The 411: #6 Purdue in Iowa

Purdue continues to hit those games on the road, as the sixth-ranked Boilermakers head to Iowa for a tip at 9 p.m. ET.

This will be the Boilermakers’ first repeat meeting of this conference season, as they opened Big Ten play on Dec. 4 with the 77-70 win over Iowa who clinched Purdue’s ascent to No. 1 nationally.

Iowa was without leading scorer Keegan Murray in that game due to an ankle injury.

When: Thursday, January 27, 2022

Location: Carver Hawkeye Arena (Iowa City, Iowa.)

Time: 9 p.m. ET

TV: FS1

Radio: Purdue Radio Network (96.5 WAZY locally)

Schedule | List | Statistics

• After a one-game absence, top scorer and All-America candidate Jaden Ivey says he expects to play in Iowa City.

• Purdue led that first meeting with Iowa by no less than 19 points in the second half, before the Hawkeyes reduced the score to just one possession in the final minutes thanks to the Boilermakers’ turnover problems under pressure on everything field.

• Purdue remains No. 1 nationally in offensive efficiency, according to KenPom. Iowa is No. 7.

But, in four games on the road this season, Purdue’s shooting percentage is 45.2% – 51 at home, 52 and more at neutral – and the Boilermakers average alone 75.8 points. Keep in mind that number is still solid, but also bolstered by a double overtime game at Illinois.

Purdue is 2-2 in Big Ten road games.

STARTERS

C-15 Zach Edey (7-4, 295, So.)

15.3 PPG • 70.9% FG • 7.7 REB

Iowa made it difficult for Purdue to get the ball in in the first meeting between these two teams, but the Boilermakers will prioritize, as always, to open the game for Iowa. Edey will continue to foul everyone he faces, but his shooting under 50% in the Big Ten game has been a troubling trend.

F-0 Mason Gillis (6-6, 230, So.)

7.6 PPG • 3.6 REB • 58.7% FG • 52.6% 3-PT • 95.2% FT

Gillis is quietly having a great season for Purdue, an opportunistic and astronomically efficient scorer and the tone of the Boilermakers from an energy and physical perspective. Defensively, he and Caleb Furst (or Ethan Morton) are going to have to hang in there against Keegan Murray and get a lot of help.

G-55 Sasha Stefanovic (6-5, 205, father)

12.1 PPG • 41.6% 3-PT • 3.6 AST

Stefanovic’s last six out of three games: 1-5, 3-8, 1-7, 5-8, 1-7, 6-10.

If this two-game pattern holds, it might not be good news for Purdue, but it will have opportunities, because it will have bigger people on it, Iowa can sometimes try to zone out, and Purdue may have transition chances against presses.

G-11 Isaiah Thompson (6-1, 160, Junior)

5.7 PPG • 40.3% 3-PT

Thompson is showing signs of thawing after his Big Ten shooting slump, and it would be a really welcome sight for Purdue if that continues. But this game is about his ability and that of the rest of his teammates to handle the pressure. Iowa will enforce a full court and it didn’t go over very well for Purdue in the first meeting, although Iowa playing in come-from-behind mode considered their use as much as they did. did.

G-23 Jaden Ivey (6-4, 195, So.) (?)

16.7 PPG • 48.5% FG • 42.4% 3-PT • 5.0 REB • 2.9 AST • 1.2 STL

After sitting out the Northwest game with a hip injury, Ivey says he’s ready to play in Iowa. This is great news for Boilermakers, but caution is still warranted. Ivey will be the best athlete in this game, as usual, and his speed against pressure might be important, but his decision-making and balance against that pressure are also vital.

ROTATION

C-50 Trevion Williams (6-10, 255, father)

12.7 PPG • 56.4% FG • 8.4 REB • 3.0 AST

Williams struggled from the floor against Iowa in the first meeting and has struggled similarly lately. Getting him back on track with his daily bread is important, but so is his defense against Iowa and his rebound. He caught 18 in December against the Hawkeyes.

G—25 Ethan Morton (6-6, 215, So.)

2.5 PPG • 2.2 AST • 37.5% 3-PT

This could be another one of those games where Morton really matters as a defender on the ball, as he’ll have chances against Jordan Bohannon, but could also fire a Murray once in a while if he gets to 4 at all. Anyone defending on the wing has to do their best to contain the dribble, which is even more important against Iowa.

G-2 Eric Hunter (6-4, 175, father)

3.5 PPG • 1.6 AST

Three of the last four games Hunter has been great as he plays his best basketball of the season. Like with Thompson, the key against Iowa is handling the pressure, making good decisions and being strong on the ball.

G-5 Brandon Newman (6-5, 200, So.)

6.3 PPG • 34.7% 3-PT • 85% FT

Matt Painter pitched Newman against Northwestern to try and revive him. Did not work. The second just needs to experience success and gain momentum off the bench. It doesn’t have to come from the shooting alone.

F — 3 Caleb Furst (6-10, 230, fr.)

5.2 PPG • 4.5 RPG • 55.2% FG • 37.5% 3-PT

Furst may be back in form, as his seven-point flurry against Northwestern showed, but defensive matchups in this one could be tricky with Keegan Murray down. It would be a challenge.

