This will be Purdue's third game with its new starting lineup in place, and the tests for Caleb Furst and CJ Cox entering that starting five are just getting harder with Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper waiting for them in Jersey.


After last season's consistency of starting lineups, this year's team has been a revolving door of rotations as Matt Painter tries to figure out who unlocks Purdue's two-way viability.


Injuries haven't helped with Purdue's five spot going up in smoke with Daniel Jacobsen's leg injury in the second game of the season. That was the cause for Purdue's first shift in starting five with Will Berg sliding in for Jacobsen.


But Berg has found himself now not just out of the starting lineup but out of the rotation as a whole.


Gicarri Harris was Painter's first selection for starting true freshman guard, but with his shot not falling and inconsistent defense, Myles Colvin and Camden Heide both proved themselves the more steady wings for Painter on both sides of the floor. Matt Painter embraced the small ball lineup almost as a shrug. If Purdue wasn't going to defend or rebound, it damn well better be able to spread the floor.


Though Colvin has turned into Purdue's best perimeter defender, his and Heide's shot has faltered over the last month. Purdue still couldn't rebound.


Painter once again turned to the bench, tabbing two changes to the starting lineup. He inserted C.J. Cox, his other true freshman guard, and his lone senior, Caleb Furst to play the four/five next to Trey Kaufman-Renn.


It's worked. Furst has been Purdue's best interior presence and Cox has offered tough perimeter defense and a reliable jump shot next to Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith while rebounding aggressively on both sides of the ball.


Now Furst and Cox will be in the spotlight, on the road, against one of the Big Ten's best scoring duos.