Fifth-ranked Purdue returns to the road for its second and final meeting of the regular season with Northwestern, who the Boilermakers beat 80-60 (without Jaden Ivey) back on Jan. 23.

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022

Place: Welsh-Ryan Arena (Evanston, Ill.)

Time: 9 p.m. ET

TV: BTN

Radio: Purdue Radio Network (96.5 WAZY locally)

Schedule | Roster | Stats

• This would be another Quad 1 for Purdue, its eighth. (The home win over Michigan has dipped back outside the threshold.)

• Purdue's still No. 1 nationally in offensive efficiency, per KenPom, but Is now second in Big Ten play in scoring to Iowa, after the Hawkeyes scored 110 against Maryland and the Boilermakers scored 62. That'll do it.

• This will be the Boilermakers' eighth game in the span of 21 days.

• Purdue's won 10 straight against Northwestern.

• Purdue is currently 340th nationally in defensive turnover percentage. In Big Ten play, only Michigan State and Penn State benefit from more turnovers.

STARTERS

C — 15 Zach Edey (7-4, 295, So.)

14.5 PPG • 67.6% FG • 7.6 REB

Edey went for 12 points and 10 rebounds in 21 minutes against Northwestern the first time around, and if the Wildcats are going to keep putting overmatched — but profoundly valuable — Pete Nance on him, then Purdue needs to go inside as its first, second and third options offensively.

F — 0 Mason Gillis (6-6, 230, So.)

6.6 PPG • 4.3 REB • 52.2% FG • 45% 3-PT • 88% FT

Might be a tired-legs issue, might not be, but the past two games Gillis is an uncharacteristic 0-for-7 from three-point range. That didn't matter all that much when he dove on the loose ball that sealed the win over Maryland.

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

11.8 PPG • 41.1% 3-PT • 3.5 AST

In so many ways, Purdue goes as Stefanovic goes, and it wasn't just his key shot-making that turned the game in the second half against Maryland, but the turnovers he forced as a help defender. The senior accounted for four of the Terps' turnovers for the game.

G — 2 Eric Hunter (6-4, 175, Sr.)

5.3 PPG • 1.9 AST • 48.1% FG • 44.4% 3-PT

After a rough game at Michigan and a turnover-riddled first half vs. Maryland, Hunter made two enormous threes against the Terps as his resurgent jump-shooting season continued. What a development that's been for Purdue.

G —23 Jaden Ivey (6-4, 195, So.) (?)

17.4 PPG • 47.5% FG • 40% 3-PT • 5.0 REB • 3.1 AST

Maryland was probably Ivey's worst game of the season, yet not so bad when you take into account his role in Purdue squeaking out the win. He made the game-winner, but previously got himself to the line a bunch and set up Hunter's second three-pointer. He didn't play in the first game against Northwestern, so that's a big difference between Game 1 and Game 2 for these two teams.

ROTATION

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

12.3 PPG • 56.1% FG • 7.7 REB • 3.0 AST

Same deal as Edey. Purdue's going to hammer the ball inside once again and hope for the same productivity from the big men as it got last game, when Edey and Willams combined for 24 points and 20 rebounds against the Wildcats. Some offensive rebounds would really help, too.

G —11 Isaiah Thompson (6-1, 160, Jr.)

5.1 PPG • 41.6% 3-PT

Opponents are clearly making it a priority to drift toward Thompson on the back side when Purdue posts up, making sure he doesn't get the clean looks he spent most of the season living off. If that's creating more space for the bigs, that might be an acceptable trade.

G — 25 Ethan Morton (6-6, 215, So.)

2.7 PPG • 1.7 AST • 45.8% 3-PT

Morton's giving Purdue solid minutes off the bench as he has all season, but Purdue's going to ride Jaden Ivey and Sasha Stefanovic more and more most likely.

F — 3 Caleb Furst (6-10, 230, Fr.)

