The No. 5 Purdue Boilermakers (24-5, 13-5 Big 10) head to face the Wisconsin Badgers (16-12, 8-10 Big 10) Thursday in a matchup of patient teams. Purdue was defeated by the Indiana Hoosiers 79-71 at Mackey Arena on Saturday.
Zach Edey was the key player in defeat with 26 points, 16 rebounds, and three assists. The Boilermakers are first in the Big Ten Conference. Wisconsin came up short on Sunday at Crisler Center, falling to the Michigan Wolverines 87-79 in overtime.
Connor Essegian topped the scoresheet in defeat with 24 points. With 19 points, Max Klesmit also had a strong game. The Badgers remain 11th in the Big Ten Conference.It’s the only meeting of the season between the teams.
Wisconsin won both matchups between the teams last season, the last of which was a 70-67 triumph at Kohl Center in March 2022. Tyler Wahl led the Badgers with 19 points and five steals. Jaden Ivey had 22 points in the loss.
Edey is averaging 21.5 points per game, 10th-highest in the nation, to lead the Boilermakers in scoring this season. Edey also has grabbed 12.4 rebounds per game, most in the NCAA. Meanwhile, Braden Smith is dishing 4.3 assists.
Chucky Hepburn (12.1 ppg), Essegian (12.1), and Steven Crowl (11.6) have supplied much of the Badgers’ offense. Crowl also has collected 7.1 rebounds per game, while Hepburn has recorded 3.0 assists per game.
Half-court execution will likely be the difference in this matchup that features two of the country’s slowest-paced teams, as the Boilermakers and the Badgers rank 352nd and 337th, respectively, in possessions per game.
In the last 10 games, Purdue is 6-4 with an average margin of +5.2 (71.6-66.4). For the season, the Boilermakers are averaging 73.4 points per game, compared to 62.2 for opponents. Wisconsin has gone 4-6 over the last 10, allowing 65.1 points per game on average while scoring only 62.9 (-2.2 margin).
BOILERMAKERS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points per game:
Braden Smith: 12.4 | 9.8 | +2.6
BADGERS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Kamari McGee: 6.2 | 2.2 | +4.0
Carter Gilmore: 3.8 | 6.0 | -2.2
Points per game:
Connor Essegian: 15.8 | 12.1 | +3.7
Chucky Hepburn: 8.6 | 12.1 | -3.5
Rebounds per game:
Tyler Wahl: 9.4 | 5.7 | +3.7
Jordan Davis: 2.6 | 3.6 | -1.0
SportsTips’ College Basketball Pick:
Purdue (-175)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
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