First place in the Big Ten is on the line Saturday night when Purdue invades the Kohl Center in a rematch of two of the top teams in the conference. Purdue won the previous match-up in West Lafayette 60-56.
Since Wisconsin's first conference loss at Purdue, the Badgers have rebounded to win consecutive games over Indiana, Minnesota, and Purdue, putting Wisconsin at 9-1 in the Big Ten. They also moved up five spots in each poll to number eight. Purdue enters the contest on a n eight-game winning streak with their last loss coming Jan. 8 at Michigan State.
Saturday's game extremely important as both teams sit tied atop the Big Ten standings at 9-1, with Indiana only one game back at 7-1, Michigan State sitting one and a half games behind and Ohio State two games back. With the Big Ten being a top-heavy conference, a loss Saturday night could bump Wisconsin or Purdue all the way back to third place, but a win could put either team all alone in first place.
Purdue has been the surprise team of the Big Ten. They were picked to finish around the middle of the pack in most preseason polls and have turned their season around in Big Ten play after a couple of bad non-conference losses. Purdue is finally receiving national attention, breaking into the Associated Press Top 25 at number 24 this week.
A big reason Purdue did not receive a lot of preseason attention is because of their inexperience. The Boilermakers start two freshman, two sophomores and one junior. Their top six scorers are comprised of four freshman and two sophomores. Yet Purdue has been playing like a veteran team for much of the Big Ten schedule, recently coming off a win at Illinois last Saturday, 83-75.
Freshman guard E'Twaun Moore and sophomore guard Keaton Grant lead a balanced Boilermakers offense in scoring at 11.2 and 10.8 points per game, respectively. Other players to watch include freshman guard Robbie Hummel, who had 10 points and seven rebounds along with the game winning block when these teams hooked up at Purdue. Also look for sophomore guard Chris Kramer to make an impact; he is considered Purdue's best defender.
I think the biggest thing is their poise. They don't play like typical freshman. They're very aggressive, Matt [Painter] has done a great job of molding those guys and keeping them confident,"" said assistant coach Howard Moore. ""[Painter] has thrown them in the fire right away so they're battle tested. They've gone through the [non-conference schedule] and half of the Big Ten season, so they are not typical freshman now. They are pretty much seasoned players so you've got to be prepared for those guys, they are all talented and skilled.""
Saturday's game will be a battle for Wisconsin. Purdue plays a grind-it-out type style much like the Badgers. They do not have a go-to guy offensively. Instead, Purdue presents a balanced attack that features a number of options.
""We just try to learn from the previous game. A lot has been learned, not much has changed. [Purdue] has gotten better, I feel we have too, so it's really going to be a battle,"" said junior forward Joe Krabbenhoft.
Wisconsin is going to need to defend the three better this time around and keep Purdue off the offensive glass. Timely shots and poor free throw shooting doomed the Badgers in Purdue. If Wisconsin is able to take care of the basketball and get out to an early lead, don't be surprised to see a familiar result from the Kohl Center.
