Mens College Hoops Game Of The Week: No. 7 Purdue vs. No. 20 Michigan

The college basketball season is inching closer to March which can only mean one thing…Madness is on the horizon.

Late-season games often provide an enticing preview into the NCAA tournament. Tuesday night’s game between two Big Ten heavyweights could be a thriller of tournament-level proportions.

No. 7 Purdue will travel to Ann Arbor to take on No. 20 Michigan. Since 1999, Purdue has a slight edge in the series 25-22.

The Boilermakers are 19-5 overall and 11-2 in Big Ten play while the Wolverines are 18-5 and 10-2 in conference play.

Earlier this season, Purdue beat Michigan in Mackey Arena in blowout fashion, 91-64. Junior guard Braden Smith led the way offensively with 24 points to go along with 10 assists.

Since the loss, Michigan has been resilient and gritty. The Wolverines have won four straight with two of those wins being four-point home victories over Penn State and Oregon while the other pair of wins were three-point road triumphs over Rutgers and Indiana.

It is worth noting that the aforementioned Michigan opponents all are unranked and have losing records in Big Ten play. However, the knack of finding ways to win speaks to the character of this year’s Wolverines team.

The team has largely been led by their big men. Senior center Vladislav Goldin leads the team in scoring with 15.7 points per game and his 64.7 percent field goal percentage is the sixth highest in college basketball.

Junior center Danny Wolf is the team’s third leading scorer as he averages 12.7 points per game. Wolf also averages 10 rebounds per game, which is the thirteenth highest total in college basketball.

Conversely, junior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn leads the Boilermakers with 18.9 points per game. Junior Fletcher Loyer has been a three-point threat for Purdue this season as he shoots 45.8 percent from beyond the arc.

As with the Wolverines, Purdue is also riding a four-game win streak. The Boilermakers last loss came at home in upset fashion as Ohio State pulled out a stunning three-point victory.

Purdue will have to model their Jan. 24 performance to pull out another win over the Wolverines.

In the 27-point victory, the Boilermakers shot the ball well, hitting a 54.8 percent team field goal percentage compared to Michigan’s 37 percent shooting percentage.

Purdue’s stifling defense also proved to be too much for Michigan as the Boilermakers racked up 14 steals. The Wolverines had 22 total turnovers.

Despite being a top-20 team, Michigan does lead the Big Ten in turnovers with 14.7 per game.

Despite some lopsided numbers in the stat column, Michigan did out-rebound Purdue 40-32. Fifteen of the Wolverines rebounds were offensive boards.

For Michigan, the key to winning this conference re-match can be summed up quite simply: composure.

The Wolverines will have to greatly limit turnovers and string together effective possessions. Efficient shooting will also be a major key to Michigan’s game as the team was well under their average scoring total, 81.7, in the previous Purdue loss.

Home court advantage is also sure to boost Michigan’s chances in a 12,707-seat Crisler Arena.

If the Wolverines can tie up some loose ends, this game could flip from a blowout to a barnburner.

Isaac Hallock is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email idh5055@psu.edu