Butler @ Purdue preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 18, 2018 ) Butler 73, Purdue 76

Butler and Purdue face off Saturday in the second game of the ninth annual Crossroads Classic in Indianapolis in a showcase matchup between rivals from the state of Indiana. The 16th-ranked Bulldogs have looked impressive on their way to a 10-1 record and the Boilermakers enter the game with four losses after playing a difficult schedule.

In the first two months of the season, Butler has reeled off wins over Missouri, Stanford, Ole Miss, Florida and Minnesota. The only loss was by one point at 11th-ranked Baylor. Purdue's record doesn't look nearly as impressive, but two of its wins have come against Virginia Tech and No. 7 Virginia. And don't forget that the Boilermakers entered the Crossroads Classic last year with a 6-4 record before going on to win a Big Ten title and reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament.

TV: 2:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network

ABOUT PURDUE (7-4): The Boilermakers are an offensively challenged team that relies on playing good defense and rebounding to win. That's reflected in a 7-0 record this season when limiting their opponents to 59 or fewer points and a tied for 25th national ranking in rebounding margin entering Friday. On the offensive end, Purdue is averaging 61 points in its last three games and shooting 38.1 percent from the field and 24 percent from 3-point range, and for the season the team is shooting 37.2 percent from the floor without centers Trevion Williams and Matt Haarms' combined 62.6 percent factored in.

ABOUT BUTLER (10-1): Like Purdue, Butler relies on its defense, which was fourth nationally in points allowed at 54.5 per game, and avoiding turnovers (10.3 per game, seventh in the nation). The Bulldogs' leading scorer is senior guard Kamar Baldwin, who is averaging 15.7 points per game and shooting better than 95 percent from the free throw line. Butler ranks among the nation's worst rebounding teams (32.9 per game) and could be at a disadvantage on the glass against a bigger Purdue team that averages 39.1 boards.

TIP-INS

1. Purdue won at Ohio University on Tuesday night without 7-foot-3 center Matt Haarms, who sat out with a concussion that resulted from hitting his head on the floor during a game against Nebraska, and may have to play without him again against Butler.

2. History would seem to be on Purdue's side with a 39-19 overall record against Butler and two straight wins in the series, but the Boilermakers are 1-3 against the Bulldogs in the Crossroads Classic.

3. Butler was ranked No. 4 nationally in the NCAA's first NET rankings that's used to help determine NCAA Tournament teams at the end of the season.

PREDICTION: Butler 59, Purdue 55