Well folks, here it is...a little earlier than usual, but it is the final home game of the season for the Boilers. And, to top it off, the Indiana Hoosiers, of all teams, come into Mackey Arena tonight to take on the Boilers for the second meeting of the in-State rivals this year. Not too much riding on this game....just a chance for Purdue to clinch at least a share of its first Big Ten title since 2010 (and a record 23rd for the conference) with the opportunity to do it at home for the first time since 1996.
Some interesting tid-bits:
Purdue is 15th nationally in effective field goal percentage (.560). Purdue’s highest previous rank under Painter was 38th (2015-16).
A question mark entering the season was on the defensive end. Purdue ranks 15th in defensive efficiency by KenPom.com. Last year’s team was 11th.
Purdue’s big three of Caleb Swanigan, Isaac Haas, and Vincent Edwards have shot 209 of Purdue’s 289 free throws (72.3 percent) in Big Ten play. The other five members of the rotation (C.Edwards, Mathias, Cline, Albrecht, Thompson) are 68-of-80 (.850) from the free throw line in Big Ten play.
CMP has tied Tom Davis for 16th place the Big Ten’s career victories list in league games only at 125 wins and has won 65.1 percent of his games at Purdue. Coach Gene Keady won 65.5 percent of his games at Purdue.
And some thoughts from players and CMP:
Caleb Swanigan: "There's a lot of excitement for what is possible Tuesday night. I don't know how rare it is to have this opportunity against Indiana, but it registers with us."
Dakota Mathias: "It could be kind of a little storybook ending. We are fortunate to be in this position, and all of our guys are excited. We can't wait for the atmosphere. In a rivalry, it doesn't matter if one team is struggling. They are an explosive team, so we have to be ready to go."
PJT: "This one means a little bit more. We know we can clinch a share of the Big Ten against our rival. The Big Ten has been a goal, and now we have an opportunity on Tuesday to do it against IU. You can't beat that. I know IU is going to come in ready to play. They feel like they owe us one."
CMP:
"For us, this is a little bit different, because we are coming off a loss, and there are a lot of things to talk about. We're trying to fix some problems. This would be great for our fans and great for our players, but we definitely have to play better than we did at Michigan. Indiana poses a lot of problems with their backcourt, their quickness and their skill level. And Thomas Bryant has a lot of versatility."
It should make for an electric atmosphere with the home crowd. Defend the three-point line, keep the Hoosiers off the offensive glass, and take care of the possessions.....and it could be a historic night for Purdue. Get impatient or run into some foul trouble, and it could be a long night.
Hoping when it's all said and done tonight, in the realm of Vin Scully....."it's a Madhouse at Mackey".....
We shall see shortly....Likely the final regular game for Caleb Swanigan in Mackey Arena....hope he goes out with a fitting send-off.
Boiler up my friends....
Some interesting tid-bits:
Purdue is 15th nationally in effective field goal percentage (.560). Purdue’s highest previous rank under Painter was 38th (2015-16).
A question mark entering the season was on the defensive end. Purdue ranks 15th in defensive efficiency by KenPom.com. Last year’s team was 11th.
Purdue’s big three of Caleb Swanigan, Isaac Haas, and Vincent Edwards have shot 209 of Purdue’s 289 free throws (72.3 percent) in Big Ten play. The other five members of the rotation (C.Edwards, Mathias, Cline, Albrecht, Thompson) are 68-of-80 (.850) from the free throw line in Big Ten play.
CMP has tied Tom Davis for 16th place the Big Ten’s career victories list in league games only at 125 wins and has won 65.1 percent of his games at Purdue. Coach Gene Keady won 65.5 percent of his games at Purdue.
And some thoughts from players and CMP:
Caleb Swanigan: "There's a lot of excitement for what is possible Tuesday night. I don't know how rare it is to have this opportunity against Indiana, but it registers with us."
Dakota Mathias: "It could be kind of a little storybook ending. We are fortunate to be in this position, and all of our guys are excited. We can't wait for the atmosphere. In a rivalry, it doesn't matter if one team is struggling. They are an explosive team, so we have to be ready to go."
PJT: "This one means a little bit more. We know we can clinch a share of the Big Ten against our rival. The Big Ten has been a goal, and now we have an opportunity on Tuesday to do it against IU. You can't beat that. I know IU is going to come in ready to play. They feel like they owe us one."
CMP:
"For us, this is a little bit different, because we are coming off a loss, and there are a lot of things to talk about. We're trying to fix some problems. This would be great for our fans and great for our players, but we definitely have to play better than we did at Michigan. Indiana poses a lot of problems with their backcourt, their quickness and their skill level. And Thomas Bryant has a lot of versatility."
It should make for an electric atmosphere with the home crowd. Defend the three-point line, keep the Hoosiers off the offensive glass, and take care of the possessions.....and it could be a historic night for Purdue. Get impatient or run into some foul trouble, and it could be a long night.
Hoping when it's all said and done tonight, in the realm of Vin Scully....."it's a Madhouse at Mackey".....
We shall see shortly....Likely the final regular game for Caleb Swanigan in Mackey Arena....hope he goes out with a fitting send-off.
Boiler up my friends....