Freshmen Trey Kaufman Renn and Brian Waddell will be redshirt this season. Waddell will miss most of the season after tearing his ACL and Kaufman-Renn is now out for up to six weeks after undergoing foot surgery.

Schedule | Listing | Statistics

• As usual, Iowa’s average possession lasts just 15.2 seconds, one of the fastest paces in college basketball.

The Hawkeyes do it, however, without the cost of turnovers. They are third nationally in revenue percentage, at just 12.6%. Purdue isn’t a big turnover-generating team anyway, but the Boilermakers probably won’t get much help from the home team here.

• Fourth to Iowa in the Big Ten in conference with 73.6 points, but the past two games the Hawkeyes have only managed 46 at Rutgers and 68 against Penn State (in a comfortable win.) Those are two of the Iowa’s three-lowest scoring outings all season, joining a 53-point game in a loss at Iowa State.

• Here’s an outlier stat for you: Iowa is shooting just 30.2 percent from three-point range in the Big Ten game. Only Nebraska is worse. The Hawkeyes are certainly capable, though.

Another outlier: Iowa is shooting just 69% from the foul line.

These have generally been strong points for the Hawkeyes.

• Iowa was eliminated by an average of seven rebounds per game in Big Ten play. He was extremely vulnerable to offensive glass, allowing the league’s worst offensive rebound percentage of nearly 35%.

STARTERS

F-15 Keegan Murray (6-8, 225, So.)

22.8 PPG • 8.4 REB • 57.3% FG • 34.1% 3-PT • 2.2 BLK

One of the Big Ten’s standouts this season, Murray has his first look at Purdue this season after missing the two teams’ previous meeting with an ankle injury. He scores in every way he can and will be a handful not just to Purdue’s forwards, but to his entire defense.

F-0 Philippe Rebraca (6-9, 230, Sr.)

6.3 PPG • 6.3 REB • 57.3% FG

The freshman big man will be Iowa’s main defender at the position, and Purdue’s concern, however, may be keeping him off the offensive boards, first and foremost. He had 10 offensive rebounds between Minnesota and Rutgers games.

F-22 Patrick McCaffery (6-9, 200, Junior)

10.8 PPG • 3.3 RPG • 1.8 AST • 32.7% 3-PT

The versatile striker can drive from the front court and shoot from long range. Purdue struggled to keep him out of the way and off the foul line at Mackey Arena in December. As Iowa’s 3 man, however, he will have to guard guards, and there may be game advantages for the Boilermakers.

G-3 Jordan Bohannon (6-1, 175, father)

10.6 PPG • 36.1% 3-PT

The sixth-year senior is one of the most respected shooters in the conference, now playing at 2 guard after spending a good part of his career at that point. Purdue did a great job in the first round preventing him from having space to shoot, but it will be a tough act to follow in Carver Hawkeye.

G-2 Joe Toussaint (6-0, 190, Junior)

5.5 PPG • 3.9 AST • 48.8% FG • 38.9% 3-PT

Touissant’s quickness and speed in the open ground should be concerns for Purdue, but he’s also a low-volume 39% three-point shooter. He’s a bigger game than people generally think with the Hawkeyes.

KEY RESERVES

F-24 Kris Murray (6-8, 225, So.)

9.9 PPG • 4.5 REB • 41.1% 3-PT

Murray looks a lot like his twin brother: similar body, similar skills. He has a 29-point game against Indiana this season.

G-30 Connor McCaffery (6-5, 205, father)

1.2 PPG • 2.5 RPG • 1.9 AST

McCaffery brings toughness and some passing sense on the ground, but Purdue has always been ready to challenge him as a shooter and he hasn’t been able to burn them. He’s 4 of 22 on three this season and a 29% career shooter.

G-4 Ahron Ulis (6-3, 195, So.)

3.6 PPG • 2.7 AST

Ulis’ minutes have been declining lately, but he was productive in 20 minutes against Purdue in December, scoring seven points and three.

G-11 Tony Perkins (6-4, 210, So.)

7.1 PGP

Indy’s athletic wing was a real spark for Iowa against Purdue in Game 1, scoring 14 points off the bench. Another one of the players the Boilermakers haven’t always been able to avoid.

C-23 Josh Ogundele (6-11, 265, So.)

1.4 PPG • 1.3 RPG

The big, wide-bodied man weaves in and out of Iowa’s playing rotation, but he played a lot at Purdue in December and you’d have to think Iowa could use his size against Purdue.

Stay tuned to GoldandBlack.com during play for our First Thoughts pre-game analysis. During the game, follow our game feed and follow @brianneubert on Twitter for more information.

After the match, we’ll have a post-match press conference video, game coverage, analysis, our Wrap Video and Final Thoughts, plus a Gold and Black Radio podcast a few hours after the match ends.

Stay tuned.

Purdue has proven better in high-scoring games and this could be one of them, but the Boilermakers need to get back to some of their fundamental Big Ten stuff here. If they take care of the ball against the pressure and take advantage of the glass as they should, those categories could take them far that night.

Purdue has some game issues on defense here, but Iowa has huge game issues themselves.

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