More: Purdue 2018-19 roster | 2018-19 men's basketball schedule
More ($): Fearful Predictions — Purdue's 2018-19 season | Burning Questions
Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018 • 7 p.m. ET | Mackey Arena (West Lafayette, Ind.) | TV: BTN | Radio: Purdue Radio Network
In-game updates: Twitter.com — @GoldandBlackcom | @brianneubert
Our premium board game thread and pre-game thoughts can be found roughly an hour prior to tip-off
ABOUT THIS GAME
• Purdue's looking to rebound from a one-sided loss at No. 7 Michigan, taking the floor for its second Big Ten game having just fallen out of the AP poll. Maryland's looking for a 2-0 Big Ten start following a win over Penn State.
An 0-2 Big Ten start would be Purdue's first since 2013-14.
• In the midst of a run of five straight games against top-25-caliber competition, this is the lone home game for Purdue during that run.
It has played at Florida State and Michigan its last two outings. After Maryland, it goes to Texas, then faces Notre Dame on a neutral floor.
• Maryland's lone loss came 76-71 to No. 4 Virginia in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
PURDUE BOILERMAKERS (5-3, 0-1 B1G)
Roster | Schedule | Statistics
Projected Rotation
32 C - Matt Haarms (7-3, 250, So.)
Haarms has ascended from backup to starter this season, but his minutes haven't gone up all that much, in part because fellow center Evan Boudreaux is playing so well. Haarms is averaging 17.9 minutes, one fewer than Boudreaux. Purdue will need Haarms to play a key role against Maryland, most likely, as he'll match up to start with against Terp big man Bruno Fernando, one of the league's best big men.
24 F Grady Eifert (6-6, 220, Sr.)
Much will be asked of Eifert, who'll match up, at least to start with, against Maryland star freshman Jalen Smith and will have to play a leading role in keeping Smith and Fernando off the offensive boards.
More ($): 'NBA frontcourt' will test Purdue
14 G/F Ryan Cline (6-6, 195, Sr.)
Expect Cline to play an even more prominent role against Maryland, as Purdue seems determined to unburden Carsen Edwards to a certain extent. But it's not just that: Cline is having a great year and has shown capable of the sort of decision-making Purdue seems to have a premium on right now.
20 G Nojel Eastern (6-6, 220, So.)
If Eastern guards Anthony Cowan — Carsen Edwards matched up with him quite a bit last season — then he takes on the game's signature defensive matchup. The Terp big men are important, but it all starts with Cowan, who'll look to twist the knife on a Boilermaker team that was poor against the dribble at Michigan.
3 G Carsen Edwards (6-1, 200, Jr.)
Edwards has been inefficient and turnover-prone against the best teams Purdue has played, and it's going to be really hard for Purdue to win any game in which those things are true, on high volume at least. Painter wants Edwards to ease into games and let things come to him, as coaches say. Thing is, as aggressive a player as he is and always has been, is he capable of doing that? That's just offense. Defensively, Purdue needs much more than it got from him at Michigan.
More ($): Matt Painter on Carsen Edwards
KEY PLAYERS
12 F/C Evan Boudreaux (6-8, 220, Jr.)
Purdue's best rebounder, Boudreaux will loom large on the glass and perhaps in his ability to make Maryland's size — Fernando, especially — guard away from the basket. If Boudreaux can make the threes that just didn't fall in Ann Arbor, then it could create a ripple effect for Purdue offensively and maybe pin some fouls on Maryland where it doesn't want fouls.
1 F Aaron Wheeler (6-9, 200, R-Fr.)
Wheeler played well against Michigan, albeit in largely blowout conditions. He'll get his chances against Maryland, but when he does, he may have to match up with legitimate post players on both the block and glass.
2 G Eric Hunter (6-3, 170, Fr.)
Needless to say, Purdue needs good minutes and a level head from the young guard, who has to be one of the first off the bench.
55 G Sasha Stefanovic (6-4, 195, R-Fr.)
The redshirt freshman has been pretty solid offensively, is surviving defensively, and has brought some toughness and savvy to the floor for Purdue. He's going to get better and more confident as time goes on, too, you'd think.
50 C Trevion Williams (6-8, 220, Jr.)
Williams might be creeping into the back end of Purdue's rotation, and the Maryland game could be a matchup conducive to him, to body up Fernando for a few possessions here and there, though Fernando's quickness and burst will be issues on the block. But Williams can rebound now.
#23 MARYLAND TERRAPINS (7-1, 1-0 B1G)
C - 23 Bruno Fernando (6-10, 240, So.)
Perhaps the Big Ten's most imposing physical presence, the Terrapin big man is big, physical, athletic and aggressive. He runs the floor well and is a force at the rim and on the glass. Last time he played in Mackey, he got 20 and 10. He's averaging 15-and-a-half points on 73-percent shooting — dunks and putbacks aplenty — and 10 rebounds.
F - 25 Jalen Smith (6-10, 215, Fr.)
Viewed as a near-term NBA prospect, Maryland's freshman power forward is tall and long like a traditional post but athletic and mobile and active. He's been extremely productive on the offensive glass and around the rim, but also can post up and shoot jumpers. He's averaging 12-and-a-half points, seven-and-a-half rebounds and shooting 53 percent.
G - 1 Anthony Cowan (6-0, 170, Jr.)
Maryland's leading scorer and one of the Big Ten's best guards, Cowan brings quickness to the floor that Purdue hasn't seen this season yet, and if the Boilermakers aren't better defensively than they were against Michigan, then Cowan will be in the lane a lot, and its two big men will probably go wild because of it.
G - 5 Eric Ayala (6-5, 205, Fr.)
The freshman shooting guard is making 46 percent of his threes through the first eight games of his college career, averaging nearly 30 minutes per game.
G - 11 Darryl Morsell (6-5, 200, So.)
The sophomore swingman does a little bit of everything for Maryland, averaging about 10 points, four rebounds and two assists. He's not a great jump-shooter, but is a 52-percent shooter regardless because he can create high-percentage shots in the lane or at the rim.
KEY PLAYERS
G - 2 Aaron Wiggins (6-6, 200, Fr.)
The freshman's averaging 10-and-a-half points and shooting 41 percent from three off the bench.
G - 10 Serrell Smith (6-4, 170, Fr.)
PREDICTION: PURDUE 76, MARYLAND 74
Purdue seems to be at a bit of an early season crossroads, having followed up a crushing defeat at Florida State with a self-defeating effort at Michigan. But, we do think this is a team wired to respond well to homecourt advantage and one that should be particularly eager to snap out of this malaise. But we'll find out about Purdue's leadership, a question until proven otherwise.
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