Game 16: Purdue at #19 Michigan

Now 2-2 in the Big Ten following Sunday night's loss at Illinois, a game in which the Boilermakers scored only 37 points on a program-low 25-percent shooting, Purdue meets its first ranked Big Ten opponent on its home floor. Michigan has been one of the more impressive teams in the league thus far this season, its first under Juwan Howard, highlighted by November's championship run at the Battle 4 Atlantis.

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PURDUE BOILERMAKERS (9-6, 2-2 B1G)

PURDUE PROJECTED STARTERS

#	Player	P	HT/WT/YR	STATS

50	Trevion Williams	F	6-9/270/SO	PPG: 9.5 REB: 7.1 FG: 60.0%
32	Matt Haarms	C	7-3/250/JR	PPG: 11.5 REB: 5.8 FG: 57.4% BLK: 2.2
55	Sasha Stefanovic	G	6-4/195/SO	PTS: 9.8 3-PT: 45.0%
2	Eric Hunter Jr.	G	6-4/175/SO	PPG: 10.9 REB: 3.7 AST: 3.2 3-PT: 41.8%
20	Nojel Eastern	F/G	6-7/225/JR	PTS: 4.1 REB: 4.0 AST: 2.6

KEY PURDUE RESERVES

#	Player	P	HT/WT/YR	STATS

3	Jahaad Proctor	G	6-3/205/SR	PPG: 11.2
1	Aaron Wheeler	F	6-9/205/SO	PPG: 4.5 REB: 5.7
11	Isaiah Thompson	G	6-1/165/FR	PTS: 4.3 3-PT: 32.7%
12	Evan Boudreaux	F/C	6-8/220/SR	PTS: 3.6 REB: 2.8

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ABOUT PURDUE

• Purdue's struggling offensively away from Mackey Arena, searching for answers as its greatest road challenge to date presents itself.

• The Boilermakers will obviously want to get Matt Haarms and Trevion Williams established early vs. Michigan, and will want to see them respond.

Haarms was just 2-of-8 and Williams 3-of-7 vs. the Illini, as the tandem totaled just 11 points.

• In four Big Ten games this season, senior Jahaad Proctor is shooting 25.7 percent. After starting the whole season through the Minnesota game, he came off the bench for the first time at Illinois. He was Purdue's leading scorer through the first 14 games of the season, before being overtaken by Matt Haarms' 26-point game vs. Minnesota.

#19 MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (10-4, 1-2 B1G)

Michigan Particulars: Roster | Schedule | Statistics

MICHIGAN PROJECTED STARTERS

#	Player	P	HT/WT/YR	STATS

23	Brandon Johns	F	6-8/235/SO	PPG: 4.8 REB: 4.3 3-PT: 31.6%
15	Jon Teske	C	7-1/265/SR	PTS: 14.4 REB: 8.1 FG:: 57.0%
3	Zavier Simpson	G	6-0/190/SR	PPG: 11.4 REB: 4.5 AST: 8.9 3-PT: 36.1%
55	Eli Brooks	G	6-1/185/JR	PPG: 10.9 3-PT: 43.9%
21	Franz Wagner	G	6-9/205/FR	PPG: 8.4 REB: 3.8 3-PT: 32.4%

KEY MICHIGAN RESERVES

* Willis has been sidelined by an ankle injury and may not play

#	Player	P	HT/WT/YR	STATS

0	David DeJulius	G	6-0/190/SO	PTS: 7.9 3-PT: 40.0%
51	Austin Davis	F	6-10/250/SR	PTS: 5.0 REB: 3.3
11	Colin Castleton	F	6-11/235/SO	PTS: 4.0 REB: 3.1

ABOUT MICHIGAN

• The Wolverines are coming off an 87-69 loss at surging rival Michigan State, but have enjoyed a strong season nonetheless in alum Juwan Howard's debut season after he replaced John Beilein following his departure for the NBA.

The Wolverines vaulted into the top five nationally In November after beating Iowa State, North Carolina and now-No. 1 Gonzaga at Atlantis. This after a home win over a solid Creighton team in the Gavitt Games.

Since, though, the Wolverines have lost to good Louisville and Oregon teams as part of a stacked non-conference schedule.

In the Big Ten, Michigan's the same as everyone else. It's won at home — a win over Iowa — and lost on the road, at Illinois and Michigan State.

• Michigan will again likely be without forward Isaiah Livers, a breakout player of sorts this season. He's been sidelined by a groin injury.

Livers averages 13.6 points and leads the Big Ten in three-point percentage, at 50 percent, 5 percent better than Purdue's Sasha Stefanovic, who's second.

• Zavier Simpson is the league's best pure point guard and a player Michigan relies on heavily for ball-screen offense. Simpson averages 8.9 assists, second most nationally behind only Samford's Josh Sharkey (9.2).

Simpson's also a creative and efficient finisher around the basket, averaging more than 11 points per game, and is shooting threes — not normally his strength earlier in his career — at a 36-percent clip.

• Center Jon Teske is Michigan's No. 1 scorer, at about 14-and-a-half points. Teske's part of a highly efficient offense overall — Michigan shoots 48-plus percent overall — as a 57-percent shooter himself, but can shoot mid-range jumpers and threes in addition to scoring around the basket. Purdue's going to have to be sound against him in pick-and-roll especially.

THREE THINGS

EFFORT	REBOUNDING	DEFENSIVE DISCIPLINE

It's kind of clichéd to say, but it's true: Purdue has to give great, consistent effort. It's not a good enough offensive team, no matter the venue, to not require a little something extra, and that something has been largely missing away from home.	Purdue's been solid in this area most of the season, but got worked over at Illinois and needs to rebound in more ways than one. Offensive rebounding in particular would loom large if Purdue continues its inefficient ways away from home.	Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske are going to work out of ball screens often, surrounded by shooters. Purdue's bigs are going to have to do a good job containing the ball and the rotations must be precise, on top of the jobs Eric Hunter and Nojel Eastern will have to do on the ball.

BOTTOM LINE

Nothing about the way Purdue has played on the road suggests that breakout performance is coming, but you never know. Even if Purdue plays its very best game of the year away from home, though, is that enough? Michigan's very good and very experienced, led by a couple veterans who've given the Boilermakers real problems in the past.

GoldandBlack.com Prediction: MICHIGAN 70, PURDUE 62

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