Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. What a way to spend a Friday night.....it's the Penn State Nittany Lions (#11-seed) taking on the #9-ranked Purdue Boilermakers (#3-seed) in the last of the quarterfinal round games of the 2022 Big Ten Tournament. The winner takes on the winner of Michigan State/Wisconsin in the second semi-final round game tomorrow afternoon. This game is slated for around 9:00 pm (Eastern) after the Michigan State/Wisconsin game with television coverage on the Big Ten Network.
These two schools played just once during the regular season, back on January 8, with Purdue winning in Happy Valley, 74-67. Trevion Williams had 21 points along with 9 rebounds and 2 assists in leading the Boilers.
Penn State made it two straight wins in the Big Ten Tournament with a come-from-behind win over Ohio State. Guards Sam Sessoms and Jalen Pickett combined for 34 points and controlled the tempo and pace of the game throughout the second half. Pickett added 8 rebounds and 5 assists in a complete performance. Big man John Harrar added 12 points and 9 rebounds including a big put-back basket with under two minutes left that helped seal the win. Purdue has been off since last Saturday after dispatching Indiana in its regular season finale.
Penn State dominated the scoring in the paint against Ohio State, and they'll battle Purdue but are not likely to have the same advantage or point differential. Look for them to extend their defense as well to try and rattle the Boilers and force them into some turnovers. Purdue did a fairly decent job in the regular season game limiting to eight and actually winning the edge as Penn State committed 11. For Purdue, Eric Hunter, Jr. is playing much better than earlier in the year, and he provides a bigger spark now - he was scoreless in 15 minutes in the first meeting. Jaden Ivey also did not have a good shooting game last time around. If he has a more efficient game, I like the Boilers chances.
They'll continue to work inside/outside initially. Zach Edey, plagued with foul trouble in the earlier game, will be a focal point.....look for him to have more of an impact than just the nine minutes he played last time. Mason Gillis had 14 points last time, his season high. He is a big key for the Boilers as well from a number of perspectives, as he is becoming the unsung player bringing the needed toughness factor to the floor. He has also shot well in the limited opportunities he has had.
Penn State will battle; expect a tough physical Big Ten grinder. This game will most likely come down to Purdue's ability to come with energy and execute with poise......do that, and they should prevail. However, if the inconsistent Boilers show up - Penn State could make them pay. Are the Boilers poised to get on track for a big post-season run?
We shall see starting in a little more than an hour or so.
Boiler up, my friends.
These two schools played just once during the regular season, back on January 8, with Purdue winning in Happy Valley, 74-67. Trevion Williams had 21 points along with 9 rebounds and 2 assists in leading the Boilers.
Penn State made it two straight wins in the Big Ten Tournament with a come-from-behind win over Ohio State. Guards Sam Sessoms and Jalen Pickett combined for 34 points and controlled the tempo and pace of the game throughout the second half. Pickett added 8 rebounds and 5 assists in a complete performance. Big man John Harrar added 12 points and 9 rebounds including a big put-back basket with under two minutes left that helped seal the win. Purdue has been off since last Saturday after dispatching Indiana in its regular season finale.
Penn State dominated the scoring in the paint against Ohio State, and they'll battle Purdue but are not likely to have the same advantage or point differential. Look for them to extend their defense as well to try and rattle the Boilers and force them into some turnovers. Purdue did a fairly decent job in the regular season game limiting to eight and actually winning the edge as Penn State committed 11. For Purdue, Eric Hunter, Jr. is playing much better than earlier in the year, and he provides a bigger spark now - he was scoreless in 15 minutes in the first meeting. Jaden Ivey also did not have a good shooting game last time around. If he has a more efficient game, I like the Boilers chances.
They'll continue to work inside/outside initially. Zach Edey, plagued with foul trouble in the earlier game, will be a focal point.....look for him to have more of an impact than just the nine minutes he played last time. Mason Gillis had 14 points last time, his season high. He is a big key for the Boilers as well from a number of perspectives, as he is becoming the unsung player bringing the needed toughness factor to the floor. He has also shot well in the limited opportunities he has had.
Penn State will battle; expect a tough physical Big Ten grinder. This game will most likely come down to Purdue's ability to come with energy and execute with poise......do that, and they should prevail. However, if the inconsistent Boilers show up - Penn State could make them pay. Are the Boilers poised to get on track for a big post-season run?
We shall see starting in a little more than an hour or so.
Boiler up, my friends.
