Ohio State and Purdue both enter tonight's matchup as two of the hottest teams in the Big Ten. They're both currently playing some of the best basketball in the league and both have won three-straight games.
Something has to give.
| WHO | WHERE | WHEN | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| at Purdue (14-8, 6-3) | Mackey Arena | 6:30 p.m. | BTN |
The 20th-ranked Buckeyes travel to Mackey Arena tonight for a date with the up-and-coming Boilermakers, who have been one of the surprises over the first half of the Big Ten season. Purdue and Ohio State are two of the five teams currently sitting at 6-3 in league play, two games behind league-leading Wisconsin in the loss column.
It's a big-time matchup in the Big Ten.
"That’s something that the Big Ten has always done, just from the standpoint of year after year after year on Feb. 3 I feel the same that I did 11 years ago and I was sitting here, like ‘Wow, here we go again, we’ve got another one and it’s not going to be easy,’" Ohio State head coach Thad Matta said Tuesday. "I think that’s — I look at all the changes that have transpired in my time in the Big Ten and the one thing that has always stayed consistent with players leaving, coaches leaving, the level of play is always hard.”
Opponent Breakdown
After losing three of four Big Ten, the Boilermakers have rallied to win their last three.
As one of the deeper teams in the league, Purdue has 10 guys it plays more than 11 minutes per game. No player on its roster averages more than 30 minutes per game, either.
That depth shows in the Boilermakers’ scoring, too. They have six players who average at least nine points per game, led by junior center A.J. Hammons, who scores 11 points per game and also grabs 6.0 rebounds with 2.7 blocks.
But Purdue’s Rapheal Davis (10.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg., 2.5 apg.) and Kendall Stephens (9.9 ppg., 2.6 rpg.) make up a formidable backcourt and the freshman duo of Vince Edwards (9.6 ppg., 5.2 rpg.) and Isaac Haas (9.2 ppg., 4.2 rpg.) have been key, as well.
The overall depth of the Boilermakers is what makes this a scary game for Ohio State.
“Right now they are playing at an extremely high level,” Matta said. “It seems like everybody – Davis is scoring, the last three games he is really scoring the ball — and we all know they have a good inside presence with a couple of different guys. I think for them the pieces have sort of come together and everybody understands what their job is on the team.”
Buckeye Breakdown
Ohio State’s recent resurgence has been largely because of the play of D’Angelo Russell. He’s been on a tear over the last five games — where he is averaging 24.2 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists per game — and catapulted himself into both Big Ten and National Player of the Year consideration.
But Ohio State has gotten big production from a couple of its other guys, too. In particular, Jae’Sean Tate and Marc Loving.
The two have swapped places in the starting lineup — Tate now starts and Loving comes off the bench — but each has played at a higher level since Matta made the move prior to Ohio State’s win over Northwestern.
Tate is averaging 13.3 points and 6.3 rebounds since moving to the starting lineup, while Loving has scored 12.3 points and grabbed four rebounds per game since coming off the bench. Loving has also connected on 8 of his 11 tries from 3-point range over the last three games. He’s shooting 53.2 percent from deep on the year, tops in the Big Ten.
The Buckeyes seem to be playing their best basketball of the season, but have they officially turned the page on what was a lackluster start to the Big Ten?
“I hope so. I hope that we have.” Matta said. “I think that just knowing what lies ahead its difficult in this profession to get really excited at any point in the season."
How It'll Play Out
These two teams have really contrasting styles, with Ohio State being more successful using a smaller lineup and the Boilermakers liking to use their size to their advantage.
It's hard to imagine the Buckeyes being able to compete on the glass against Purdue's pair of 7-footers with their smaller lineup, so they'll need some type of production from their trio of big guys: Amir Williams, Anthony Lee and Trey McDonald.
If Ohio State can get that, it should be able to earn a win despite playing in a hostile environment because the Buckeyes are the more talented team.
“It’s going to be a big crowd, I suppose, but it’s going to be another game for us really. We know that Purdue has a great basketball team this year and they’re playing their best basketball right now," Ohio State point guard Shannon Scott said. "We’re all on the same page right now and just getting ready for that.”
