Sixth-ranked Purdue opens play at the loaded Hall of Fame Tip-Off at the Mohegan Sun with blueblood and 18th-ranked North Carolina.

Date: Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021

Time: 4 p.m. ET

TV: ESPNEWS

Radio: Purdue Radio Network (96.5 WAZY locally)

Schedule | Roster | Stats

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STARTERS

C — 15 Zach Edey (7-4, 295, So.)

18.7 PPG • 76.9% FG • 10.3 REB • 19.0 MIN

Now comes a chance for Edey to show just how far he's come as a sophomore. It's not outside the realm of possibility he emerges this season as one of the top big men in all of college basketball and this event marks his first opportunity to do so.

F — 3 Caleb Furst (6-10, 230, Fr.)

9.3 PPG • 58.8% FG • 9.3 RPG

Furst has been rock-solid for Purdue through three college games and seems to fit right in playing alongside the Boilermakers' other big men. His defensive transition will remain a process, though, and the higher level of athleticism and skill Purdue faces in Connecticut could accelerate that learning curve.

G —23 Jaden Ivey (6-4, 195, So.)

15.3 PPG • 6.3 REB • 3.3 AST

Purdue's got a chance to be an elite offensive team, and the most important part of it might be its wunderkind sophomore guard's decision-making, particularly pushing the ball up the floor offensively. Such things are always a fine line with really high-end scoring guards. He's done pretty well thus far, but his Importance will be amplified in higher-leverage games.

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

13.7 PPG • 57.9% 3-PT

Purdue's opponents have a lot of defensive bases to cover, but they won't be naive to Stefanovic's body of work as a shooter. Defenses have always treated him like a priority as the Boilermakers utilize him as a central part of their dozens of sets and that probably won't change.

G —11 Isaiah Thompson (6-1, 160, Jr.)

6.3 PPG • 46.2% 3-PT • 0 TO

Thompson's proving to be a fine complement to Ivey in Purdue's backcourt, a shotmaker who has yet to turn the ball over. He's not really playing a ball-dominant role but there's extreme value in those two things in this offense as long as he's holding up his end defending the ball, which he is.

ROTATION

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

11.7 PPG • 66.7% FG • 9.3 REB • 3.0 AST

Williams is playing well and carrying himself admirably in his unique circumstance as a returning All-American who's now coming off the bench. He's saying all the right things — and seems to mean them — and doing all the right things on game nights. He will be tested defensively more so than any point this young season by the bigs and penetration components of these higher-end opponents.

G — 5 Brandon Newman (6-5, 200, So.)

12.3 PPG • 47.6% 3-PT

Newman's gone off from deep a few times through three games. When that threat materializes off the bench, Purdue's really going to be difficult to slow down on offense. Against these high-caliber teams, though, the Boilermakers need his best effort both physically and mentally on defense.

G — 25 Ethan Morton (6-6, 215, So.)

3.3 PPG • 2.7 REB • 2.0 AST • 2.3 STL

Morton's days of playing the 4 may be numbered as Mason Gillis returns on Sunday, but he will still play multiple positions for Purdue and give them a good passer and decision-maker, as well as a heady, overachieving defender, as he's been so far.

G — 2 Eric Hunter (6-4, 175, Sr.)

2.7 PPG • 2.7 AST

Also coming off the bench to start his senior season, Hunter played well vs. Wright State and figures to be needed In a more prominent role against North Carolina and star guard Caleb Love.

NOTE: Forward Mason Gillis is suspended for the first four regular season games. He'll return Sunday vs. either Villanova or Tennessee.

Freshmen Trey Kaufman-Renn and Brian Waddell will redshirt this season. Waddell will miss most of the season after tearing his ACL.

Schedule | Roster | Stats

• After Hall of Famer Roy Williams retired following last season, assistant coach, UNC alumnus and former TV analyst Hubert Davis was elevated to the big chair and one of the best jobs in college basketball.

The results thus far have been a little bit up and down, as the Tar Heels were pushed by Brown at home before slipping by 94-87.

• North Carolina has looked like an excellent shooting team this season, operating at a 39-percent clip from three-point range, led by guards R.J. Davis and Kerwin Walton, both well over 50 percent.

• UNC is probably still getting situated after adding a pair of important transfers in forwards Brady Manek and Dawson Garcia.

• The Tar Heels have been uneven defensively to this point, allowing 87 to Brown and 83 to the College of Charleston. Tempo might have played Into those point totals, but opponents are shooting nearly 49 percent on two-point shots and 34 percent on threes and barely turning the ball over, just 8.7 per game.

• Last season, UNC was No. 1 nationally in offensive rebounding percentage, at a whopping 40.9 percent. The departed Day'Ron Sharpe was the biggest individual piece of that success, though.

• Guard R.J. Davis is a former grassroots teammate of Ethan Morton.

STARTERS

C - 5 Armondo Bacot (6-10, 240, Jr.)

18.0 PPG • 9.3 REB • 83% FG

The best big man Purdue will see in non-conference play, the wide-bodied center is a highly efficient post-up threat who generates an average of 1.6 points per possession on his post touches this season, per Synergy Sports.

F- 13 Dawson Garcia (6-11, 235, So.)

8.7 PPG • 7.7 REB

The Marquette transfer is a skilled forward in a center's body, probably still adjusting to his new surroundings.

G - 1 Leaky Black (6-8, 200, Sr.)

4.3 PPG • 4.0 REB • 3.3 AST

G- 2 Caleb Love (6-4, 195, So.)

19 PPG • 4.3 AST • 33.3% 3-PT

Love is Carolina's biggest backcourt threat, a formidable pick-and-roll player with high-end athleticism and speed. He'll be the biggest threat to Purdue's work-in-progress dribble defense the Boilermakers have seen to this point.

G - 4 RJ Davis (6-0, 175, So.)

12.7 PTS • 5.0 AST • 58.3% 3-PT

Davis is a Carsen Edwards sort of quick-trigger shooter and scorer Purdue will have to be mindful of at all times.

KEY RESERVES

F - 45 Brady Manek (6-9, 230, Sr.)

17 PPG • 7.3 REB • 26.7% 3-PT

The Oklahoma transfer has been an impact player for UNC right away.

G - 24 Kerwin Walton (6-5, 210, So.)

10 PPG • 53.3% 3-PT

The big 2-guard is a deadly three-point shooter coming off screens and spotting up.

F - 22 Justin McKoy (6-8, 220, Jr.)

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's going to have a chance to put some points on board here. The question is whether they can get enough stops.

Either way, a great test for the Boilermakers right out of the chute.

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