GoldandBlack.com Purdue Basketball Game Preview: Marquette

After sweeping its two December Big Ten games, sixth-ranked Purdue hits the home stretch of its non-conference slate Saturday when it hosts Marquette in a game that may not necessarily be what the Boilermaker program signed up for, as the Eagles are struggling badly.

DETAILS: Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025 | 2 p.m. ET | TV: Peacock (John Fanta, Jess Settles) | Radio: Purdue Radio Network
PURDUE (9-1, 2-0 B1G): ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS
MARQUETTE (5-5): ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS

Team	AP	Coaches	NET	KenPom	KenPom Win%
Purdue	6	6	8	5	96%
Marquette	—	—	168	93	4%

A FEW THINGS ABOUT PURDUE

• This is the fourth consecutive season in which Purdue has met Marquette and the sixth matchup since 2017, Purdue being 3-2 in those games.

• After starting 2-0 in the Big Ten, Purdue has just two non-conference games left after this one: a meeting with Auburn in Indy and a home game vs. Kent State.

• Purdue has scored 80 or more points in eight of its nine games this season, making the 58 points scored in the loss to Iowa State look more like both a credit to the Cyclones and an outlier for the Boilermakers, who remain No. 1 nationally in offensive efficiency on KenPom.

• This looks like a leading-scorer-by-committee sort of dynamic: Purdue has three players averaging 13.3 points or better but none more than 14.

• Through 10 games, centers Oscar Cluff‘s and Daniel Jacobsen‘s combined productivity: 21 points, 13.8 rebounds, 3.2 blocked shots and only 1.2 turnovers. They are shooting a combined 72.2 percent and averaging around five fouls drawn per game.

• Star Braden Smith hurt his hand early in the Minnesota game, but practiced the next day and is thought to be fine.

ABOUT MARQUETTE

• Roster turnover has broad-sided Marquette, raising questions about Shaka Smart’s program-building philosophies, which lean toward continuity and development and away from the transfer portal. There are familiar names on this roster from the ones Purdue has played often over the years, but there don’t appear to be any Kam Jones-, Tyler Kolek- or Oso Ighodaro-type stars.

It’s shown up during Marquette’s 5-5 start, which included losses to the Big Ten’s Indiana, Maryland and Wisconsin — the IU and Wisconsin games being blowouts — and an overtime home win over Valparaiso.

The problems are many.

Marquette is known for its swarming, high-pressure defense. But in its five losses — all high-majors, including Dayton — opponents have scored an average of 87.4 points and not turned the ball over as much as opponents historically have against Marquette, which ranks 80th overall nationally in defensive efficiency, per KenPom.

The Eagles aren’t a great rebounding team, don’t possess much in the way of rim protection and are struggling to dictate pace, as has normally been their calling card.

• Senior guard Sean Jones has been hampered by his long recovery from a major knee injury suffered last year. He’s been in and out of the lineup, and is shooting only 28 percent in the four games he’s played in. Marquette was undoubtedly planning on him being a major contributor this season, but that it didn’t recruit a transfer after he was hurt probably is a decision Smart would like to have back.

• Veteran Chase Ross leads Marquette at 19.5 points per game and has made shots vs. Purdue before. He’s just a 32-percent three-point shooter, though. He’s one of five Marquette players left over from the game in Honolulu two seasons ago. (Purdue has three players left from that Maui Invitational.)

THREE KEYS FOR PURDUE

BALL SECURITY	REBOUNDING	DEFENSIVE EFFORT
This isn’t a normal Marquette team, but Purdue mustn’t make it look like one. Turnovers are the Eagles’ best hope here.	Another opportunity for Purdue to really turn the screws on some physically on the interior and if nothing else, wear them down.	Braden Smith led the way against Minnesota. Others followed. Consistency in that area is important beyond words from here on out.

THREE THOUGHTS

• Shaka Smart is running his program that way Matt Painter does his, but his team this year is a cautionary tale of the challenges involved. Purdue appears sustainable after these seniors leave, but look no further than Marquette right now as an example of what can happen when you bank on continuity and development, but also schedule aggressively.
• Trey Kaufman-Renn is due for a big one.
• Purdue ought to embrace what it did well defensively in the second half vs. Minnesota and hold it up as an example of how good this team can be with that level of effort and attention to detail.

GOLDANDBLACK.COM PREDICTION: PURDUE 80, MARQUETTE 65

Purdue can’t take anything for granted, but this isn’t the Marquette it’s used to seeing.