Game 16 Preview: Purdue vs. Penn State

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Purdue plays its first home game since Christmas — 23 days between — after playing an unprecedented four straight Big Ten road games, the last two of which the Boilermakers won at Michigan State and Indiana. Penn State hasn't played at all since Dec. 30, as its games vs. Rutgers, Ohio State and Michigan were postponed due to the ubiquitous "health and safety concerns."

Schedule | Statistics | Roster

Coming off back-to-back wins at Michigan State and Indiana, Purdue's mantra coming home will be that Mackey Arena guarantees it nothing, that whatever worked over the past 60 minutes of basketball must be maintained. ... After struggling from long range in Big Ten prior to Indiana, the Boilermakers were 11-of-17 from three in Bloomington. ... This starts another grueling stretch for Purdue, which will have only Monday to prepare for Tuesday's rescheduled game at Ohio State, with Michigan then visiting the Boilermakers Friday night.

C — 50 TREVION WILLIAMS (6-10, 265, Junior)

15.5 PPG • 9.6 RPG • 2.4 APG • 53.7% FG

Williams is playing at a first-team All-Big Ten sort of level lately, averaging 20.8 points on 64-percent shooting and 9.8 rebounds during the four-game road swing. The next step may be to turn it on before halftime. Penn State has shown to be very vulnerable to interior scoring.

F — 0 MASON GILLIS (6-6, 230, Redshirt Freshman)

4.9 PPG • 3.1 RPG • 49.1% FG

The redshirt freshman has been so much of what Purdue was too often missing last season. He's competitive, tough, physical and smart. He's been a difference-maker for the Boilermakers.

G — 55 SASHA STEFANOVIC (6-5, 200, Junior)

10.5 PPG • 2.9 RPG • 2.6 APG • 49.3% 3-PT

Penn State really ear-marked Stefanovic as the guy they had to take away last season. That was a different coach, though. But he's worthy of such attention, shooting almost 50 percent from three. Penn State's athleticism at guard may present some defensive challenges for Purdue.

G — 2 ERIC HUNTER JR. (6-4, 170, Junior)

10.4 PPG • 33.3% 3-PT • 3.5 APG • 1.1 STL

Hunter broke out of a shooting slump at Indiana, making three threes on four tries and turned the ball over just once — against the press in the game's final minute — in 32 minutes. And he was good defensively. A welcomed sight for Purdue, all of it.

G — 5 BRANDON NEWMAN (6-5, 195, Redshirt Freshman)

9.5 PPG • 3.6 RPG • 41.5% 3-PT • 93.8% FT

Newman turned the ball over a few times at Indiana — a couple illegal screens included — but was otherwise excellent, starting with a pair of threes and closing the game out with four free throws and a blocked shot. He's shooting almost 94 percent at the foul line, 15-of-16, this season.

C — 15 ZACH EDEY (7-4, 285, Freshman)

8.2 PPG • 3.7 RPG • 58.9% FG

Edey's not finishing around the basket against Big Ten opponents the way he did against non-conference opponents, which is not altogether surprising, but the best news for Purdue is that Williams is playing so much and so well that the pressure's sort of off Edey to a certain extent. That wasn't the case a month ago.

G — 11 ISAIAH THOMPSON (6-1, 160, Sophomore)

5.4 PPG • 41.2% 3-PT

Thompson played nine minutes at Indiana since Jaden Ivey was playing well. He didn't score or turn the ball over.

F — 1 AARON WHEELER (6-9, 205, Junior)

4.2 PPG • 5.0 RPG

Consistency again remains elusive for the veteran forward, who committed a few ugly turnovers at Indiana and lapsed on defense at times.

G — 23 JADEN IVEY (6-4, 200, Freshman)

6.4 PPG • 2.4 RPG

Ivey's coming on. He helped Purdue win at Michigan State and then needed just four shots to score 13 points at Indiana. He turned the ball over three times but assisted on two threes, got to the foul line and just gave the Boilermakers an offensive spark for the second straight game.

