Game Day Essentials: Game #28 vs Purdue

Purdue Info

Head Coach: Matt Painter
Location: West Lafayette, IN
Conference: B1G 10
Nickname: Boilermakers
Mascots: Boilermaker Special, Purdue Pete
Last time out: Beat Indiana

Conference Record: 12-3
Typical Rotation Depth: 9+
Line: Purdue by 12

Arena: PBA

Player to watch: Carson Edwards

The 6'1" Jr PG is a B1G POTY candidate and leads the league in scoring at 24.5 per game.  If you haven't had a chance to see him this year you'll find that he is always open because he can create a shot whenever he wants. He's only scored under 20 in seven games this year.

KenPom Helps explain the Roster

Purdue runs the 3rd most efficient offense in Div 1 as they have a post players surrounded by 3pt shooters and it's all driven by Edwards 

• Cline and Eifert are career 40%+ 3pt shooters. Cline is hitting over 50% in conference play
• Eastern is a slasher and elite defender who will be tasked with guarding Palmer
• Haarms is an elite shot blocker and efficient scorer who is now coming off the bench
• Talented 6'9" 280 Fr Trevion Williams has worked his way into the starting lineup and is an aggressive rebounder and scoring threat
• Freshmen 6'9" Aaron Wheeler, 6'3" Eric Hunter, and 6'4"  Sasha Stefanovic are 10 minute a game backups who aren't as good at this point as the starters
• Dartmouth grad transfer Evan Boudreaux hasn't proven to be quick enough defensively or skilled enough offensively to find playing time recently

Last time vs Purdue:

A Nebraska team that bottomed out at home vs Maryland went toe to toe with Purdue on the road in the first half.  Purdue came out on a run and Nebraska could never close the gap. Carson Edwards led all players with 27.

The Skinny:

Nebraska comes in here after a true beat down on the road at Penn St and their overall trend outside of PBA makes Michigan and Michigan St look like lost causes.  At home Nebraska tends to play defense and typically tends to respond with effort after loses but who knows where those guys are at with all the noise swirling around the program.  Purdue very recently finds themselves in a mini slump playing on the road where they haven't scored over 56 points in their two games in February.  As poor as Nebraska has looked offensively since losing Copeland this isn't an elite defense that Purdue rolls out so you can see the path to a win.

While it's a very dangerous game trying to make Edwards beat you by himself isn't the worst strategy because he will continue to shoot regardless of whether or not he has it.  Taking the rest of the team out of the very well ends with them just sitting around like what you often see with Nebraska when it's too Palmer heavy.

On offense you'll probably end up seeing a bunch of 3pt shots because that is what Purdue gives you.  In some ways it seems like driving to the rim will be extra futile this game as referees are also people who do not want to drive in a blizzard and it's tough to see them slowing down this game with incidental contact.  On the other hand hopefully this helps to keep Roby and Borchardt in the game.

Due to the weather this has the potential to be one of the smallest crowds Nebraska will play in front of at home this year and a chance at becoming a Devaney Center-esque 'come down to the lower bowl' game. This is the type of game where you can say you can see how the Huskers won this one. It's more likely a game where you can see how they lost it.

Prediction: Purdue 67 - Nebraska 62