The Indiana Hoosiers are hosting the Purdue Boilermakers on Thursday night for a Big Ten Conference matchup. Both teams have shown signs of life thus far, and are tied for fifth (3-3) in a very competitive Big Ten. This is looking to be a very evenly matched battle between two quality college basketball teams, and could very well come down to the final seconds.
Match Details
Fixture: Purdue Boilermakers vs Indiana Hoosiers - NCAA Men's Basketball
Date & Time: Thursday, January 14th, 2021, 7 PM ET
Venue: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Indiana
Purdue Boilermakers Preview
The Purdue Boilermakers are coming off of their second win over a ranked opponent this season, defeating the No. 23 Michigan State Spartans in a 55-54 thriller. Purdue's defense was stellar in this matchup, holding Spartans' shooters to only 23% from 3-point range and 39% overall. If the Purdue defenders can find an answer for the Indiana Hoosiers' star player, Trayce Jackson-Davis, they have a good chance of coming out on top of this matchup.
Key Player - Trevion Williams
The Purdue Boilermakers have gotten some excellent production from junior Trevion Williams. Williams leads the Boilermakers' offense with an average of 15 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Williams has played limited minutes, but makes great use of his time on the court with his physical-style play.
In his last game, Williams scored a game-high 26 points and hit the game-winning shot in Purdue's one-point victory over Michigan State. The Boilermakers will be hoping for another great night from Williams on Thursday to secure their fourth conference win.
Purdue Boilermakers Predicted Lineup
F Trevion Williams, F Mason Gillis, G Sasha Stefanovic, G Eric Hunter Jr., G Brandon Newman
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Indiana Hoosiers Preview
The Indiana Hoosiers had a strong offensive showing in their last game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on the way to a 84-76 victory. The Hoosiers have maintained relevance in the Big Ten Conference with their consistency from the floor, shooting 46.1% as a team. This matchup with the Purdue Boilermakers will be a great test for the Indiana Hoosiers, with both teams carrying a 3-3 Big Ten record into Thursday's matchup. The Hoosiers will hope for yet another big performance out of their star player, Trayce Jackson-Davis, who was named last week's Big Ten co-player of the week.
Key Player - Trayce Jackson-Davis
The key player for the Indiana Hoosiers has been sophomore Trayce Jackson-Davis. The Hoosiers' offense is heavily reliant on consistent production out of Jackson-Davis. This season, Jackson-Davis averages 20.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game and has controlled the paint with his athletic 6-foot-9 frame.
Jackson-Davis is projected to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft in many previews, and is in the running for the Naismith Trophy. A big performance from Trayce Jackson-Davis on Thursday could be the difference in this great matchup.
Indiana Hoosiers Predicted Lineup
F Trayce Jackson-Davis, F Race Thompson, G Trey Galloway, G Armaan Franklin, G Al Durham
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Purdue vs. Indiana Prediction
This is looking to be a very evenly matched battle, and could very well come down to the final seconds. The Indiana Hoosiers are used to close games, having each of their last seven games decided by 10 points or fewer. This should play to the advantage of the Hoosiers, but this game should have another close finish. The scoring of Trayce Jackson-Davis will be enough to lead the Indiana Hoosiers to victory over the Purdue Boilermakers on Thursday.
Where to watch Purdue vs. Indiana
The game will be available for live stream on ESPN+.
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