Might have to deal with Chubba in a few years with a maybe-competent coach.

Is Huge - we beat them on road - we aren’t losing at IU - and our schedule gets considerably easier. That’s the game we need to stay relevant and end up with a 1 or 2 seed.

Good afternoon Ladies & Gentleman. It's a Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday matinee, where the #-4 ranked Purdue Boilermakers visit the State Farm Center to take on the conference leading #17-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini. Scheduled tip is for Noon (Eastern) with television coverage on the FOX network. Granted it's still mid-January, but in light of the way Illinois is playing right now, this is a crucial must-win game for Purdue if the Boilermakers want to entertain any Big Ten regular season title hopes. Illinois is 6-0 (alone in first after Michigan State's loss this week), and Purdue sits at 3-2. A win, and the Boilers are back within a game in the loss column of the leaders....a loss, and it's a huge deficit to make up over the next 14 games.

This is seemingly always a tough match-up for Purdue, and especially so on the road. This should be one of the biggest tests of the year for the Boilers, and if they don't come out with better execution than they have in the last month or so - it could be a long afternoon. This game will showcase the three best big men in the conference - and three of the best in all of college basketball. For Illinois, Kofi Cockburn has been his usual beast in the paint. He’s averaging 21.9 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 1 block a game. He’s as dominant a force as there is in the country. Purdue has not faced anyone like that this year, but on the flip side, Illinois/Cockburn hasn't faced the challenge inside they will get today from Zach Edey and Trevion Williams. They have combined to score 28.7 points, 16.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.1 blocks a game. There's a strong possibility this match-up gets somewhat neutralized unless there is foul trouble. Zach Edey wasn't nearly the factor last year that he is this year. I could see CMP going more inside with Zach Edey and a little more perimeter with Trevion Williams to get Cockburn out of the paint some. Regardless, it should be a Battle Royale inside today with Mason Gillis and Caleb Furst also ready to join the fray.

That takes things to the perimeter, and Purdue will have to get some better production from a few of the guards. Sasha Stefanovic has had his moments, but he has also struggled at times away from home. Isaiah Thompson is in somewhat of a slump - the Boilers need him to knock down a few open ones today. Eric Hunter Jr and Brandon Newman could really help out as well......we saw some signs against Nebraska - was that just because of the Cornhuskers' weaknesses, or have the Boilers turned a corner? Jaden Ivey has been excellent for Coach Matt Painter all season, but Purdue’s perimeter defense has been a let down most the season. While Andre Curbelo is still expected to be out with an injury (although he may be in uniform), Coach Brad Underwood has plenty of experienced talent remaining on his roster. Illinois is one of the best shooting teams in the country, and Purdue has given up a lot of three pointers lately. Trent Frazier is still at Illinois (and has burned the Boilers before). Jacob Grandison is shooting nearly 50% from three. Illinois will be at home. Illinois has excelled on both ends of the floor, ranking ninth in adjusted offensive efficiency and 21st in adjusted defensive efficiency. They've also been dominant at home, going 8-1 with an average scoring margin of plus-22 points per game.

This is Purdue’s biggest challenge of the season to date (and possibly for the rest of the regular season). This is a game where Jaden Ivey can be a huge difference maker on both ends of the floor. Purdue will need that and more to come out of Champaign-Urbana with a key win. They will have to hold their own on the glass and limit the mistakes/turnovers.

In last year’s one match-up, Illinois got the best of Purdue in a 66-58 win at home, where Purdue showed some mettle but not enough to take the game. Now, a true road game in a hostile environment, against a team that can match-up in the paint and has a team of guards that can all shoot, handle, and pressure the ball. These are the games that tell you where things stand......can the Boilers get back on track in the conference race and start a surge toward March? Have they made enough progress on defense to challenge the really really good league teams.....on the road? They will need an outstanding effort to do so......we shall see shortly.

Boiler up, my friends....

Purdue player makes a game changing play

Login to view embedded media


Just an oopsie. A parade crash.

God damn it Painter … Sasha can’t cover him and the whole gym knows it

The best teams in the NBA lose. Even the Memphis Grizzlies lost at home snapping an 11 game win streak. Is it any different in college? Which college team is built to win, on average, more than any other team? What team would be Vegas favored to beat all other teams on a neutral court? That team should be #1 tomorrow.

Absolutely one of the grittiest performances by the Boilers I can remember.

Well done gentlemen!

He played good D, few big assists, nailed that 3, hit his FT’s at the end, and those 2 huge cuts for hoops. Man if this could be a seminal moment for him…would be great to see.

Thadoc on a roll…..hunter, aoc, Edey…

Did a little "research" on the Illinois Loyalty board post-game. I'm sure Tex will have the comprehensive rundown for us later, but it's quite clear why they're known as the Illwhini. A solid 90% of the posts blame the officiating for the loss. That puts Iowa fans to shame.

