Game 31: Purdue vs. Rutgers
Date: Saturday, March 7, 2020
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Venue: Mackey Arena (West Lafayette)
TV: BTN
Radio: Purdue Radio Network
Purdue Particulars: Roster | Schedule | Statistics
More: Purdue primer and GoldandBlack.com coverage
Rutgers Particulars: Roster | Schedule | Statistics
GoldandBlack.com in-game updates: @GoldandBlackcom | @brianneubert
| Team | AP | Coach | NET | KenPom | KenPom - Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
PUR |
— |
— |
32 |
22 |
66% |
|
RUT |
— |
— |
31 |
27 |
34% |
ABOUT THIS GAME
Purdue's regular season finale amounts to another must-win for the Boilermakers from an NCAA Tournament perspective, after they stole one back with their impressive 77-68 win Tuesday night at No. 18 Iowa.
It's senior day at Purdue, with Evan Boudreaux, Jahaad Proctor and Tommy Luce set to be honored after the game.
Rutgers, then ranked, won the first meeting between these two teams, 70-63 Jan. 28 in Piscataway. The Scarlet Knights, who may have worked themselves off the Bubble with their win over Maryland this week, have been a very different team on the road.
PURDUE BOILERMAKERS (16-4, 9-10 B1G)
| # | Player | P | HT/WT/YR | STATS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
50 |
C |
6-9/270/SO |
PPG: 11.6 REB: 7.7 FG: 51.7% |
|
|
12 |
F |
6-8/220/SR |
PTS: 5.4 REB: 4.4 3-PT: 32.6% |
|
|
55 |
G |
6-4/195/SO |
PTS: 8.7 3-PT: 38.3% |
|
|
2 |
G |
6-4/175/SO |
PPG: 10.5 REB: 3.2 AST: 2.7 3-PT: 36.4% |
|
|
20 |
F/G |
6-7/225/JR |
PTS: 5.1 REB: 4.1 AST: 2.7 |
| # | Player | P | HT/WT/YR | STATS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
32 |
C |
7-3/250/JR |
PPG: 8.6 REB: 4.5 FG: 52.8% BLK: 2.0 |
|
|
1 |
F |
6-9/205/SO |
PPG: 3.7 REB: 4.2 |
|
|
11 |
G |
6-1/165/FR |
PTS: 5.5 3-PT: 35.8% |
|
|
3 |
G |
6-3/205/SR |
PPG: 9.3 3-PT: 32.6% |
ABOUT PURDUE
XXXXXXXXX
RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS (19-11, 10-9 B1G)
| # | Player | P | HT/WT/YR | STATS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
F |
6-6/230/SR |
PPG: 9.7 REB: 4.8 3-PT: 35.9% |
|
|
15 |
C |
6-11/255/SO |
PTS: 8.0 REB: 8.0 FG:: 60.3% |
|
|
24 |
G |
6-6/245/SO |
PPG: 12.0 REB: 5.8 3-PT: 33.3% |
|
|
22 |
G |
6-7/190/SO |
PPG: 6.9 REB: 3.8 3-PT: 28.0% |
|
|
23 |
G |
6-4/205/SO |
PPG: 7.4 REB: 3.4 |
| # | Player | P | HT/WT/YR | STATS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
42 |
G |
6-102/185/JR |
PTS: 8.4 REB: 2.7 AST: 1.9 |
|
|
0 |
G |
6-4/185/JR |
PTS:10.6 AST: 3.5 3-PT: 26.7% |
|
|
4 |
G |
6-6/205/FR |
PTS: 3.9 REB: 2.6 AST: 2.0 3-PT: 34.8% |
|
|
13 |
F |
6-9/250/SR |
PTS: 3.5 REB: 2.4 |
ABOUT RUTGERS
• Rutgers' only Big Ten win away from the RAC came in January at Nebraska. That's largely the reason the Knights have found themselves at risk of missing the NCAA Tournament the past few weeks.
It's not Iike Rutgers has been a no-show on the road, however. In January, it lost 54-51 at Illinois and 85-80 at Iowa, two games that could have gone either way at the end. Shortly thereafter, it lost 56-51 at top-10 Maryland and 72-66 at Ohio State.
After an eight-point loss at Wisconsin, Rutgers practically had Penn State beaten in State College, but lost 65-64 on Myles Dread's three with 28 seconds left.
Rutgers' eight Big Ten losses away from Piscataway — including a loss at Madison Square Garden to Michigan — have come by an average of 5.8 points.
| EASY OFFENSE | EXECUTE | ESTABLISH THE POST |
|---|---|---|
|
Purdue has struggled time and again to score on the road, and the likelihood of that reality just randomly lifting against a very good defensive team that's unbeaten at home would seem remote. The best course is to generate putbacks and layups off turnovers, and cash in when opportunities arise. |
Bold, we know, but the Wisconsin game may have been Purdue's best cutting game of the season among its guards, and open looks from three came because of it. Purdue doesn't shoot great on the road, and execution has been part of that. Effective screening, passing and cutting are musts against this D. |
Myles Johnson is a real presence, and the sort that with both the power and length to affect Purdue's big men, but Purdue isn't winning this game without Trevion Williams and Matt Haarms producing, both on offense and the glass, but offense is especially critical. |
BOTTOM LINE
Rutgers Is legitimately good — not fluke good, not weak-schedule-cosmetics good, but good good — but not unbeatable, as Nebraska just revealed. The Scarlet Knights are a very good defensive team and a very tough team, and expecting Purdue to do something it's not yet done, would be expecting a lot.
GoldandBlack.com Prediction: RUTGERS 63, PURDUE 59
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