CBB Preview: No. 2 Purdue vs No. 8 Alabama

On Thursday, the No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers will travel to Tuscaloosa for a top-ten matchup with the No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide.

Purdue entered the season coming off a loss in the Sweet 16 to the eventual national runner-up Houston Cougars, and was ranked second in the initial AP Poll.

They opened the current campaign with a dominant win over Evansville, defeating the Purple Aces 82-51. Senior guard Fletcher Loyer led the Boilermakers with 30 points in that matchup, while his backcourt partner Braden Smith recorded 11 assists.

Their second game was closer, as they defeated Oakland, best known for their upset of then No. 3 Kentucky in the 2024 NCAA tournament. The Boilermakers took down the Golden Grizzlies and legendary coach Greg Kampe 87-77 on the heels of a 20-point, 7 rebound and 9 assist performance from Smith.

Loyer leads the Boilermakers in points with 22.5 per game. Smith is second on the team with 13.0 per game, while also putting up a nation-leading 10.0 assists per game.

7-foot-4 center Daniel Jacobsen has been stout for Purdue, averaging 2.5 blocks per game. He scored 11 points in the Boilermakers’ game against Evansville, but was held to just two against Oakland.

Alabama is led by the guard duo of Labaron Philon Jr. and Aden Holloway, who lead the Crimson Tide with 23.5 and 21.0 points, respectively. Three other players, Latrell Wrightsell, Taylor Bol Bowen and Houston Mallette, average double-digit points for Alabama.

Freshman forward Amari Allen has been a strong defender for the Crimson Tide, grabbing 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.

Alabama is also 2-0 on the season, first beating North Dakota 91-62 before a high-stakes matchup with No. 5 Saint John’s. The Crimson Tide pulled off the upset, beating the Red Storm 103-96.

Philon and Holloway led the way in that matchup, scoring 46 points between the two of them.

Purdue leads the all-time series against Alabama 7-3. The teams most recently played last year, when the Boilermakers defended their home court with an 87-78 win. The Crimson Tide’s last victory over Purdue came in the 2011-2012 season, when they won 65-56 in a game that was played in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Alabama a 60.6% chance to win on Thursday, despite their lower rank in the polls. FanDuel agrees, with the Crimson Tide standing as a -3.5 point favorite on the sportsbook.

Alabama’s high-powered offense will be the difference in this one, as Philon and Holloway will continue to be strong for the team. The Crimson Tide will come out with the win, but it will be closer than in recent matchups with Purdue, ultimately ending in an 89-84 Alabama win.

Elliott Inscho is a first-year student studying digital and print journalism. To contact him, email eli5026@psu.edu