Game Preview: No. 19 Purdue at No. 7 Michigan

Game info

Where: Crisler Arena

Watch: ESPN

When: 3:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 1

Line: Not yet listed

Preview

Following arguably the Michigan Wolverine’s biggest win of the nonconference season, they open the Big Ten season with another ranked team.

The No. 7 Wolverines (7-0) will take on No. 19 Purdue (5-2) in the conference opener at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1 in Crisler Arena.

U-M blew out No. 11 North Carolina 84-67 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge Wednesday night. It was the Wolverines’ second win against a top-15 team with the first coming over No. 7 Villanova.

The Boilermakers lost in a heart-breaker to No. 15 Florida State 73-72 in the same event. Overall, the two leagues split the challenge 6-6. For PU, it was its second loss to a ranked opponent as they lost to No. 16 Virginia Tech earlier this season.

The Wolverines still hold the nations best scoring defense allowing just 51 points per game following the win over the Tar Heels. On the other side of the ball, U-M averages 72.7 points per game which is 12th in the Big Ten.

Against UNC, UV and Providence (three best wins according to RPI), the Wolverines have held them to less than 40 percent shooting from the field. In those games, the Wolverines are scoring 74.3 points per game, which is above the season average.

The last time these two teams met, it was U-M earning the 75-66 win over PU in the Big Ten Tournament title game. In that game, PU had no answer for U-M forward Jon Teske who scored 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Purdue’s big men Matt Haarms and Evan Boudreaux (who combined average 19.3 ppg) will look to stop Teske.

Scouting PU

The Boilermakers are coached by Matt Painter who is in his 14th year with the program. He has went 300-151 overall and 142-88 in Big Ten play.

So far this season, PU is third in the conference in scoring at 83.4 points per game. On the defensive side, the Boilermakers are allowing 66.9 points per game which is ninth in the league. They also knock down the 3-pointer effectively with a 38.7 percent clip.

A name that has been familiar to all Big Ten viewers over recent seasons is guard Carsen Edwards. The senior is leading his team and the Big Ten in scoring at 25.1 points per game. Edwards is also a 85.7 percent free throw shooter which is fourth in the conference.

Purdue’s other starting guards are sophomore Nojel Eastern who averages 6.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game and senior Ryan Cline who scores 15.7 points per game, tied for 16th in the conference. Senior forward Grady Eifert is the other starting big man with Haarms, averaging 4.6 points and 5.7 boards per outing.