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Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019 • 7 p.m. ET | Bryce Jordan Center (State College, Pa.) | TV: FS1 | 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 comes in having won eight of its last nine, including Sunday's win over No. 6 Michigan State and the two big road wins — at Wisconsin and Ohio State — that preceded it. The Boilermakers returned to the top 25 this week, checking in at No. 17.

Penn State, meanwhile, has yet to win a Big Ten game — it has lost several close games, for whatever it's worth — and because of it, Coach Pat Chambers' status beyond this season might be in jeopardy.

• Penn State is averaging just 61.6 points in Big Ten play and shooting 39.3 percent, better than only Northwestern in both categories. The Nittany Lions are shooting threes (26.8 percent) better than only Indiana.

• Bryce Jordan has been an adventure for Purdue, as it required overtime in 2015 and 2017.

• Ryan Cline is 8-of-20 from three in five career meetings with Penn State, but in the past three games — all highly competitive Purdue wins — he's 7-of-12. He was key in the Boilermakers' OT win in State College during their last visit to Bryce Jordan. He made two threes in overtime to lead Purdue to an exhausting win.

Roster | Schedule | Statistics

Projected Rotation

50 C Trevion Williams (6-9, 280, Fr.)

The freshman big man has been a force on the glass for Purdue, and it's going to need him to be again, because keeping Mike Watkins off the boards has to be one of the Boilermakers' foremost priorities.

24 F Grady Eifert (6-6, 220, Sr.)

Eifert's one of Purdue's best rebounders and a key role player on offense, but also has been a solid defender this season. Quietly, the Boilermakers have done a good job stopping opposing 4 men all season and that's this game's key matchup, because of Penn State's Lamar Stevens.

14 G/F Ryan Cline (6-6, 195, Sr.)

A career-long Penn State killer, Cline's been on a shooting tear since the resumption of Big Ten play, shooting 52 percent from three the past seven games.

20 G Nojel Eastern (6-6, 220, So.)

Eastern may not have to worry as much about facing a top-flight guard in this game defensively, but his on-ball defense will be an advantage for Purdue vs. everyone it faces, most likely. Eastern's affecting games in a lot of different ways, though, too.

3 G Carsen Edwards (6-1, 200, Jr.)

Edwards was only 4-of-19, vs. Michigan State, but that doesn't mean necessarily he didn't play well, because more so than ever in his career, he's finding ways other than scoring to help Purdue win.

KEY PLAYERS

32 C - Matt Haarms (7-3, 250, So.)

Haarms has transformed since moving back to a role coming off the bench. His value as a screen-and-roll weapon has been amplified lately, he's been a key piece to Purdue's defensive improvement and he's shown distinct toughness in meetings with physical frontcourts from Maryland, Rutgers and Michigan State this season.

1 F Aaron Wheeler (6-9, 200, R-Fr.)

Wheeler's three threes and 11 points total really loomed large in the Boilermakers' biggest win of the season Sunday. When he's making shots from distance, Purdue's going to be a tough out.

2 G Eric Hunter (6-3, 170, Fr.)

Coming along nicely, Hunter has done some positive things for Purdue as a scorer, but his improvement has perhaps been most evident on defense, where he was a liability not all that long ago. His progress has been striking.

55 G Sasha Stefanovic (6-4, 195, R-Fr.)

One of Purdue's leading shooters this season in a backup role, Stefanovic hasn't taken just one shot over 25 minutes the past three games since his 14-point outburst against Rutgers, which hasn't lost since. He doesn't take bad shots.

12 F/C Evan Boudreaux (6-8, 220, Jr.)

Boudreaux is back from injury, but with Haarms and Williams playing well, it can ease him back into the lineup.

Roster | Schedule | Stats

C - 24 Mike Watkins (6-9, 254, Jr.)

Watkins may not score all that much, but he can be an absolute force on the boards, as Purdue has seen before. He's averaging eight-and-half rebounds, mirroring his scoring numbers. The Boilermakers are going to have to keep a body on him on the defensive boards.

F - 11 Lamar Stevens (6-8, 230, Jr.)

Penn State's best player and best chance, the power forward averages 18.7 points, but is shooting just 42 percent from the frontcourt. He's athletic and can shoot from mid-range, but has been shooting a lot of threes lately, too, making three on as many attempts in scoring 27 in Penn State's near upset at Minnesota.

G - 23 Josh Reaves (6-5, 214, Sr.)

One of the Big Ten's best defenders, Reaves averages two-and-a-half steals per game. His size and energy level could be problematic for Edwards. Reaves is the catalyst for a Penn State team that's been solid on defense this season.

G - 5 Jamari Wheeler (6-1, 170, So.)

Penn State's high-energy point guard is an excellent defender, but Eastern's physicality will be a different sort of matchup for him. It does go both ways, though, because he'll put pressure on Eastern when he puts the ball on the floor.

G - 2 Myles Dread (6-4, 215, Fr.)

The freshman guard has been in double-figures four of the past five games. He's Penn State's top three-point shooter by percentage at 36-plus percent.

KEY PLAYERS

G - 13 Rasir Bolton (6-2, 180, Fr.)

Penn State brings its second-leading scorer off the bench. The rookie averages 11.4 points, but he's not been nearly as productive in Big Ten play as he was in non-conference play, where he scored 25 against N.C. State, for example.

F - 21 John Harrar (6-9, 243, So.)

G - 0 Myreon Jones (6-3, 170, Fr.)

Yes, this is the classic "trap" game scenario, and Purdue's probably still not to the point where it's arrived, per se. And some solid Purdue teams have had to fight like crazy to escape Penn State with wins. That being said, this Penn State team is so limited.

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