Not sure which is more needed, Purdue finally gets a break in its schedule or it finally gets to return to Mackey Arena.


Purdue (8-4) will get both on Sunday when Toledo (6-5) comes to play at Mackey Arena.


Toledo is ranked 216 on Kenpom, a welcomed respite after Purdue just finished up a stretch of three straight games against top-10 defenses including back to back neutral floor games against Auburn and Texas A&M.


Purdue has lost 3 of its last 4 games and looks to get back to its winning game before Big Ten play kicks off in earnest. After the 6th toughest schedule according to Kenpom to this point, Purdue will look towards trying to win its third straight Big Ten title after Toledo.

As stated, Purdue has taken on three top-ten defenses in its last three games. 8 of Purdue's 12 games has also been against top-60 defenses.


Purdue's record and offense has suffered as a result. It should be a different story at home on Sunday evening.


Toledo has been one of the nation's worst defensive teams. Toledo is ranked as the 324th best defense while giving up an astounding 57.6% shooting from inside the arc. That should be music to Purdue's ears after struggling to get anything going inside against Auburn, shooting just 15 of 36 from two against the Tigers.


The home cooking will also be nice as Purdue has failed to score 80 points in a game just once at home this season in six contests.

Sonny Wilson is Toledo's lead guard and do everything point, leading the team in scoring at 15.2 points a game on 52% shooting from the field and 39% from three. The sophomore is coming off his toughest game of the season and only single-digit scoring effort when Houston clamped down on Wilson to the tune of 3 points and just 1 of 8 shooting.

Toledo is one of the least prolific three-point shooting teams in the country. Sam Lewis leads Toledo with 29 three-point attempts on the season and is hitting them at a 48% rate. The 6-6 wing will be one of Purdue's focal points on the defensive end.

In contrast, Purdue has six players with at least 28 three-point attempts.

Toledo is shooting 34% from deep on the season. Purdue is 16th best in the country at 39.6% as a team.

Braden Smith has carried the weight of Purdue's grueling schedule on his back the last two games. Against Auburn and Texas A&M, two defenses hedged, doubled, swarmed, and bodied Purdue's point guard for two full games. Two of the best two defenses in the country has gotten the best of Smith in those games as Purdue's offense has struggled to get its sets going and to find a rhythm in the pick and roll.


Smith has just 12 assists in the last two games despite leading the nation in assist rate. More concerning, Smith has 11 turnovers in those two games.


Smith has also struggle to find his own. In Purdue's last three losses, defenses have been able to take Smith's scoring away from him. He averaged just under 10 points a game in Purdue's last three losses including a 3 of 12 shooting performance against Auburn and a 5 of 14 effort against A&M.


Smith is averaging 14.3 point in wins but that features a blow out win against Marshall where Smith played his season low in minutes and didn't score a point.


In Purdue's four losses, he's at 10 points a game.

Will Berg sprained his foot at practice this week and will miss the game against Toledo Matt Painter said after practice on Saturday.