2023 Big Ten tournament preview: Purdue vs. Ohio State
CHICAGO – Purdue seeks its second-straight appearance in the Big Ten tournament championship game but will need to knock off upstart Ohio State in Saturday’s semifinals at the United Center. The top-seeded Boilermakers advanced with a hard-fought win over No. 9 seed Rutgers and the 13th-seeded Buckeyes continued their run through the tournament with a victory over No. 4 seed Michigan State. Purdue defeated Ohio State twice during the regular season. No. 10 seed Penn State faces No. 3 seed Indiana in the second semifinal.
Where: United Center (Chicago)
When: Saturday, 1 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Radio: Purdue Sports Network (WAZY locally)
In-game updates: GoldandBlack.com | Twitter @mike_carmin
ABOUT THE TEAMS
Purdue: Roster | Schedule | Stats
Ohio State: Roster | Schedule | Stats
NUMBERS AND SUCH
ON PURDUE (27-5)
• Purdue has never won the Big Ten regular-season title and the league tournament in the same year. The last team to do it was Michigan State in 2019. The Boilermakers advanced to the championship game last season before losing to Iowa.
• The Boilermakers are at their best when the bench contributes. Ethan Morton, David Jenkins, Jr. and Trey Kaufman-Renn combined for 21 points in the win over the Scarlet Knights, giving Purdue a boost since the offense was struggling. Jenkins and Kaufman-Renn have been coming off the bench all season but Morton’s role changed when Brandon Newman moved into the starting lineup last week at Wisconsin.
• Notice a trend in Purdue’s 3-point shooting? Depending on the half, the Boilermakers are either hot or cold. In the first half against Rutgers, Purdue was 2 of 10 but made 5 of 10 after halftime. Against Illinois, the Boilermakers made 6 of 12 in the first half and went 0 of 6 after halftime. Purdue will need a more consistent shooting performance against the Buckeyes and beyond.
PURDUE LINEUPS
Projected Starters
Center — 15 Zach Edey (7-4, 290, Junior)
Totaled 16 points and 11 rebounds in Friday’s win but the production of others helped the Boilermakers advance. Had 26 points and 11 rebounds in the last meeting against the Buckeyes, who lack a strong presence inside to deal with Edey. They tried to play physical against Edey at Mackey Arena but it just led to unnecessary foul trouble.
Forward — 0 Mason Gillis (6-6, 230, Junior)
Was a warrior in the win over Rutgers bringing his own brand of physical play and hustle to the game. Scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds, including a team-best five on the offensive glass. The Boilermakers are a better team when Gillis plays at a high level and it’s not just about his scoring.
Guard — 3 Braden Smith (6-0, 180, Freshman)
Finished with eight points and five assists in Friday’s win but scored 16 points in the victory over the Buckeyes in January, the start of a nine-game winning streak for the Boilermakers. Will need to handle the early pressure Ohio State is expected to send Smith’s way.
Guard — 2 Fletcher Loyer (6-4, 185, Freshman)
Missed last nine field goal attempts over the last two games after enjoying a bit of a breakout game at Wisconsin more than a week ago. The Boilermakers need him to regain his shooting touch before the NCAA tournament. At halftime Friday, he missed six straight 3-pointers during warmups. His shot will come back.
Guard — 5 Brandon Newman (6-5, 200, Junior)
Didn’t score against the Scarlet Knights but was part of the rotation as coach Matt Painter was searching for options to play defense and make a shot. Hit the boards hard with six defensive rebounds. Played only four minutes in the first meeting at Ohio State due to not feeling well and collected eight points in the second game.
Bench
Forward— 1 Caleb Furst (6-10, 230, Sophomore)
Had two good looks from 3-point range against Rutgers but they didn’t fall. Totaled 12 rebounds in the two games against the Buckeyes.
