GAMEDAY INFORMATION -- GAME 16
[20] Purdue (11-4, 3-1) vs. Rutgers (8-7, 1-3)
Thursday, January 9, 2025
6 p.m. ET | Piscataway, New Jersey
Jersey Mike's Arena (8,000)
TELEVISION: FS1 (Alex Faust, Bill Raftery)
RADIO: Purdue Global Radio Network (Rob Blackman, Bobby Riddell)
THE NOTES TO KNOW
• Purdue heads East for the second time in Big Ten play as it looks to win at a place where wins have been tough to come by, visiting Jersey Mike's Arena on Thursday for a contest with the talented Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Purdue enters on a three-game winning streak but will be tested in a facility that the Boilermakers have won just one of their last four meetings.
• In an incredible twist of scheduling fate, the Boilermakers will visit both coasts in a the span of a week, visiting the Jersey Shore and the Atlantic Ocean coast on Jan. 9, before heading to Seattle next week for a journey to the Pacific Ocean to face both Washington and Oregon.
• A win will give Purdue a four-game winning streak, matching its longest of the season (first four games of the year) and a 4-1 mark in Big Ten Conference play. Under Matt Painter, Purdue has started 4-1 or better just four times (2023, 2018, 2011, 2008). Ironically, Purdue has only won the Big Ten regular-season title once when starting 4-1 or better (2023).
• Since the start of the 2022-23 season, Purdue owns an 18-2 record in the month of January.
• Purdue has just 22 turnovers over the last three games. Purdue averaged 12.3 turnovers per game in the first 12 games of the season. In the last two games, Purdue has 57 assists against 22 turnovers. It has also forced 35 turnovers in that span, a margin of plus-4.33 per game.
• In the last four years, Purdue has defeated teams ranked No. 1 (Arizona), No. 2 (Alabama), No. 4 (Marquette), No. 5 (Villanova), No. 6 (Wisconsin, Tennessee, Gonzaga), No. 7 (Tennessee), No. 8 (Duke) and No. 9 (Illinois). All but Alabama and Illinois came away from Mackey Arena.
• Purdue is now 103-23 since the start of the 2021-22 season, recording the second-most wins in the country (Houston – 106; Connecticut - 103) during that span. The senior class of Caleb Furst (only senior) became the seventh class in school history with 100 career victories.
• Purdue's trio of Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith have combined for 178 of Purdue's 243 points in the last three games. The trio has gone 68-of-131 (.519) from the field and 22-of-47 (.468) from 3-point range.
• The starting backcourt of Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer are 74-15 since their arrival at Purdue, starting every game of their tenure. The duo has combined for 2,035 points, 617 rebounds and 763 assists during their careers, shooting 287-of-712 from deep (.403).
• Fletcher Loyer needs four points for 1,000 in his career. Should he reach 1,000 career points, he would join his backcourt mate Braden Smith (1,039 points) to reach the 1,000-point club in the last week (Smith did so vs. Minnesota on Jan. 2).
• Braden Smith was named Big Ten Player of the Week after averaging 25.3 points, 9.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game in three games during the voting week. He went 14-of-32 (.438) from 3-point range and has made at least five 3-pointers in four of the last six games, going 26-of-57 (.456) from deep in the last six games. He is the only player in America with 225 points, 125 assists and 50 rebounds.
• Trey Kaufman-Renn is one of two players nationally (South Dakota State's Oscar Cluff) to average 17.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and shoot at least 57 percent from the field. He has scored in double-figures in all 15 games this season.
• Gicarri Harris (Grayson HS) and Rutgers' Ace Bailey (McEachern HS) squared off in the Georgia Class 7A state basketball championship, with Harris' Grayson team winning the title, 51-41, last March. Harris had nine points in the title game, while Bailey had 18.
• A year ago, Purdue became the first Big Ten team since the Fab Five of Michigan to have two NBA Draft lottery picks from the same recruiting class (Jaden Ivey -- No. 5; Zach Edey -- No. 9). Rutgers is expected to have the same this coming draft with Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey.
• Purdue, Duke, Gonzaga and Houston are the only programs in America to have made at least a Sweet 16, Elite 8 and Final Four during their last five NCAA Tournament appearances. Purdue reached the Sweet 16 in 2022, the Elite 8 in 2019 and the Final Four in 2024.
