This evening ladies and gentlemen, it's the #17-ranked Indiana Hoosiers (19-9; 10-7) visiting Mackey Arena to take on the #5-ranked Purdue Boilermakers (24-4; 13-4) in another key conference clash. These two teams met in Bloomington back on February 4, with Indiana prevailing in a hard-fought contest, 79-74.
Projected Starting Line-ups:
Indiana - Trayce Jackson-Davis, Miller Kopp, Race Thompson, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and Trey Galloway
Purdue - Mason Gillis, Zach Edey, Ethan Morton, Fletcher Loyer, and Braden Smith
This shapes up to be another tough, hard-fought battle. Expect Indiana to play the same tough physical defense on the perimeter and in the paint. They might give Zach Edey a variety of looks - try to contain him somewhat but limit other opportunities for the Boilers.
Zach Edey did have 33 points and 18 rebounds last time out, but he also had five turnovers as part of Purdue's disappointing total of 16 for that game. Indiana pressured Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer into some mistakes as they built a 16-point lead. Purdue played much better and more focused in the second half, but it wasn't quite enough as they couldn't make enough counter plays down the stretch. The Hoosiers will likely continue to work their offense through Trayce Jackson-Davis and let him score in the paint or find teammates. Jalen Hood-Schifino had 16 and Trey Galloway had 11 last time. Look for the Boilers to also try and contain Hood-Schifino and make him take some tougher shots. Indiana will also look to push the pace at times in transition, especially off turnovers.
The Boilers controlled the glass last time out, for the most part. They'll need to do that again and avoid the double-digit turnover game. The tough road environment seemed to affect the Boilers' play at times - hopefully, the home venue for them will allow them to execute more to the level they're accustomed. They'll try to establish Zach Edey in the paint and work inside-outside. Like most games, Purdue's guards and wings should get some opportunities......can they make enough of them? Can Fletcher Loyer get back into a groove? Look for David Jenkins, Jr. and Caleb Furst to play a lot from the bench in order to help match some of the physical play.....Trey Kaufman-Renn and Brandon Newman also will see plenty of minutes.
I expect that Purdue is going to get Indiana's best shot. Even though they've dropped a couple of games the last two weeks, this rivalry game is always intense. So, how will the Boilers handle it? They will need a full game of energy and focused effort. A lot of this game will come down to the same simple (not easy though) formula. Execute the offense, take good shots, value possessions, hit the boards on both ends - and stay connected on defense. A Purdue victory would eliminate from the regular season championship race all conference teams other than Northwestern, and the Boilers would clinch at least a tie with the Wildcats......so the stakes are high.
Can the Boilers handle the heat and keep the season goals on track? We shall see, starting in a couple of hours or so. This one should be a barn burner.
Boiler Up, my friends.
