Skip to main content
Purdue
Join Now

GoldandBlack.com Purdue Basketball Game Preview: Akron

On3 imageby: Brian Neubert2 hours agobrianneubert
Purdue's Braden Smith
Purdue's Braden Smith (Chad Krockover)

On a quick turnaround following its marquee win at Alabama Thursday night, No. 2 Purdue squeezes in a rare November home game Sunday when it hosts Akron.

DETAILS: Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 | 7:30 p.m. ET | TV: BTN (Jack Kizer, Rapheal Davis) | Radio: Purdue Radio Network
PURDUE (3-0): ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS
AKRON (3-0): ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS

TeamAPCoachesNETKenPomKenPom Win%
Purdue21—592%
Akron———798%

A FEW THINGS ABOUT PURDUE

• Purdue just scored maybe the biggest win of the young college basketball season with its 87-80 win at eighth-ranked Alabama, meaning it will probably move back up to No. 1 in the AP poll Monday. This will be the Boilermakers’ only home game over a three-week span, with the week one being Nov. 28.

The Boilermakers leave for the Bahamas Tuesday morning before meeting Memphis Thursday, then either Texas Tech or Wake Forest Friday.

• Through three games, center Oscar Cluff is averaging 10.7 points and 10 rebounds, with seven assists, five blocks, two steals and zero turnovers. He’s shooting 61 percent from the floor and is 10-of-13 at the foul line.

ABOUT AKRON

• This is a buy game, yes, but not a pushover. Former Illinois coach John Groce’s Zips have averaged 21 wins the past four seasons. Akron won 28 games last season, ran away with the MAC regular season title and made the NCAA Tournament.

This wouldn’t be a great NET rankings win for Purdue but it wouldn’t be a bad one, either. Last season, Akron finished 91st in the NET.

THREE KEYS FOR PURDUE

CONSISTENCYREBOUNDINGJUST KEEP IT UP
The Alabama game was a huge win and the bags are packed for the Bahamas. This is a game against a good program crammed into a narrow window on a short turnaround. A worthwhile test of Purdue’s professionalism, etc.If Purdue keeps hammering the offensive glass the way it’s been, it’s going to be really tough to beat. Forget the putbacks and just consider the potential for threes and fouls.The effort was special at Alabama. You might not need that every game, but now’s the time for building habits.

THREE THOUGHTS

• Purdue raised the bar for itself on Thursday night, showing what it can be when its effort peaks and its attention to detail is high level. The Boilermakers are probably good enough to win most nights at 90 percent in those areas, but when you see 110 in big games, you might be seeing a truly great team.

• It’s early and it’s really only been one real game, but the center position has been a smashing success thus far for the Boilermakers. Oscar Cluff and Daniel Jacobsen have really added needed elements thus far, as hoped, and complement the veterans around them almost ideally.

• Given the success Akron has had, will John Groce get another high-major shot in the years to come?

GOLDANDBLACK.COM PREDICTION: PURDUE 92, AKRON 70

Purdue’s preparation will probably be abridged, but it’s good enough on offense to run its basics and score more than Akron could hope to match, especially in Mackey Arena.

You may also like