Game 22 Preview: #2 Purdue vs. Northwestern
Coming off a run of success on the road and riding a five-game winning streak, second-ranked Purdue returns to Mackey Arena Wednesday looking to avenge its December loss to Northwestern.
DETAILS: Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024 | 6:30 p.m. ET | TV: BTN (Kevin Kugler, Robbie Hummel, Andy Katz) | Radio: Purdue Radio Network
PURDUE (19-2, 8-2 B1G): ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS
NORTHWESTERN (15-5. 6-3 B1G): ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS
THREE THINGS ABOUT PURDUE
• The story of then-top-ranked Purdue’s double-overtime loss at Northwestern: 17 turnovers and the 20 Wildcat points that came from them. That’s the focus for Purdue now, coming off a 15-turnover game at Rutgers.
It’s nothing new. Turnovers have been Purdue’s vulnerability this season and in previous years. The Boilermakers are allowing 12.4 points off turnovers this season, one full point more than they’re producing.
• The Boilermakers were outrebounded 36-32 at Rutgers, the first time all season it lost the battle on the glass, and just the second time all season they didn’t hold an advantage; Gonzaga finished even in Honolulu.
A FEW THINGS ABOUT THIS GAME
• Northwestern does not turn the ball over, another key to its upset in December. The Wildcats are sixth nationally in turnover percentage at just 13.4 percent. They average only eight turnovers per game in Big Ten play.
• Boo Buie, the oldest starting guard in Chicago — Coby White of the Bulls is 23 and Ayo Dosunmo a younger 24 than Buie — averages 20.7 points per game in Big Ten play and was a really problematic iso matchup for Purdue in December, especially after Lance Jones fouled out late in regulation. Jones did a solid job on him head to head prior, but fouled out on Buie’s patented back-into-contact trick.
• Northwestern is shooting almost 44 percent from three in Big Ten games, tops in the league, and it’s everybody, not just Buie (41 percent), but forward Brooks Barnhizer (48), Ty Berry (46) and big man Ryan Langborg (42), all on meaningful volume.
| TURNOVERS | BOO! | REBOUNDING |
| Same thing as every game, but again, especially this one. It’s hard to turn the ball over less than Northwestern, but losing this column by a wide margin (again) would open a door for the ‘Cats. It really is this simple. | Even on the road, Boo Buie can cook. The important part is making him make difficult shots, containing the shooters around him and not fouling yourself out of the game. | After a one-game blip, Purdue can get back to rebounding and blocking people out to death. Northwestern’s front line is ripe for the picking and everyone for Purdue ought to be driven to hit the glass. |
GOLDANDBLACK.COM PREDICTION: PURDUE 72, NORTHWESTERN 64
Purdue should have won that game in Evanston, and the circumstances that went into it won’t repeat themselves outside of Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Boilermakers just showed a blueprint for disaster at Rutgers and ought to be laser-focused on turnovers and rebounding at just the right time.