G — 25 ETHAN MORTON (6-6, 215, Freshman)

Matt Painter's trying to get Morton more minutes and was rewarded at Indiana with a really important three-pointer. After battling turnovers earlier this season, Morton's fared very well in that area lately, albeit in sporadic minutes.

C — 4 EMMANUEL DOWUONA (6-10, 245, Sophomore)

Schedule | Statistics | Roster

It's been a weird year for the Nittany Lions. First, the pandemic cost them an NCAA Tournament berth. Then, Coach Pat Chambers got fired prior to the season after an investigation into allegations of player mistreatment and "recruiting irregularities." Now, under interim coach Jim Ferry, the Lions have only gotten seven games in this season, because of COVID issues. This will be their first game of the 2021 calendar year. ... Penn State is 0-3 in the Big Ten, but gave Michigan — unbeaten up until Saturday — all it could handle in Ann Arbor and took Indiana to overtime in Bloomington. Earlier this season, it won by 20 at Virginia Tech. Penn State has been solid on the road. ... The stats are warped because the body of work remains so small, but Penn State is 24th nationally per KenPom in offensive efficiency, with a slew of guards and wings who are athletic and can score. ... The Nittany Lions are allowing an effective field goal percentage of 53.7 percent, according to KenPom, and are one of the worst two-point field goal percentage defenses nationally, at 57.1 percent. In Big Ten play, it's allowed 20 to Hunter Dickinson, 23 to Kofi Cockburn and 27 to Trayce Jackson-Davis. They combined to shoot 72 percent in those games. ... Penn State is shooting a rock-solid 37.6 percent collectively from three-point range. Very different team this year, but their last visit to Mackey Arena went very well in that regard.

F — 21 JOHN HARRAR (6-9, 240, Senior)

7.0 PPG •6.6 RPG • 60% FG

Harrar gives Penn State a legitimate big body to throw at Trevion Williams and Zach Edey and the big man is chipping in offensively, but Purdue won't miss Mike Watkins at this position. Early foul trouble for Harrar would be problematic for the Lions.

F — 1 SETH LUNDY (6-6, 219, Sophomore)

12.6 PPG • 3.3 RPG • 36.4% 3-PT

As a freshman, Lundy made six threes against Purdue in Mackey Arena last season.

G — 0 MYREON JONES (6-3, 180, Junior)

14.3 PPG • 2.7 RPG • 2.7 AST • 37.5% 3-PT

One of several scoring threats for Penn State on the perimeter.

G— 12 IZAIAH BROCKINGTON (6-4, 200, Junior)

15.1 PPG • 4.7 RPG • 52.9% 3-PT

Penn State's breakout player this season, Brockington's averaging better than 15 per game and has been really efficient on low volume from three-point range.

G — 5 JAMARI WHEELER (6-1, 170, Senior)

5.3 PPG • 4.0 RPG • 4.3 AST

One of the better defensive guards in the Big Ten, Wheeler also boasts a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

G — 3 SAMUEL SESSOMS (6-0, 187, Junior)

12.6 PPG • 3.0 AST • 1.9 STL • 45.5% 3-PT

The Binghamton transfer has been an immediate-impact player for Penn State at both ends of the floor.

G — 2 MYLES DREAD (6-4, 220, Junior)

8.4 PPG • 36.6% 3-PT

Penn State has a lot of weapons on the perimeter. Dread's another one.

F — 15 TRENT BUTTRICK (6-8, 240, Senior)

2.1 PPG • 4.3 RPG

Penn State's going to cause Purdue some matchup challenges at both ends of the floor, and there's no telling how the Nittany Lions will respond to a long lay-off, or even knowing who'll be available when they do. But Purdue has some modest momentum, Trevion Williams is playing very well and there have been steps taken defensively, even though Painter is far from satisfied and won't soon be.

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