Rutgers visits No. 3 Purdue and encounters a tall order.

There’s a simple formula to beating No. 3 Purdue, but only three teams have been able to execute it this year. That is the challenge Rutgers has on Thursday night when it travels to West Lafayette, Ind. to play the Big Ten Conference leader. None of those successful teams were playing on Purdue’s home court.

Their timing only serves to worsen the situation for the Scarlet Knights. They are Purdue’s first opponent following Sunday’s dramatic 73-69 loss to Ohio State by the Boilermakers. After losing nine of their previous 11 games, the Buckeyes dismissed coach Chris Holtmann four days prior to the shock.

The Ohio State game followed the pattern of the Boilermakers’ previous losses this year: a high proportion of turnovers and well-shooting opposition. Purdue (23-3, 12-3 Big Ten) gave up 14 turnovers, with Zach Edey, a strong candidate for national player of the year twice, accounting for six of them. Meanwhile, Ohio State made 48.3 percent of their field goal attempts. These factors more or less eliminated the Boilermakers’ 36–23 rebounding edge.

All we have to do is watch the ball,” Edey remarked. “We exceeded their reach. That way we have more assets, but we cannot allow them to transition. We are required to play a half-court match. When a team scores 22 points (because to mistakes), it’s difficult to win the game.”

On paper, Rutgers (14-11, 6-8) could have enough defensive strength to pose a threat to Purdue. The Scarlet Knights are second in the country in terms of adjusted defensive efficiency, with 90.8 points per 100 possessions, and were 21st in terms of turnover margin (plus-3.6 per game) as of Monday, even though Minnesota defeated Rutgers 81-70 on Sunday in Minneapolis.
On January 28, the Scarlet Knights played host to Purdue and, in the final eight and a half minutes, twice cut a 14-point second-half deficit to just two points before falling short, 68-60. In comparison to the Boilermakers, Rutgers was able to force 15 turnovers and pull down 15 offensive rebounds, which resulted in 19 extra opportunities for field goals.
What the Scarlet Knights did with those extra shots was the issue. They only made 24 out of 64 (37.5%) field goals and 4 out of 16 3-pointers. That, along with Edey’s 26 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks, was plenty to seal Rutgers’ fate.

Even if the Scarlet Knights’ current analytics indicate they are more of an NIT team, head coach Steve Pikiell isn’t giving up on his team’s ability to contend in March. He said, “You will be up and down at different times.” “This gang is actually putting in proper practice. You never know what challenges you might encounter. Everyone is necessary to survive, and for that I am grateful.”

Transfer to Iowa State Since making his season debut five games ago, Jeremiah Williams has emerged as the Scarlet Knights’ top scorer, averaging 13.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. He was in violation of the NCAA’s gambling policy and missed the first twenty games. Clifford Omoruyi averages 11.2 points and nine rebounds per game. He scored 19 points, pulled down eight rebounds, and blocked three shots against Minnesota.

In addition to Edey’s 23.2 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, Lance Jones (12.8 ppg), Braden Smith

(12.8), and Fletcher Loyer (10.5) all score in double figures for Purdue. The Boilermakers were third in 3-point percentage (40.1%) and tied for 10th place in Division I with an average of 84.4 points per game through Monday’s games.

Visit sportpalace.co.uk for information