Date: Friday, Nov. 29, 2019

Time: 9:35 p.m. ET

Venue: The Arena (Northwest Florida State College — Niceville, Fla.)

TV: CBS College Sports

Radio: Purdue Radio Network

Purdue Particulars: Roster | Schedule | Statistics

More: Purdue primer and GoldandBlack.com coverage

VCU Particulars: Roster | Schedule | Statistics

GoldandBlack.com in-game updates: @GoldandBlackcom | @brianneubert

• Purdue enters play in Florida having dropped its first two games of the season to high-major competition — Texas and Marquette — in narrow fashion, before rebounding with one-sided wins over low-majors Chicago State and Jacksonville State during a break In the schedule that allowed for virtually two full weeks of practice, the hope being that that opportunity will pay dividends.

• The Boilermakers face the Rams for the first time since the 2011 NCAA Tournament, in which VCU upset Purdue at the United Center as part of its improbable run to the Final Four.

Purdue will face either Tennessee or Florida State Saturday.

If it beats VCU, it'll play at 7 p.m. ET; if not, 4 p.m.

• Against Jacksonville State, after a week spent emphasizing getting the ball inside, Matt Haarms and Trevion Williams were used more than any other game this season and both dominated. Purdue will hope that level of involvement becomes their norm.

• This is obviously a game where Purdue ball-handlers Nojel Eastern, Eric Hunter and Isaiah Thompson (if he sees much time) are critically important considering VCU's frenzied nature defensively. Purdue hasn't really been aggressively pressed to this point this season, even though it is part of what Green Bay, Texas and Jacksonville State do, typically.

Coming off Purdue's best passing game of the season vs. Jacksonville State, this will be another test of its decision-making, but also its composure.

VCU Particulars: Roster | Schedule | Statistics

• VCU Is 6-0, with its lone high-major meeting being an 84-82 home win over then-ranked LSU.

• Nothing comes easy against VCU's Intense full-court pressure, pressing, trapping and scrambling. Opponents — albeit most of them low-majors to this point — are shooting only 33 percent vs. VCU and the Rams are 12.2 steals and 7.2 blocks, ranking among national leaders in both categories.

VCU's defense ranks fifth nationally in turnover percentage — 29.2 percent – and second In both block percentage (19.2) and steal percentage (16.8), per KenPom.com.

In VCU's win at home over LSU, it forced 26 turnovers and turned them into 37 points, clearly the difference in the game.

• Senior guard and returning first-team All-A-10 pick Marcus Evans averages 15.2 points and Is 15-of-29 from three-point range thus far.

• Big man Marcus Santos-Silva Is a force on the glass, averaging 10-and-a-half per game and ranking 16th nationally in offensive rebounding percentage, averaging about four offensive rebounds per game.

But, on average, VCU Is being outrebounded. Opponents are averaging more than 10 offensive rebounds per game. Part of that is the fact that they're shooting only 33 percent against the Rams and thus there are more offensive rebounding chances, but still, that number does stick out.

It sure looked like Purdue got better between the Chicago State and Jacksonville State games, but credible competition will be the real test. Concentration has not been the Boilermakers' strong suit and it will be tested by this veteran VCU team. Here's guessing , though, that provided Purdue gets Matt Haarms and Trevion Williams established — that's up to the guards — it finds enough advantages to get a high-quality win.

GoldandBlack.com Prediction: Purdue 74, VCU 71

Membership Info: Sign up for GoldandBlack.com now | Why join? | Questions?

Follow GoldandBlack.com: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

More: Gold and Black Illustrated/Gold and Black Express | Subscribe to our podcast

Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2019. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited.