Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs. No. 14 Purdue: Preview, prediction and odds (November 4, 2024)

The 2024-25 college basketball season is officially underway as the first matchup involving a team ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 features the No. 14 Purdue Boilermakers and the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders.

Purdue is coming off a strong campaign last season, finishing with a 34-5 record (17-3 Big Ten) as star center and two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey led them to the Final Four in Phoenix before falling to UConn in the national championship game. Edey has since departed, now playing for the Memphis Grizzlies after being selected in the 2024 NBA draft. Matt Painter, the program's coach since 2005, returns for his 20th season.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi went 21-12 in the previous campaign, including 14-4 in conference play as they suffered an 81-73 overtime loss to Nicholls in the semifinals of the Southland Conference Tournament. They continued their postseason with an invitation to the CollegeInsider.com tournament but ultimately lost 73-63 to Abilene Christian in the first round.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs Purdue: Preview, prediction and odds

Mackey Arena in West Lafayette will host the showdown between the Boilermakers and the Islanders. Basketball fans can also catch the action by tuning in to the Big Ten Network.

Moneyline: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (+2200) vs. Purdue (-8000)

Spread: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (+22.5) vs. Purdue (-22.5)

Total (O/U): Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (o145.5 -110) vs. Purdue (u145.5 -110)

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Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs Purdue: Game preview

Of the key players returning from last year's Purdue squad, junior guard Braden Smith is set to command more of the offense with Edey gone. The floor general averaged 12.0 points, 7.5 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game and was named the Preseason Big 10 Player of the Year.

While plenty of eyes will be on Smith, junior guard Fletcher Loyer and junior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn are both expected to play vital roles in Purdue's success this season. Loyer scored 10.3 points per game last season with great efficiency from the perimeter as he converted 63 triples. On the other hand, Kaufman-Renn put up 6.4 points and 4.0 rebounds on 53.7% shooting inside the arc and will look to be more involved in the offense.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi has several key players returning from last year, with leading scorers Garry Clark and Dian Wright-Forde expected to provide big performances. Clark averaged 13.2 points and 8.1 rebounds, while Wright-Forde was a spark plug off the bench in 28 out of 31 games.

Another significant contributor to the Islanders' offense is senior guard Jordan Roberts. He returns as the team's best 3-point shooter, converting on 46 triples with an efficiency of 37.1%. It is possible that he could step up in the opener by being more active on the offensive side of the ball.

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Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs Purdue: Prediction

It would not be a surprise to see Purdue come out of the gate strong. Even without a notable big man who can dominate smaller matchups inside like Zach Edey, the overall quality of the team should still provide them at least a double-digit victory over the Islanders.

Want to know more about Purdue's outlook this season? Find out here.