Purdue Basketball Game 6 Preview: Duke for the championship of the Phil Knight Legacy
PORTLAND — Surging to open this transitional season, Purdue’s rolled to the championship game of the prestigious Phil Knight Legacy here in Portland, where the 24th-ranked Boilermakers will meet No. 8 Duke Sunday afternoon for the tournament title. Here’s our full GoldandBlack.com preview of another showcase game featuring Purdue.
Where: Moda Center (Portland)
Event: Phil Knight Legacy (Bracket)
When: Sunday, Nov. 27, 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Radio: Purdue Sports Network (WAZY locally)
In-game updates: GoldandBlack.com | Twitter @brianneubert
ABOUT THE TEAMS
Purdue: Roster | Schedule | Stats
Duke: Roster | Schedule | Stats
NUMBERS AND SUCH
ON PURDUE (5-0)
• The upstart Boilermakers have reached the final with impressive wins over West Virginia and Gonzaga and are aiming for their second preseason-event championship in as many years. Purdue’s won its first five games, the past three against high-major competition, and has built a strong foundation already on which to eventually build an NCAA Tournament résumé.
• During the past three games, Purdue’s averaged 79.7 points, and has an interesting analytic profile, with KenPom ranking Purdue seventh in offensive efficiency and 330th in tempo.
• Purdue leads the all-time series with Duke 4-3, but Matt Painter is 0-2, including an NCAA Tournament loss in Houston that new Duke coach Jon Scheyer played in.
PROJECTED PURDUE LINEUPS
Starters
Center — 15 Zach Edey (7-4, 290, Junior)
Edey started the Gonzaga game with a whimper, but finished it with a roar. Ever since Game 1, he’s been everything Purdue’s needed him to be, but yet still capable of even more.
Forward — 0 Mason Gillis (6-6, 230, Junior)
It was only a matter of time before Gillis started making threes and he’s made some big ones in Portland.
Guard — 3 Braden Smith (6-0, 180, Freshman)
Smith’s making a name for himself not just around Purdue, but nationally, with his play in Portland. He is taking command of games when it matters most, shooting well and bringing an edge and mentality to the Boilermakers that have been such an inextricable part of what’s made them successful so far.
Guard — 2 Fletcher Loyer (6-4, 185, Freshman)
Loyer was outstanding against Gonzaga, buoying Purdue early when no one was making shots. He’s playing with such confidence and calm.
Guard/Forward — 25 Ethan Morton (6-7, 215, Junior)
After dominating the West Virginia game as a passer, Morton did more of the same against Gonzaga. He has really been critical to Purdue’s success, as he’ll be all season.
Rotational Reserves
Guard — 5 Brandon Newman (6-5, 200, Junior)
Newman is giving Purdue real scoring punch with that second unit, but his rebounding has really jumped out, as well. He’s clearly taken that part of the game to heart.
Forward/Center — 1 Caleb Furst (6-10, 230, Sophomore)
Can’t overstatement what Furst has meant to Purdue with his energy and effort. When he’s on the floor, it normally looks like there’s two or three of him out there.
Forward/Center — 4 Trey Kaufman-Renn (6-9, 225, Redshirt Freshman)
Kaufman-Renn is sort of giving Purdue an offensive destination sort of player when he’s in the game but Zach Edey isn’t. The Boilermakers are really looking to get him opportunities on the block. He’s trying really hard, as all Purdue’s forwards are.
Guard/Forward — 11 Brian Waddell (6-8, 195, Redshirt Freshman)
Waddell keeps logging meaningful rotation minutes for Purdue and doing nothing exciting, but everything right. One of this team’s many glue guys.
Guard — 14 David Jenkins Jr. (6-1, 200, Senior)
Jenkins has been a bit turnover prone, which may be one of this team’s few symptoms of its new-ness playing together, but Purdue needs to have the ball in his hands when Smith’s not in the game. He’s been so good at times already for the Boilermakers, but this is a new role he’s playing, remember.
