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Indiana returns from a lengthy break to face rival Purdue on Sunday afternoon at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Boilermakers are 19-8 overall, 11-5 in the Big Ten and have lost three straight games.
Sunday’s game will tip at 1:30 p.m. ET on CBS:
Indiana had a chance to build on its surprising 71-67 win at Michigan State, but it fell flat last Friday night against UCLA at Assembly Hall.
The program’s fourth-straight loss in Bloomington under Mike Woodson was another blow to IU’s fleeting NCAA tournament hopes and the latest example of Woodson’s inability to get this group of players to perform consistently.
With over a week to prepare, the Hoosiers are back in action this weekend against Purdue on Branch McCracken Court. With just five regular season games left, Indiana needs wins to secure a spot in the Big Ten tournament next month in Indianapolis.
THE FIRST MEETING
Indiana played one of its best games of the season against Purdue on Jan. 31 in Mackey Arena.
Led by a 25-point outburst by sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako, the Hoosiers were in a position to win in the closing minutes. But IU failed to get a key stop in the final 15 seconds as Trey Kaufman-Renn connected on a tough 15-footer in the lane to give Purdue the lead for good.
With a chance to take the lead, Myles Rice drove toward the basket and was blocked by Gicarri Harris with just over four seconds left. Purdue recovered the block and the Hoosiers were forced to foul as the Boilermakers salted the game away at the free-throw line for an 81-76 win.
Despite shooting 56.6 percent from the field, Indiana could not overcome turnover woes in the loss at Mackey Arena. The Hoosiers committed 20 turnovers for a turnover percentage of 29. Purdue turned Indiana’s 20 mistakes into 26 points.
“I thought that was the big key tonight,” Mike Woodson told Don Fischer postgame. “You go out on the road, you can’t turn it over. And we had 20 of them that led to 26 points for them. I thought that was the difference in the game.”
In addition to Mgbako’s stellar performance, Indiana got significant production from Luke Goode and Trey Galloway in the first meeting last month.
Goode came off the bench and scored all 13 of his points in the first half, including three 3-pointers.
And in the second half, it was Galloway who was a thorn in Purdue’s side. After halftime, he scored 13 of his 15 points and shot 6-for-8 from the field. At times, Galloway was unstoppable in ball screen situations.
“We were just fortunate Trey Galloway didn’t have the ball in his hands at the end there,” Matt Painter said. “I mean, let’s just be frank about it.”
TEMPO-FREE PREVIEW
(All stats in the chart above are from conference games only and are updated through Thursday.)
Purdue’s Big Ten title hopes have likely been dashed with their current three-game losing streak, but the Boilermakers are still among the top 15 teams in the country, according to KenPom.com.
As great as Purdue is offensively, it has proven vulnerable defensively. Big Ten opponents are shooting 58.1 percent on 2s against the Boilermakers. Rim protection has been a problem all season for Purdue. The Boilermakers block the fewest shots of any Big Ten team. In the first meeting, IU shot 67.6 percent on 2s.
Where Purdue makes up for its lack of rim protection is on the defensive glass and turning its opponents over. The Boilermakers rank fifth in the league in defensive rebounding percentage and second in turnover percentage. For Indiana to pull off the upset, the Hoosiers must limit turnovers and steal some easy buckets on the offensive glass.
Defensively, Purdue is among the toughest covers in the country. Braden Smith is among the nation’s best point guards, and Kaufman-Renn has blossomed into one of the most efficient post-scorers in the country. Fletcher Loyer’s 3-point shooting – 45.8 percent – also must be accounted for. Purdue was just 2-for-13 on 3s in West Lafayette, a performance unlikely to be repeated this weekend.
WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO
The KenPom projection is Purdue by four, with a 36 percent chance of an IU win. Bart Torvik’s ratings favor Purdue by five, with a 31 percent chance of a Hoosier upset.
Indiana isn’t totally out of the NCAA tournament picture and a win Sunday would go a long way towards putting the Hoosiers closer to the bubble. Purdue has lost three straight, but all three losses have come to the three teams ahead of the Boilermakers in the league standings. The Boilermakers are fighting with Maryland for a double-bye in next month’s Big Ten tournament.
As the Mike Woodson era nears its conclusion in Bloomington – only three home games remain – do the Hoosiers have another run in them? Or will the program’s last-season woes continue with a fifth straight home loss?
Category: Commentary
Filed to: Purdue Boilermakers