SIAP. Some big time minutes in overtime. Thought he had a clean block.

Analysis to come.

FASTBREAK: Purdue outlasts a shorthanded Illini in double OT 96-88.​

Alec Busse • OrangeandBlueNews
Staff
On Monday afternoon, No. 17 Illinois dropped their first Big Ten game of the season at home against No. 4 Purdue in double overtime by a final score of 96-88.
With Andre Curbelo making his return to the Illini's rotation for the first time since late November, Illinois was able to force double overtime despite serious foul trouble in their frontcourt with Kofi Cockburn fouling out and Omar Payne not playing much after halftime.
With the loss, Illinois moves to 6-1 in Big Ten play and are now tied with Michigan State atop the Big Ten standings. Illinois gets back into action on Jan. 17 at Maryland.
Orange and Blue News' Alec Busse breaks it all down below.

Shooters struggle in the first half​

Coming into the game on Monday, Illinois hadn't shot it very well from the perimeter in the previous four games, and that continued into the first half against Purdue. Alfonso Plummer and Jacob Grandison went a combined 2-for-11 from the field.
Since the Illini's COVID pause, Plummer has made just 4-of-21 from three-point land coming into Monday's contest. Not only is he not making the trey, but he's also passing up open three-point looks in favor of mid-range jumps, which is just a poor decision. Opponents have started to run Plummer off the line and they have made his looks more difficult, but he'll need to start making shots again for the Illini to look like the offensive thread we saw in December.
Grandison missed three layups in the first half and had one of them blocked by Zach Edey at the rim. Grandison hasn't been as potent of a volume shooter as Plummer this season. But his lone three-point attempt in the first half came when Purdue was on the backstretch of a 17-0.

Frontcourt fouls​

Both of Illinois' top two post players, Kofi Cockburn and Omar Payne, experienced foul trouble on Monday. Cockburn was called for two fouls in the first half and Payne was called for three, including a technical and flagrant one after a short altercation with Purdue's Trevion Williams.
Making matters worse for the Illini as Kofi Cockburn being called for two more personal fouls before the first media timeout of the second half. The first was on the defensive glass after he and Zach Edey got tangled up under the rim and the fourth was under the Illini's rim with 17:23 left in the game.
With both Cockburn and Payne out, Illinois opted to play Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk early in the second half. Bosmans-Verdonk was giving up serious size to Edey, one of the nation's biggest players. But Bosmans-Verdonk played harder than anyone and was able to keep the Illini in the game with some hard-nosed defensive against both Edey and Williams throughout the second half of the game and overtime. Without, Bosmans-Verdonk, Illinois likely doesn't force overtime on Monday let alone have kept it within striking distance in the second half.

Edey wins the matchup of massive bigs​

Illinois was going to need Kofi Cockburn to play like the All-American big man he was recognized as lat season and before this season started. But Cockburn mostly struggled against Purdue's 7-foot-4 sophomore Zach Edey. Edey finished the game with 20 points and eight rebounds and he really owned Cockburn in the paint with a deep bag of post moves and a quality touch around the rim.
Offensively, Cockburn finished with just points on 3-of-9 shooting and he was only able to grab rebounds on the glass.
Cockburn's foul trouble hurt Illinois for much of the second half where he played just eight minutes total before fouling out in the overtime period. The Illini's big man has now struggled against Arizona and Purdue's bigs this season at State Farm Center and the Illini just can't afford that in big games.

Andre Curbelo makes his return with a bang​

Andre Curbelo returned to the Illini's rotation for the first time since Nov. 23. Curbelo came off the bench for Illinois, but he still was able to score 16 points in regulation including a game-tying bucket with 14 seconds left in the game.
Curbelo scored 14 of his 16 points in regulation in the second half and was one of the biggest reasons why the Illini were able to force overtime. Many doubted whether this Illinois team was better with or without Curbelo, he loudly silenced those doubters on Monday afternoon.
The sophomore point guard finished the game with 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field and six rebounds to go along with three assists and zero turnovers. But in the end, it wasn't enough as the Illini fell short.

needs to get his head in the game. not played well today

Fam, please advise if / when you see this game being replayed. I could not watch it and the 2nd OT did not record. Great win.

Anyone know how I can get my hands on a quarter zip like the coaches were wearing today?? Those things are sweet and I need one. Thank you!

He is our defensive stopper and it isn’t even close

Not sure how much stock to put into some of the stats. For example, I think our D has improved quite a bit these last 3 games, yet our D efficiency for Kenpom has us worse than before. We used to be 66 but we dropped to 72.

Login to view embedded media
How can you not love the job KG is doing and the quality of person she is!!

He hit some big threes today to keep us in the lead and switch the momentum

I may give a lot of headaches, but get few in return. Between the final couple of minutes in reg and OT and my Jack...my head is throbbing a bit. I just need a good game by Nebraska in a couple of hours to get rid of this headache...