Purdue Basketball: Jaden Ivey set to return?

Coach Painter’s Boilermakers have had an up and down start to the season, handling their easier opponents, occasionally looking like world-beaters, and blowing leads against teams in the state of Florida.

Help might be coming just in time for conference play to wind up, as prized true freshman guard Jaden Ivey looks to return from a foot injury he suffered in his first and only game of the season against Liberty.

Coach Painter talked to Journal and Courier’s Mike Carmin and he shared the coach’s insights on Ivey’s availability for Ohio St. on Wednesday.

Ivey was a top-100 recruit and a unique talent. He is one of the biggest point guards in the country, and showed off his all around offensive game in his only matchup of the year by scoring 12 points in his debut against Liberty.

Purdue’s guards have struggled against physicality and size, and initiating offense against aggressive defenses. Ivey is almost single-handedly an answer to most of Purdue’s struggles which includes a disappointing squandering of a 20 point second-half lead against Miami that Ivey watched with his foot in a cast.

It’s unclear what the foot injury was exactly, but Coach Painter said it didn’t appear serious. If Ivey can suit up, it will mean the freshman only missed five games. The Boilers went 3-2 in those games.

Purdue will play at 7:00 pm on Wednesday against Ohio St.. Ivey is considered day to day.