Purdue and Butler meet in what will be the final Crossroads Classic at Indianapolis' Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The event has run its course after 11 years, primarily due to Indiana's disinterest in continuing the event.

Purdue and Butler have each voiced support for the event and suggested hopes that perhaps it could return every few years, though how realistic that might be remains to be seen.

Date: Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021

Time: Noon ET

TV: FOX

Radio: Purdue Radio Network (96.5 WAZY locally)

Schedule | Roster | Stats

• This is a quietly important game for Purdue, coming off a rough two-game swing out east, where it lost on a buzzer-beater at Rutgers, but salvaged a come-from-behind overtime win vs. North Carolina State.

"We have to have a better focus and just be sharper," Coach Matt Painter said. " ... Being detailed across the board."

• Purdue's shooting 40.3 percent from three-point range on the season, but is just 12-of-47 the past two games away from Mackey Arena.

Last season, this largely intact team was 14-of-28 from three against Notre Dame, in a largely empty Bankers Life Fieldhouse, as it was then called.

• The Boilermakers enter the final Crossroads Classic with a 3-7 record in the event.

• This will be Purdue's second consecutive game in an NBA arena.

• Trevion Williams' past two games: 21.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists. He's shooting 61.2 percent from the floor.

STARTERS

C — 15 Zach Edey (7-4, 295, So.)

14.6 PPG • 70% FG • 75.6 FT% • 7.0 REB • 1.4 BLK

Don't be surprised if Purdue makes a move here and bumps Trevion Williams back up to the starting five, which would have much more to do with Williams' outstanding play than anything on Edey's part. That said, Edey has been prone to slow starts and perhaps coming off the bench could help him, as well.

F — 3 Caleb Furst (6-10, 230, Fr.)

6.6 PPG • 6.0 RPG • 60.5% FG • 45.5% 3-PT

After Furst was a victim of matchups the past two games, and thus didn't play as much as he had prior, Butler might be his type of game. There's really concern here. He'll be fine.

G —23 Jaden Ivey (6-4, 195, So.)

16.4 PPG • 51.3% FG • 39.1% 3-PT • 5.4 REB • 3.4 AST • 1.5 STL

Ivey's enjoying just an outstanding season. Look at the numbers. He's a scoring guard shooting 51 percent from the floor and a high-usage and aggressive primary ball-handler averaging only two turnovers per game. Those numbers really stand out.

G — 55 Sasha Stefanovic (6-5, 205, Sr.)

11.9 PPG • 42.9% 3-PT • 4.0 AST

Stefanovic didn't shoot great out east, until it mattered most, when he made two big threes in crunch time against N.C. State, not to mention the game-tying runner to force overtime.

G —11 Isaiah Thompson (6-1, 160, Jr.)

5.7 PPG • 53.1% FG • 53.8% 3-PT

Matt Painter says he wants to get Thompson more shots after he went scoreless at Rutgers and vs. N.C. State, getting only three shots off between those two games.

ROTATION

C — 50 Trevion Williams (6-10, 255, Sr.)

14.2 PPG • 59.8% FG • 9.3 REB • 3.0 AST

Williams missed a triple-double by just a single assist vs. N.C. State, a really high-level performance from him in Brooklyn. He's having a great season, but also doing a better-than-ever job defensively guarding away from the basket, and serving as an important leader. Purdue couldn't ask for much more from him on the floor.

G — 2 Eric Hunter (6-4, 175, Sr.)

3.7 PPG • 1.6 AST

Hunter didn't play particularly well against N.C. State, until two key steals really influenced that outcome. It's been an adjustment for Hunter coming off the bench this season, but he made big plays to help Purdue side-step what would have been a hideous loss.

F — 0 Mason Gillis (6-6, 230, So.)

5.5 PPG • 2.8 REB • 56.3% FG • 44.4% 3-PT

Gillis has been an absolute difference-maker for Purdue lately, as his effort and energy are making a tangible impact for the Boilermakers. Purdue wants to get him more looks from three-point range, too

G — 25 Ethan Morton (6-6, 215, So.)

