PURDUE (15-8, 10-6 B1G) vs. PENN STATE (8-12, 4-11 B1G)
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ABOUT THIS GAME
In its Big Ten road finale, Purdue looks to complete a two-game regular season sweep of the Nittany Lions, after winning 80-72 in Mackey Arena on Jan. 17.
ABOUT PURDUE
Schedule | Statistics | Roster
This would be another Quad 1 win for the Boilermakers' NCAA Tournament résumé. ... Purdue remains in contention for the No. 4 seed to the Big Ten Tournament, and the double-bye that comes with it. This is an important game for Purdue in that regard, to keep pace with Iowa. ... With a win, Purdue would finish the regular season with a 5-5 Big Ten road record, as its final two or three games — depending on whether the Nebraska game is made up — will be played at home.
BEST-GUESS STARTERS
C — 50 TREVION WILLIAMS (6-10, 265, Junior)
17.2 PPG • 8.8 RPG • 2.0 APG • 53.8% FG
Coming off an atypically quiet game at Nebraska, Purdue's All-Big Ten big man is a safe bet to reassert himself against the Nittany Lions. Job 1 will be to keep John Harrar and the rest of the Nittany Lions off the offensive boards.
F — 0 MASON GILLIS (6-6, 230, Redshirt Freshman)
5.2 PPG • 4.2 RPG • 31.3% 3-PT • 83.3% FT
Gillis must be central to Purdue's effort on the boards, but also solid on defense against Penn State's athleticism and ability to spread the Boilermakers out.
G — 2 ERIC HUNTER JR. (6-4, 170, Junior)
9.0 PPG • 26% 3-PT • 2.9 APG • 87.9% FT • 17 STL
Hunter's really emerged as a scorer lately and played one of his better games of the season earlier vs. Penn State.
G — 5 BRANDON NEWMAN (6-5, 195, Redshirt Freshman)
9.3 PPG • 3.9 RPG • 39.7% 3-PT • 95% FT • 14 STL
Newman's been up and down offensively, but he's shown real growth at the defensive end of the floor, displaying a bit of a maturity in the process. Purdue has a lot of bases to cover on the perimeter on D vs. Penn State so Newman will be needed in that area.
G — 23 JADEN IVEY (6-4, 200, Freshman)
9.1 PPG • 3.7 RPG • 2.2 AST
The budding standout was exceptional at Nebraska, continuing his upward trend during the back half of the schedule.
ROTATION
C — 15 ZACH EDEY (7-4, 285, Freshman)
6.0 PPG • 4.3 RPG • 19 BLK
Edey backs up one of the best players in the Big Ten, but over the past four games has averaged 16.5 minutes and 10.8 points. What a luxury for the Boilermakers.
G — 55 SASHA STEFANOVIC (6-5, 200, Junior)
8.1 PPG • 2.8 RPG • 1.6 APG • 33.9% 3-PT • 88% FT
Stefanovic finally broke out at Nebraska, making four late threes to blow the game open. Those were his first four made shots since returning from his three-game COVID absence. Purdue obviously hopes that's a sign he's back on track, but a new role coming off the bench still remains an adjustment.
G — 11 ISAIAH THOMPSON (6-1, 160, Sophomore)
3.3 PPG • 41.7% 3-PT
Consistent from deep all season, Thompson's riding a modest 1-of-7 slump since going 2-for-2 at Maryland. Limited opportunities have probably been part of it, but Nebraska was willing to let Purdue shoot from the perimeter and Thompson was 1-for-5.
F — 1 AARON WHEELER (6-9, 205, Junior)
2.7 PPG • 3.4 RPG
Wheeler was excellent in the second half at Nebraska, a key to the Boilermakers separating themselves in the second half. Again, consistency has been hard to come by.
G — 25 ETHAN MORTON (6-6, 215, Freshman)
Painter wants to get Morton on the floor more, but it's been difficult to find him minutes, more so now than ever.
C — 4 EMMANUEL DOWUONA (6-10, 245, Sophomore) (O)
ABOUT PENN STATE
Schedule | Statistics | Roster
Playing out the final few games of interim coach Jim Ferry's stint with the program, the Nittany Lions have been competitive this season, with only a few wins, and a bunch of tough losses, to show for it. ... The Nittany Lions have a number of gifted perimeter scorers and average better than 71 points per game in Big Ten play, tending to play in higher-scoring games, as they allow almost 75 per game. ... Offensive efficiency is an issue. The Lions are shooting sub-40 percent in Big Ten games and are 251st nationally in effective field goal percent per KenPom.
BEST GUESS STARTERS
F — 21 JOHN HARRAR (6-9, 240, Senior)
9.0 PPG • 8.8 RPG • 55.8% FG
A relentless rebounder, Harrar grabbed 10 offensive rebounds against Purdue in Round 1. Keeping him off the glass might be No. 1 on the Boilermakers' to-do list for this game, above everything else.
G — 2 MYLES DREAD (6-4, 220, Junior)
8.0 PPG • 36.2% 3-PT
Dread was just 1-of-5 from the floor in the first meeting between these two teams, but Purdue knows what he can do. He just made four threes and scored 16 in the narrow win at Nebraska.
G — 0 MYREON JONES (6-3, 180, Junior)
15.6 PPG • 2.7 RPG • 40.3% 3-PT
Penn State's leading scorer is averaging 18.2 points over the past five games, most recently 29 at Nebraska. The Boilermakers are going to have to stick to him best they can on the perimeter after he made five threes in Mackey and almost single-handedly kept Penn State in that game.
G— 12 IZAIAH BROCKINGTON (6-4, 200, Junior)
13.4 PPG • 4.7 RPG • 28.9% 3-PT
Brockington's a dangerous all-around scorer, but his three-point percentage has been cut in half since the last time Purdue and Penn State met. He's been struggling from the perimeter. He's 2-for-21, starting with his 0-for-4 outing in West Lafayette.
G — 5 JAMARI WHEELER (6-1, 170, Senior)
6.1 PPG • 4.3 RPG • 3.5 AST • 1.8 STL • 37.1% 3-PT
Purdue must be mindful at all times of one of the Big Ten's foremost defensive menaces.
ROTATION
F — 1 SETH LUNDY (6-6, 219, Sophomore)
10.1 PPG • 3.8 RPG • 30.8% 3-PT
The skilled 4 man is basically a big guard and a difficult matchup, especially when he's making threes.
G — 3 SAMUEL SESSOMS (6-0, 187, Junior)
8.3 PPG • 32.7% 3-PT
The Binghamton transfer has added yet another offensive weapon to Penn State's lineup.
F — 15 TRENT BUTTRICK (6-8, 240, Senior)
2.7 PPG • 3.1 RPG • 31.3% 3-PT
The backup big man made a couple threes against Purdue in Mackey Arena. Purdue can probably live with him shooting, though.
PREDICTION: PURDUE 68, PENN STATE 65
This will be no picnic for Purdue, as Penn State's going to present challenges all over the floor, as they did in Mackey Arena. The Nittany Lions' interchangeable personnel and scoring punch around a high-motor big man should have been good for more wins than Penn State's actually landed.
Purdue's going to have to do a great job on the glass, make good decisions and sink a few shots from the perimeter. They've earned the benefit of the doubt that they'll do just enough.
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