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Purdue's looking for its fourth Big Ten road win and another Quad 1 win for its NCAA Tournament résumé, and Maryland's looking for its first Big Ten win at the Xfinity Center, where it's 0-4 this conference season. The Boilermakers are looking for a two-game regular season sweep of the Terps after winning 73-70 in Mackey Arena on Christmas Day (stats). ... The Boilermakers' Monday night was eventful, as their flight into Baltimore was rerouted back to Indianapolis due to mechanical issues, and the team had to take a different plane, arriving a few hours later than first scheduled.

Schedule | Statistics | Roster

Purdue's won five of its last six and appeared in this week's AP top 25 for the first time this season, at No. 24. ... Purdue has won its last three road games — at Michigan State, Indiana and Ohio State, who's now No. 7 in the country. ... The Boilermakers are playing their third and almost certainly final game without veteran Sasha Stefanovic, who's finishing up his 17-day waiting period after testing positive for COVID-19. ... This would be Purdue's fifth Quad 1 victory, joining both wins over Ohio State, the win at Indiana and the win at home vs. Penn State. ... Purdue's grabbed 37 offensive rebounds between the past two games, and turned 17 into 21 second-chance points vs. Minnesota.

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

16.6 PPG • 9.8 RPG • 2.3 APG • 52% FG

Maryland can't match Purdue's size on the interior. What it can do is try to exploit it at the offensive end with small ball. That could be the dynamic that looms largest in this game, which matchup extreme wins out. Williams has played at a first-team All-Big Ten level for Purdue this Big Ten season, both as an offensive player and a rebounder. He's now No. 1 nationally in offensive rebounding percentage as an individual, per KenPom.

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

4.8 PPG • 3.6 RPG

Another huge piece to Purdue's offensive rebounding surge lately, Gillis also saw some threes go down against the Gophers, a great sign after he'd endured a bit of a dry spell.

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

8.7 PPG • 26.3% 3-PT • 3.3 APG • 83% FT

Hunter was marvelous against Minnesota, dominating the game defensively against Marcus Carr and spear-heading Purdue's second-half offensive awakening with his commanding play. More of the same would be a welcomed sight in College Park.

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

10.7 PPG • 3.9 RPG • 46.3% 3-PT • 95% FT

The Big Ten's Freshman of the Week erupted for 29 vs. Minnesota and scored 17 last time against Maryland. The Terps will be all over him for those reasons, but also because Stefanovic is out and he was their focal point in Game 1. This will be a great test for Newman, coming off success and being a marked man.

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

7.5 PPG • 2.8 RPG • 1.8 AST

Ivey's been outstanding in pick-and-roll offense lately, getting to the basket and making plays for others. Again, when he puts the ball on the floor and goes to the hole, good things often happen. Maryland will pressure Purdue's guards on the perimeter and don't have much in the way of a rim protector, so there could be opportunities here.

C — 15 ZACH EDEY (7-4, 285, Freshman)

4.5 PPG • 3.9 RPG • 1.3 BLK

Edey will tower over Maryland's frontcourt and lately he's been leveraging such advantages much more than he was just a few weeks ago. His emerging rim-protection presence will be helpful against dribble penetration, as well.

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

3.9 PPG • 52% FG • 46.7% 3-PT

Thompson didn't make a field goal against Minnesota but he played very well. He gave Purdue solid and heady play at both ends of the floor and earned the chance to start the second half.

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

2.9 PPG • 3.5 RPG

Purdue just needs all the tip-ins and deflections and rebounds it can get from Wheeler. That stuff tends to matter more than whether he's making threes or not. It would be nice if he did, but he can help Purdue win in other ways, too.

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

Even with Stefanovic out, Morton got only a minute of PT vs. Minnesota. Matchups might have factored into that, but Purdue would like to get him on the floor more and give him more of a chance to do something.