4.7 PPG • 3.8 RPG • 57.7% FG • 42.9% 3-PT

Furst was a difference maker in the first game against Northwestern, with seven points and three rebounds in just 12 minutes. That was more effort-based than matchup-based, though.

G — 5 Brandon Newman (6-5, 200, So.)

5.0 PPG • 32.5% 3-PT • 85% FT

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

• Before falling at Illinois on Sunday — a narrow game at the end — Northwestern had won three straight, starting with an overtime home win over suddenly surging Rutgers, then a blowout win at Nebraska, then a win over an Indiana team playing without five players.

• In Big Ten play, Northwestern's last in the league with a field goal percentage of 41.2 percent.

• The Wildcats force — or at least benefit from — the second most turnovers in the league, as opponents commit 13.4 per game in Big Ten games.

Northwestern does average 6.4 steals per game, Chase Audige being among the league leaders at just under two per game.

STARTERS

F - 22 Pete Nance (6-10, 225, Sr..)

14.9 PPG • 6.8 RPG • 2.6 AST • 48.4% FG • 41.4% 3-PT

The most difficult matchup Purdue will contend with, the Boilermakers got Nance in foul trouble in the first game, and Northwestern barely used him anyway when he was in the game. The Wildcats using him to guard the 5 never seems to be in the best interests of their best player's productivity.

F - 31 Robbie Beran (6-9, 215, Jr.)

6.2 PPG • 4.2 RPG • 33.9% 3-PT

Beran's an active forward with good size and the ability to step out and shoot.

G - 0 Boo Buie (6-2, 180, Jr.)

15.1 PPG • 4.7 AST • 35.2% 3-PT

Buie runs a bit hot and cold, but can change a game with his quick-trigger shooting, similar to what Fatts Russell did at the start of the Maryland game. The game was pretty much decided last time when Buie made three threes in a short period of time, but that stretch reminded of what he's capable of and how much effort Purdue will need to put into containing him.

G - 1 Chase Audige (6-4, 200, Sr.)

11.5 PPG • 4.5 RPG • 1.8 STL

Audige isn't a great shooter, but the big, athletic wing can be problematic as a slasher and in transition. He was 1-of-8 from the floor — 0-for-5 from three — in the first meeting with Purdue. Expecting that to repeat probably wouldn't be a great bet.

G - 5 Julian Roper (6-3, 180, Fr.)

3.6 PPG • 3.5 RPG • 34.6% 3-PT

Roper starts for Northwestern, in part so that Ty Berry can come off the bench as an offensive spark. Roper did give NU some offensive punch in the game at Purdue.

KEY RESERVES

C - 15 Ryan Young (6-10, 240, So.)

9.4 PPG • 4.5 RPG • 54.9% FG

Young's a big-bodied and crafty low-post scorer who Purdue will make a defensive priority. Its double-teams were effective in the first meeting, keeping him to 3-of-7 shooting and just six points in 21 minutes.

G - 3 Ty Berry (6-3, 185, So.)

7.4 PPG • 41% 3-PT

Northwestern's best shooter among its guards, Berry just scored 16 at Illinois. He was just 1-of-4 from the floor in the first meeting with Purdue, though, in 12 foul-plagued minutes.

G - 2 Ryan Greer (6-2, 190, Sr.)

4.4 PPG • 2.1 AST • 37.9% 3-PT

Greer's another shooting threat for the Wildcats.

C - 34 Matt Nicholson (7-0, 255, So.)

1.9 PPG • 1.4 RPG

Northwestern's backup big man's size will be needed against Purdue's frontcourt.

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.

Purdue has been through a rough week, and just has to get through this one, to be honest.

The Boilermakers did fare OK defensively against Maryland, and this is a Northwestern team that barely got to 60 in Mackey Arena and gave up 80 without Jaden Ivey playing.

Purdue's got to keep Buie under control, which they couldn't do against the comparable Fatts Russell this weekend, and it would help to shoot well, but the Boilermakers are still very good, regardless of this recent lull.

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