Rutgers @ Purdue preview
Mackey Arena
Last Meeting ( Feb 14, 2017 ) Rutgers 55, Purdue 74
Purdue will put its nine-game win streak and share of the early Big Ten lead on the line Wednesday night when it resumes conference play with a home game against Rutgers. The Boilermakers have climbed to 12th in the national rankings and join Michigan State and Ohio State atop the Big Ten at 2-0.
Aside from back-to-back Battle 4 Atlantis losses to Tennessee (78-75 in overtime) and Western Kentucky (77-73) on Thanksgiving weekend in the Bahamas, Purdue has been perfect. That includes victories over nationally-ranked Arizona (89-64) and Louisville (66-57) and wins over formidable Butler (82-67), Maryland (80-75) and Northwestern (74-69) squads. Including the romp against the Bulldogs, the Boilermakers’ last five wins have all come by at least 15 points. Rutgers, meanwhile, is one of three teams off to 0-2 Big Ten starts and is resuming conference play coming off back-to-back disappointing home losses to Stony Brook (75-73 in OT) and Hartford (60-58).
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
ABOUT RUTGERS (10-5, 0-2 Big Ten): The Scarlet Knights haven’t had the easiest conference itinerary, losing to nationally-ranked Minnesota (86-67) and Michigan State (62-52) in early December and are now resuming Big Ten play with games against Purdue, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Ohio State. Guards Corey Sanders (13.5 points per game) and Geo Baker (11.9) and forward Deshawn Freeman (11.8) are the team’s leading scorers, while the 6-foot-7 Freeman leads Rutgers and ranks fourth in the Big Ten in rebounding with 8.6 per outing. The Scarlet Knights rank second nationally in offensive rebounding (15.9), fourth in scoring defense (59.5) and seventh in field-goal percentage defense (36.9) but stand 11th in the conference in scoring (71.8) and last in field-goal (41.7) and 3-point percentage (29.2).
ABOUT PURDUE (13-2, 2-0): After the five-point wins over Maryland and Northwestern in early December, the Boilermakers are looking for their first 3-0 Big Ten start since 2010-11. Purdue has featured the same starting five in each game and is one of three teams nationally with four players averaging at least 13.5 points in guard Carsen Edwards (17.7 points), center Isaac Haas (14.8), forward Vincent Edwards (13.9) and guard Dakota Mathias (13.5). The 6-foot-8 Vincent Edwards ranks second in the Big Ten in rebounding (8.9) and has notched six double-doubles this season, including 23 points and a career-high 15 boards in Purdue’s last game – a 98-66 rout of visiting Lipscomb last Saturday.
TIP-INS
1. Purdue is 8-1 vs. Rutgers and has won the last six, including 107-57 and 74-55 wins a season ago.
2. The Boilermakers rank second in Big Ten scoring offense (87.2 points) and fourth in scoring defense (64.2) and join Michigan State as the only teams currently in the top 12 of both offensive and defensive efficiency in analyst Ken Pomeroy’s Division I rankings.
3. Purdue owns the nation’s fifth-longest current home win streak at 16 straight, including a 9-0 mark this year, while Rutgers will be playing in only its second road/neutral-site game of the season.
PREDICTION: Purdue 84, Rutgers 63