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

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

9.7 PPG • 3.6 RPG • 1.8 APG • 36.2% 3-PT

Schedule | Statistics | Roster

Maryland is 0-4 at home in Big Ten play, those losses, though, coming to Rutgers, Michigan, Iowa and Wisconsin, all of them ranked at the time of those games ... But, Maryland has won at Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota, so go figure. ... The Terps have scored 70 or more points just three times (and are 1-2 in those games) in conference play and no more than 73. ... Maryland's second-to-last in the Big Ten in scoring in conference games at 64.2 points per game and one of the most vulnerable teams in the league on the glass, being out-rebounded by an average of four-and-a-half-or-so per game. ... The Terrapins have been stingy defensively, however, holding Minnesota to just 49 points at The Barn, but opponents are shooting 37.8 percent from three-point range in Big Ten games, tying Indiana for the highest percentage in the conference. ... Maryland is playing smaller now than it was back when these teams met on Christmas, using standout Donta Scott more as a small-ball 5, which will be a matchup headache for Purdue on defense but one they'll hope to exploit on offense.

F — 24 DONTA SCOTT (6-7, 230, Sophomore)

14.3 PPG • 7.4 RPG • 48% FG • 44.7% 3-PT

Scott was a really difficult matchup for Purdue in the first meeting, as he is for a lot of people. The power forward is an excellent three-point shooter, but can also drive to the basket, rebound and score around the rim. He scored 15 at Purdue and led the Terps' second-half comeback on Christmas. Scott will play a good amount of center for the Terps this time around, and that chess match may determine the outcome of this game.

G — 13 HAKIM HART (6-6, 205, Sophomore)

6.3 PPG • 31% 3-PT

The sophomore's moved into the starting five for Maryland and gives the Terps another interchangeable guard with athleticism and scoring ability.

G — 5 ERIC AYALA (6-5, 200, Junior)

12.8 PPG • 3.3 RPG • 31.3% 3-PT

The key perimeter matchup for Purdue defensively, the big guard is a difficult matchup because of his size and ability to create and shoot, but after a 21-point game at Minnesota, Ayala was just 1-of-10 vs. Wisconsin. Nevertheless, Eric Hunter will get another important defensive assignment.

G— 2 AARON WIGGINS (6-6, 200, Junior)

12.8 PPG • 2.7 AST • 30.4% 3-PT

A player who can affect the game in different ways, the wing has made four threes in two of Maryland's past four games.

G — 11 DARRYL MORSELL (6-5, 200, Senior)

8.1 PPG • 3.9 RPG

Morsell will be one of the biggest tests of Purdue's defense against the dribble.

F — 30 GALIN SMITH (6-9, 235, Senior)

2.3 PPG • 2.2 RPG

Maryland doesn't have a lot of size, so Smith's gonna have to get some minutes against Trevion Williams and Zach Edey.

F — 25 JAIRUS HAMILTON (6-8, 235, Junior)

6.1 PPG • 38.7% 3-PT

Hamilton will stretch Purdue's defense with his ability to shoot threes. He made two of them in Mackey Arena, but was just 2-of-9 overall from the floor.

C — 15 CHOL MARIAL (7-2, 235, Sophomore)

Marial will probably see minutes again to match Purdue's size, though Purdue's front line is far more physical. Strangely, he shot three threes in West Lafayette, missing them all. He's 1-for-6 on the season.

Maryland gave Purdue all it could handle after going small in the second half on Christmas and may play the whole game that way this time, so there are going to be real matchup worries at the defensive end here. And despite what the Minnesota game may have led some to believe, Sasha Stefanovic's void is still a significant one.

But Purdue is a better defensive team — and a better team, period — than it was back on Dec. 25 and Maryland's offensive shortcomings are legitimate barring Donta Scott getting hot or its bigs making a bunch of threes.

Maryland's winless record at home is an Illusion — more about the competition – but nevertheless, the Terps do have some real limitations and Purdue's playing well. It just has to keep building on success.

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