[20] Purdue (11-4, 3-1) vs. Rutgers (8-7, 1-3)
Thursday, January 9, 2025
6 p.m. ET | Piscataway, New Jersey
Jersey Mike's Arena (8,000)
TELEVISION: FS1 (Alex Faust, Bill Raftery)
RADIO: Purdue Global Radio Network (Rob Blackman, Bobby Riddell)
THE NOTES TO KNOW
• Purdue heads East for the second time in Big Ten play as it looks to win at a place where wins have been tough to come by, visiting Jersey Mike's Arena on Thursday for a contest with the talented Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Purdue enters on a three-game winning streak but will be tested in a facility that the Boilermakers have won just one of their last four meetings.
• In an incredible twist of scheduling fate, the Boilermakers will visit both coasts in a the span of a week, visiting the Jersey Shore and the Atlantic Ocean coast on Jan. 9, before heading to Seattle next week for a journey to the Pacific Ocean to face both Washington and Oregon.
• A win will give Purdue a four-game winning streak, matching its longest of the season (first four games of the year) and a 4-1 mark in Big Ten Conference play. Under Matt Painter, Purdue has started 4-1 or better just four times (2023, 2018, 2011, 2008). Ironically, Purdue has only won the Big Ten regular-season title once when starting 4-1 or better (2023).
• Since the start of the 2022-23 season, Purdue owns an 18-2 record in the month of January.
• Purdue has just 22 turnovers over the last three games. Purdue averaged 12.3 turnovers per game in the first 12 games of the season. In the last two games, Purdue has 57 assists against 22 turnovers. It has also forced 35 turnovers in that span, a margin of plus-4.33 per game.
• In the last four years, Purdue has defeated teams ranked No. 1 (Arizona), No. 2 (Alabama), No. 4 (Marquette), No. 5 (Villanova), No. 6 (Wisconsin, Tennessee, Gonzaga), No. 7 (Tennessee), No. 8 (Duke) and No. 9 (Illinois). All but Alabama and Illinois came away from Mackey Arena.
• Purdue is now 103-23 since the start of the 2021-22 season, recording the second-most wins in the country (Houston – 106; Connecticut - 103) during that span. The senior class of Caleb Furst (only senior) became the seventh class in school history with 100 career victories.
• Purdue's trio of Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith have combined for 178 of Purdue's 243 points in the last three games. The trio has gone 68-of-131 (.519) from the field and 22-of-47 (.468) from 3-point range.
• The starting backcourt of Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer are 74-15 since their arrival at Purdue, starting every game of their tenure. The duo has combined for 2,035 points, 617 rebounds and 763 assists during their careers, shooting 287-of-712 from deep (.403).
• Fletcher Loyer needs four points for 1,000 in his career. Should he reach 1,000 career points, he would join his backcourt mate Braden Smith (1,039 points) to reach the 1,000-point club in the last week (Smith did so vs. Minnesota on Jan. 2).
• Braden Smith was named Big Ten Player of the Week after averaging 25.3 points, 9.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game in three games during the voting week. He went 14-of-32 (.438) from 3-point range and has made at least five 3-pointers in four of the last six games, going 26-of-57 (.456) from deep in the last six games. He is the only player in America with 225 points, 125 assists and 50 rebounds.
• Trey Kaufman-Renn is one of two players nationally (South Dakota State's Oscar Cluff) to average 17.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and shoot at least 57 percent from the field. He has scored in double-figures in all 15 games this season.
• Gicarri Harris (Grayson HS) and Rutgers' Ace Bailey (McEachern HS) squared off in the Georgia Class 7A state basketball championship, with Harris' Grayson team winning the title, 51-41, last March. Harris had nine points in the title game, while Bailey had 18.
• A year ago, Purdue became the first Big Ten team since the Fab Five of Michigan to have two NBA Draft lottery picks from the same recruiting class (Jaden Ivey -- No. 5; Zach Edey -- No. 9). Rutgers is expected to have the same this coming draft with Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey.
• Purdue, Duke, Gonzaga and Houston are the only programs in America to have made at least a Sweet 16, Elite 8 and Final Four during their last five NCAA Tournament appearances. Purdue reached the Sweet 16 in 2022, the Elite 8 in 2019 and the Final Four in 2024.