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Northwestern at Purdue: MASTER DISCUSSION THREAD
- Boilermaker Men's Basketball
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Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Today, the Northwestern Wildcats (10-4; 1-2) visit Mackey Arena to take on the #20-ranked Purdue Boilermakers (10-4; 2-1). Tip is scheduled for around 2:00 pm (Eastern time) with television coverage on the Big Ten Network. This is the only scheduled regular season match-up between the schools. Last season, the teams split the season series, each winning at home in overtime. Matt Painter Purdue teams are 22-9 overall against Northwestern.
Projected Starting Line-ups:
Northwestern - Nick Martinelli, Matthew Nicholson, Jalen Leach, Ty Berry, and Brooks Barnhizer
Purdue - Trey Kaufman-Renn, Caleb Furst, CJ Cox, Fletcher Loyer, and Braden Smith
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Northwestern is coming off a close road loss at The Tomb to Penn State, 84-80, which halted a four-game winning streak for the Wildcats. Brooks Barnhizer had 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists in the losing effort. Purdue is on a two-game win steak coming off a win Thursday night at Minnesota, 81-61, including 53 points and no turnovers in the second half of the winning effort.
Similar to Purdue, Northwestern has a strong core of players who have been in their program for a while. Nick Martinelli, a 6'7 junior, leads the team with 20.1 PPG and also averages 5.7 rebounds per game. After missing four games earlier this season, Brooks Barnhizer has been a key contributing force, also averaging 20.1 PPG and a team-high 9.5 rebounds. Northwestern is the only school with two players averaging 20+ points per game. Northwestern is currently 47th in the KenPom ratings, 75th in offensive efficiency but a strong 21st in the defensive rating. They are one of the few teams Purdue will play with a slower adjusted tempo rating in KenPom at 318th to Purdue's 302nd. After the Minnesota game, Purue's overall rating has moved up to 21st overall, 11th offensively and 69th defensively.
These two teams have had some tight battles recently. Last season both meetings went into overtime, and six of the last seven meetings have been with-in six points after regulation. All of Northwestern's losses this season to Dayton, Butler, Iowa and Penn State have been by five points or less, and you'd expect this is likely going to be a slugfest in the same manner that each of the last several matchups has been. Plus, Northwestern is just 335th in the nation in made 3-pt FG's, and it is 341st in 3-pt FG attempts - this will be a battle inside the arc, and Purdue will absolutely need to battle on the glass and limit NW's second chance opportunities. They are also top ten in limiting turnovers, while Purdue isn't in the top 100, although recently the Boilers have improved - they will need a performance more like the last time out where they had just three.
Look for the same starting line-up, and if Purdue can get the kind of game it had from Caleb Furst (11 points and six rebounds) in battling Nicholson and company, that will be welcomed support for Smith, Kaufman-Renn, and Loyer on the offensive end going up against a good defensive team. On defense, Purdue will certainly need to focus on Barnhizer and Martinelli, but that can come with a cost as well. Coach Matt Painter on that dilemma - "Sometimes when you go against guys that can really really score, you can load up on them. If you load up on those guys they'll make you pay with their ability to pass....They're play starters....And they're play finishers."
This impending battle is a key game for Purdue to stay in touch with near the top of the conference. Can the Boilers keep things on track and build more momentum with a trip to Rutgers looming next week? We shall see starting in a couple of hours or so....
Boiler up, my friends.
Projected Starting Line-ups:
Northwestern - Nick Martinelli, Matthew Nicholson, Jalen Leach, Ty Berry, and Brooks Barnhizer
Purdue - Trey Kaufman-Renn, Caleb Furst, CJ Cox, Fletcher Loyer, and Braden Smith
__________________________________
Northwestern is coming off a close road loss at The Tomb to Penn State, 84-80, which halted a four-game winning streak for the Wildcats. Brooks Barnhizer had 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists in the losing effort. Purdue is on a two-game win steak coming off a win Thursday night at Minnesota, 81-61, including 53 points and no turnovers in the second half of the winning effort.
Similar to Purdue, Northwestern has a strong core of players who have been in their program for a while. Nick Martinelli, a 6'7 junior, leads the team with 20.1 PPG and also averages 5.7 rebounds per game. After missing four games earlier this season, Brooks Barnhizer has been a key contributing force, also averaging 20.1 PPG and a team-high 9.5 rebounds. Northwestern is the only school with two players averaging 20+ points per game. Northwestern is currently 47th in the KenPom ratings, 75th in offensive efficiency but a strong 21st in the defensive rating. They are one of the few teams Purdue will play with a slower adjusted tempo rating in KenPom at 318th to Purdue's 302nd. After the Minnesota game, Purue's overall rating has moved up to 21st overall, 11th offensively and 69th defensively.
These two teams have had some tight battles recently. Last season both meetings went into overtime, and six of the last seven meetings have been with-in six points after regulation. All of Northwestern's losses this season to Dayton, Butler, Iowa and Penn State have been by five points or less, and you'd expect this is likely going to be a slugfest in the same manner that each of the last several matchups has been. Plus, Northwestern is just 335th in the nation in made 3-pt FG's, and it is 341st in 3-pt FG attempts - this will be a battle inside the arc, and Purdue will absolutely need to battle on the glass and limit NW's second chance opportunities. They are also top ten in limiting turnovers, while Purdue isn't in the top 100, although recently the Boilers have improved - they will need a performance more like the last time out where they had just three.
Look for the same starting line-up, and if Purdue can get the kind of game it had from Caleb Furst (11 points and six rebounds) in battling Nicholson and company, that will be welcomed support for Smith, Kaufman-Renn, and Loyer on the offensive end going up against a good defensive team. On defense, Purdue will certainly need to focus on Barnhizer and Martinelli, but that can come with a cost as well. Coach Matt Painter on that dilemma - "Sometimes when you go against guys that can really really score, you can load up on them. If you load up on those guys they'll make you pay with their ability to pass....They're play starters....And they're play finishers."
This impending battle is a key game for Purdue to stay in touch with near the top of the conference. Can the Boilers keep things on track and build more momentum with a trip to Rutgers looming next week? We shall see starting in a couple of hours or so....
Boiler up, my friends.