2.5 PPG • 1.9 AST • 42.9% 3-PT (3-7)

Along with Gillis, Morton's been a crucial role player for Purdue, filling in defensive-matchup gaps and just giving the Boilermakers a steady presence on offense. Two games in a row now, though, Morton's come off the bench to be the primary defender on the other team's best player. No one could have seen that being his role this season.

G — 5 Brandon Newman (6-5, 200, So.)

7.7 PPG • 35.3% 3-PT • 93.8% FT

Newman's trying too hard, again. Painter says the young guard is taking "bad shots" and his minutes will be at risk if it continues. This has long been Newman's challenge: Over-eagerness.

Freshmen Trey Kaufman-Renn and Brian Waddell will redshirt this season. Waddell will miss most of the season after tearing his ACL and Kaufman-Renn is now sidelined up to six weeks after undergoing foot surgery.

Schedule | Roster | Stats

• Butler's either well-balanced offensively or de-centralized from a scoring perspective due to the lack of prime options, however you want to view it.

Chuck Harris, Jair Bolden and Jayden Taylor are all double-digit scorers, but five different Bulldogs have already led them in scoring through 10 games.

• Injuries have been a considerable challenge for Butler this season, as only three players — Jayden Taylor, Jair Bolden and Bryce Golden — have played in all 10 of the Bulldogs' games thus far.

Currently, Butler's without forwards Bryce Nze and Bo Hodges.

• Butler's shooting 36.6 percent from three-point range.

• Butler lacks rim protection. Opponents are shooting roughly 53 percent from two-point territory and no Bulldog has blocked more than five shots this season.

• Surprisingly given its history for playing relatively mistake-free basketball, Butler turns the ball over as much as anyone in college basketball, 23.1 percent of its possessions. Butler averages more than 14 turnovers per game, and opponents average roughly 15 points per game off those turnovers.

Opponents are averaging 7.2 steals per game against Butler.

• Butler doesn't really have a true center who can match up with Purdue, but its frontcourt can shoot, which is always a concern for Purdue. Forward Ty Groce is shooting 36 percent from three and Bryce Golden Is 4-of-14 on the year.

Golden sucker-punched Purdue to the tune of 14 points last time these two teams played at the Crossroads Classic.

STARTERS

F - 4 Ty Groce (6-8, 220, Sr.)

7.8 PPG • 4.4 RPG • 35.7% 3-PT

C - 33 Bryce Golden (6-9, 245, Sr.)

8.4 PPG • 4.1 REB • 60% FG • 4-14 3-PT

G - 2 Aaron Thompson (6-2, 190, Sr.)

6.6 PPG • 3.7 RPG • 4.6 AST • 1.3 STL

G - 52 Jair Bolden (6-3, 220, Sr.)

11.4 PPG • 41.9% 3-PT

G - 13 Jayden Taylor (6-4, 190, Fr.)

10.2 PPG • 2.8 RPG • 1.5 AST

KEY RESERVES

G - 3 Chuck Harris (6-2, 195, So.)

11.6 PPG • 4.0 RPG • 2.7 AST • 34% 3-PT

F - 0 DJ Hughes (6-6, 230, Fr.)

2.7 PPG • 2.8 RPG • 58.3% FG

F - 41 Simas Lukosius (6-6, 230, Fr.)

4.0 PPG • 3.3 RPG • 43.8% 3-PT

F - 25 Christian David (6-6, 220, Sr.)

1.8 PPG • 1.9 RPG

Stay dialed in to GoldandBlack.com during the game for our pre-game First Thoughts analysis. During the game, follow along with our game thread and follow @brianneubert on Twitter for additional insight.

Following the game, we'll have post-game press conference video, game coverage, analysis, our Wrap Video and Final Thoughts, plus a Gold and Black Radio podcast within a few hours of the end of the game.

Stay tuned.

Butler's never an easy out, but if Purdue just gets back to some basics here and shores up some of its recent failings, it should go out a winner at the Crossroads.

The Bulldogs will face some significant matchup issues and may not have the defensive upside to stop Purdue as long as the Boilermakers don't stop themselves.

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