Guard/Forward — 25 Ethan Morton (6-7, 215, Junior)
Made two big 3-pointers when the Boilermakers need some offense on Friday. Made 7 of his last 14 from 3-point range.
Forward/Center — 4 Trey Kaufman-Renn (6-9, 225, Redshirt Freshman)
Played limited minutes against the Scarlet Knights but should be a factor against the smaller Buckeyes. Scored 11 points in the February meeting at Mackey Arena.
Guard — 14 David Jenkins Jr. (6-1, 200, Senior)
Was 4 of 4 from the field, including three 3-pointers to spark the offense. His first 3-pointer jumpstarted the Boilermakers in the first half after trailing by 12.
Guard/Forward — 11 Brian Waddell (6-8, 195, Redshirt Freshman)
Note: Freshman center Will Berg and wing Camden Heide will redshirt this season.
ON OHIO STATE (16-18)
• It’s been a wild ride for the Buckeyes. They’ve won five of their six games after losing 14 of 15 to put them in a huge hole. Going to four freshman in the starting lineup has provided a spark.
• Ned Key suffered a shoulder injury in the first meeting against the Boilermakers but didn’t miss a lot of time and had been playing well. However, Key re-injured his shoulder prior to Ohio State visiting Mackey Arena in February, leaving a void in the middle. That showed up against the Boilermakers and will be an issue in Sunday’s matchup.
OHIO STATE LINEUPS
Forward — 14 Justice Sueing (6-6, 210, R-Senior)
Six straight games in double figures, including 14 in Friday’s win over Michigan State.
Center — 34 Felix Okpara (6-11, 220, Freshman)
Moved into the starting lineup beginning with the second Purdue game after Key was ruled out for the season. The Buckeyes don’t have much of an inside presence but Okpara is basically it. Totaled eight points and eight rebounds against the Spartans.
Guard — 4 Sean McNeil (6-4, 205, Grad)
The transfer from West Virginia put the Buckeyes up on the Boilermakers with a late 3-pointer in the first meeting in Columbus. Was 11 of 19 from 3-point range in the previous four games before going 1 of 5 against the Spartans.
Guard — 2 Bruce Thornton (6-2 215, Freshman)
Physical and tough point guard has started every game and scored 21 in Friday’s win. He also added six assists. Scored only three points against the Boilermakers at Mackey Arena.
Guard — 1 Roddy Gayle Jr. (6-4, 205, Fr.)
Reached double figures for the second time this season after scoring 15 against Michigan State. Started nine of the last 10 games.
Bench
Forward — 10 Brice Sensabaugh (6-6, 235, Freshman)
Didn’t play in Friday’s win due to knee soreness and it’s unclear if he’ll play against the Boilermakers. In his postgame press conference, OSU coach Chris Holtmann said Sensabaugh sat next to the team’s athletic trainer and wasn’t feeling great but didn’t add more details. Scored 21 and 20 points against Purdue this season. UPDATE: Sensabaugh is out the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Guard— 0 Tanner Holden (6-6, 200, Senior)
Guard —3 Eugene Brown III (6-7, 195, Junior)
Guard — 13 Isaac Likeleke (6-5, 215, Grad)
LIGHTNING-ROUND TAKES
• If Ohio State wins the Big Ten tournament – it still needs two more victories – who gets bumped out of the field? The winner of the tournament earns the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, regardless of the record. Plenty at stake for the Buckeyes to keep this late-season surge going.
PREDICTION: PURDUE 73, OHIO STATE 68
Although the Buckeyes beat Michigan State without Sensabaugh, taking down the Boilermakers will be difficult without their talented freshman. Ohio State has changed the trajectory of its season, but it’s too late to make the NCAA tournament unless it wins the conference tournament. Look for the Buckeyes to bring early pressure, similar to what happened in Mackey Arena in February, and try and rattle Purdue’s backcourt. Braden Smith and company had a few early turnovers but settled down and pounded the ball inside to Edey. Keeping Edey involved should lead to similar results.
