The No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers (17-1, 4-0 Away) will take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-9, 5-5 Home) at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, MN for the second time this season. The Boilermakers have won four consecutive games and will be looking for their fifth while the Golden Gophers have won two of their last five games and are coming off a loss. In their last matchup with each other, Purdue walked away with the win.
The Purdue Boilermakers have won four consecutive games following a close loss against Rutgers in early January. They enter this matchup hoping to extend their win streak while also trying to beat the Golden Gophers for the second time this season. They last faced off in early December and Purdue entered with an 8-0 record. They earned a pretty dominating 89-70 victory over Minnesota where they shot 50.8% from the field, 41.2% from beyond the arc, and 88.9% from free throw range. Zach Edey (31 PTS, 22 REB, 47.8% FG) was the leader for Boilermakers while four of his teammates contributed double-digit points. In addition, they earned 41 rebounds, 22 assists, five steals, and two blocks while turning the ball over seven times.
Say goodnight ?? @zach_edey in the pick and roll ?? @BoilerBall pic.twitter.com/FdBec8EnQa
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 16, 2023
This season, Purdue's scoring offense is ranked 117th, averaging 75.1 points per game while making 45.7% of their field goals, 76.2% of their free throws, and 32.8% of their 3-pointers. In addition, they are averaging 39.8 rebounds, 15.4 assists, 4.8 steals, and 4.1 blocks while turning the ball over 10.7 times. They are yielding an assist/turnover ratio of 1.45 (21st). Defensively, the Boilermakers are ranked 21st, surrendering 61.2 points per game. Edey is the scoring leader, averaging 21.9 points per game and leading on the boards with 13.4 rebounds. In early December, he had a massive 31-point, 22-rebound performance against the Golden Gophers. Fletcher Loyer is the second-leading scorer, averaging 13.4 points per game while earning 2.5 assists.