Game Day Essentials: Game #18 vs Purdue - 1/16/2013

Purdue Info

Team Nick Name: Boilermakers

Team Mascot(s): Boilermaker Special, Purdue Pete

School Location: West Lafayette, IN

Last game out: Beat Penn St

Shirt not to wear: Black, Old Gold

Drink not to pre-game to: Shot of whiskey dropped into a brewskey

Coach: Matt Painter

Probable Starters:

Nebraska Cornhuskers

3-David Rivers - 6-7 -So.- F

15-Ray Gallegos - 6-2 -Jr.- G

24-Dylan Talley - 6-5 -Sr.- G

32-Andre Almeida - 6-11-Sr - F

31-Shavon Shields - 6-6 -Fr.-G/F

Purdue Boilermakers

20 A.J. Hammons C 7-0 280 FR

21 D.J. Byrd G-F 6-5 228 SR

0 Terone Johnson G 6-2 199 JR

35 Rapheal Davis G 6-5 211 FR

3 Ronnie Johnson G 6-0 170 FR

Players to watch: A.J. Hammons

The big 280 lb freshman is coming off a double-double vs. Penn State and his 10.4 ppg is best for second on the team. Hammons is the only big man starter on a guard dominated Boilermaker squad and has blocked 28 shots so far in his short career.

First win of the season?

A less than dominant Boilermaker squad rolls into Lincoln tonight...a team that has beaten Illinois and lost to Eastern Michigan so far this year. Much like the Huskers, scoring has been difficult for Purdue as their 3pt, 2pt, and FT percentages are at clips lower than Nebraska. While 3 pt specialist D.J. Byrd has finally warmed up in B1G play after a dreadful start, there are only five players on the Boilermakers who have even attempted a 3. Look for the Huskers to pack the paint with an eye on Byrd tonight. On defense Purdue is going to make it tough on whoever is handling the ball tonight for the Huskers.

Unless one of these teams decides that they're going to start making shots, expect this to be a close and highly contested game. Can the Huskers pull out a close game against a competent team? This year they've barely pulled off games against inferior opponents and haven't had enough left in the tank to finish in the B1G. There are no moral victories tonight...the Huskers are either breaking your heart or winning their first conference game of the year.

Prediction: Huskers 56 - Purdue 50 (Runza predictions are 0.0% this year until Iowa comes to town)