threes and is. He’s 4-of-14 in Big Ten play. Expect that clip to increase.

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

Same deal. Newman is 6-of-21 from deep in conference games. They’ll start falling you’d have to think.

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

The Boilermaker youngster has struggled some as the physicality of the games has increased in Big Ten play, and he’s gotten little help from the officials, not that they owe him any, but still.

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

Jenkins deserves real credit this season for being such an accomplished scorer in the college game, but seemingly buying in fully to a smaller, but important, role on a great team.

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

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

ON MINNESOTA (7-9, 1-5 B1G)

• After experiencing some surprising success to start last season, the pain of the rebuild under second-year coach Ben Johnson has come in Year 2 for the Gophers, whose win at Ohio State was much more reflective of the Buckeyes’ struggles than anything.

Minnesota’s coming off an 18-point home loss to Illinois.

• Minnesota’s allowing a league-worst 78 points in Big Ten games and stand as one of the least effective rebounding teams in the country.

• Purdue will have to be mindful of the fact that both Dawson Garcia and Jamison Battle can shoot threes from the frontcourt, even though their percentages this season aren’t great. Garcia torched Purdue for North Carolina last November and Battle made five triples in Mackey Arena last month.

MINNESOTA LINEUPS

Guard — 55 Ta’Lon Cooper (6-4, 195, Junior)

Guard — 0 Taurus Samuels (6-1, 195, Grad)

Forward — 10 Jamison Battle (6-7, 220, Sophomore)

Forward — 3 Dawson Garcia (6-11, 230, Sophomore)

Forward — 1 Joshua Ola-Johnson (6-7, 215, Freshman)

Bench

Forward — 21 Pharrell Payne (6-9, 255, Freshman)

Guard — 24 Jaden Henley (6-7, 200, Freshman)

Guard —4 Braeden Carrington (6-4, 195, Freshman)

Center— 42 Treyton Thompson (7-0, 210, Sophomore)

THREE KEYS FOR PURDUE

dominate inside	dribble containment	(long) defensive rebounding
This is what Purdue’s built to do but a strength that might be even more acute against Minnesota, which doesn’t have the bodies. They’ll have to do something creative against Zach Edey, but could also be hard-pressed to keep Purdue off the glass.	The Golden Gophers have some athletic slashing forwards who won’t even pretend to match up with Purdue’s size, but will try to attack the basket against it.	Purdue’s rebounding issues right now are not rebounding issues, per se. Opponents are running down a lot of long misses and getting second chances.

LIGHTNING-ROUND TAKES

• It’s land-mine games like this one that determine Big Ten champions as much as marquee games do.

PREDICTION: PURDUE 82, MINNESOTA 63

While it may be true that there are no easy games in the Big Ten — and this one won’t be easy — Purdue’s frontcourt (i.e. Zach Edey) should be too much for the Gophers, and now that the Boilermakers are shooting the ball well, that adds another layer to a tough matchup.