Guard/Forward — 23 Camden Heide (6-7, 205, Freshman)
Heide is under consideration for a redshirt, taking a few games to observe and make a decision, per Matt Painter. He won’t be playing in the meantime.
Note: Freshman center Will Berg will redshirt this season.
ON DUKE (6-1)
• In Year 1 under Jon Scheyer, the Blue Devils have won six of their first seven, the loss coming to fellow blueblood Kansas. They’ve reached the PK title game with wins over Oregon State and Xavier, neither of them particularly comfortable. Oregon State took Duke down to the buzzer.
• Built around one of the greatest recruiting classes of all time and a patchwork of transfers and with a first-year coach following Mike Krzyzewski’s retirement, Duke is as new as anyone in college basketball.
They return just under 16 percent of their minutes from last season, per KenPom. That’s No. 332 nationally.
• Duke reserves Ryan Young and Jacob Grandison are both players Purdue knows well from their time at Northwestern and Illinois, respectively. In the ultimate reflection of the pick-up nature of college basketball these days, they’ll be the third and fourth former Big Ten opponents Purdue will face out in Portland, following West Virginia’s Joe Toussaint (Iowa) and Gonzaga’s Rasir Bolton (Penn State).
DUKE LINEUPS
Guard — 3 Jeremy Roach (6-2, 180, Junior)
One of Duke’s few returning veterans, Roach is one of the better guards in college basketball.
Forward — 25 Mark Mitchell (6-8, 220, Freshman)
Another elite recruit, Mitchell is a big-time athlete and a good shooter. The level of athleticism Purdue will have to deal with in this game might be something they don’t see again all season.
Forward— 30 Kyle Filipowski (7-0, 230, Freshman)
One of the best freshmen in the country, Filipowski is a multi-skilled big who can take Purdue to the perimeter and shoot threes, which will be a valuable test for the Boilermakers defensively. Purdue’s 4 men are going to have weather some matchup challenges here.
Center — 1 Dereck Lively (7-1, 230, Freshman)
Lively’s height and length will be unlikely anything Purdue’s seen this season, but Zach Edey’s potential to exploit his youth would seem like a factor here.
Guard — 5 Tyrese Proctor (6-5, 175, Freshman)
Bench
Center — 15 Ryan Young (6-10, 235, Grad)
The former Northwestern center is a player Purdue has great respect for. He was a focal point of their defensive game plans even when coming off the bench for the Wildcats and his experience playing against Edey is a plus for Duke.
Guard — 2 Jaylen Blakes (6-2, 200, Sophomore)
Forward —0 Dariq Whitehead (6-7, 220, Freshman)
How many teams can say they got the No. 1 player in the country and brought him off the bench as a freshman? Duke can.
Forward — 13 Jacob Grandison (6-6, 190, Grad)
You know how dangerous Grandison can be from beyond the arc.
THREE KEYS FOR PURDUE
| physicality | the arc | effort |
| Duke’s height, length and size up front will be a challenge. Not like Gonzaga wasn’t, but Duke’s going to play two 7-footers together at times. | Bigs who can shoot have often been a thorn in Purdue’s side, and Filipowski is going to test the Boilermaker 4 men and their help. | It’s hard to play harder than Duke historically, but Purdue’s off to a great start in that regard, and the Blue Devils are again really talented, but really young. Purdue will want to test their toughness. |
LIGHTNING-ROUND TAKES
• Purdue will not see a team this season with more raw talent than Duke or less experience than Duke. It will be interesting to see how that give and take plays out. Duke has labored at times already this season against teams with half their talent, if that.
PREDICTION: PURDUE 75, DUKE 71
Purdue has looked better to this point. The Boilermakers are doing everything right, and part of what the Boilermakers are doing right — playing smart, playing hard and being suffocatingly physical — are the sorts of things that sometimes exploit young teams and Duke is the youngest of the young. Supremely talented but still young.
