Will tonight's game be played? Central Indiana received yet another snow storm last night and nearly a foot of snow has fallen across the land, so tonight's game in Mackey Arena could be delayed. Ironically, the last game at Mackey Arena that was pushed back due to weather was against Minnesota.
At this point it may not matter for Purdue. The Boilers, at 13-9, needs to go 3-6 down the stretch just to make the NIT with a first round Big Ten Tournament loss. The NCAA Tournament is a longshot, as Purdue likely needs to go 7-2 to erase its recent slide and get into consideration at 20-11 before the event in Indianapolis. Hopefully Purdue falls somewhere in the middle and has some basketball to play after the Big Ten Tournament.
Projected Starters |
|
Purdue Boilermakers (13-9, 3-6) |
Minnesota Golden Gophers (15-7, 4-5) |
Terone Johnson - Sr. |
Andre Hollins - Jr. |
Ronnie Johnson - So. |
Austin Hollins - Sr. |
Sterling Carter - Sr. |
Oto Osenieks - Jr. |
Basil Smotherman - Fr. |
Deandre Mathieu - Jr. |
A.J. Hammons - So. |
Elliot Eliason - Jr. |
Series with Purdue: |
Purdue leads 98-81 |
Last Purdue win: |
89-73 at Purdue on 3/9/2013 |
Last Minnesota win: |
82-79 at Minnesota on 1/5/2014 |
Odds: |
Purdue by 2.5 |
Blog Representation: |
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Location: |
Minneapolis, Minnesota |
Best Postseason Result: |
1997 Final Four |
2012-13 record: |
21-14, 8-10 Big Ten, lost 78-64 in NCAA Tournament Second Round |
Coach: |
Richard Pitino (33-21 overall, 15-7 in first year at Minnesota) |
RPI: |
38 |
Time: |
8:30pm |
TV: |
Big Ten Network |
Radio: |
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Streaming Audio: |
Purdue is on a very, very bad slide right now as the offense has gone stagnant, they are getting beat up on the offensive glass, and the defense cannot get a stop when needed. It is basically the exact opposite of the Purdue basketball we know and love, and it started somewhat in Minneapolis back on January 5. In that game Elliott Eliason was a defensive force in the middle for Minnesota and Purdue went through the motions before a furious comeback at least gave the boilers a chance to tie at the buzzer. A three by Kendall Stephens missed, however, and Purdue fell 82-79.
That was yet another frustrating game from this crew, as Purdue trailed 70-54 with seven minutes left only to come roaring back thanks to a full court press. That press has rarely been seen since, but the first Minnesota game and the Butler game are both large examples of how it has paid huge dividends, yet has not been used much.
Austin Hollins had 18 points and Andre Hollins had 17 the first time around, and once again they will be the ones we need to stop. Eliason had eight points, seven rebounds, and six blocks as he won the battle with A.J. Hammons (seven points, one rebound, no blocks) hands down. Terone Johnson had 18 points in the loss while Sterling Carter had 10 and Ronnie Johnson 12.
Matt Painter shook things up on Sunday and started Carter for the first time. It paid off early as he had four points and an assist in Purdue's first eight and the Boilers ran out to a 14-7 lead after hitting their first seven shots. Like much of the season, however, that good basketball was fleeting.
Minnesota finds itself on a bit of a slide having lost four of six, but they did beat Ohio State and Wisconsin for a pair of good victories. They lost on Saturday to Northwestern at home, who is suddenly the hottest team in the Big Ten.
It is useless to make a prediction here because it is clear anyone can beat anyone else in this season's Big Ten. Also, we have no idea which Purdue team will show up. Hopefully Good Purdue returns after a dismal January and starts off a surprising February run that saves the season. Technically, it is not too late, but after losing at Penn State it is all but over concerning the NCAA Tournament.