The Indiana basketball team is looking to snap a six-game losing streak against Purdue when they head to Mackey Arena on Thursday night.
The Hoosiers head into Thursday’s game with Purdue on a mini two-game winning streak after winning at Minnesota and at home against Penn State last week. They are hoping to make it three in a row and two straight on the road when they head into Mackey Arena.
Indiana is also trying to snap a six-game losing streak to Purdue and get Archie Miller his first win against the rival Boilermakers. The last time these two met was at Assembly Hall on February 8th when Purdue spoiled the long-awaited return of former head coach Bobby Knight.
The Boilermakers used a run at the end of the first half and a strong second half to pull away and easily beat the Hoosiers on that Saturday in Bloomington. Eric Hunter Jr. led three Purdue players in double figures with 12 points. It was a balanced attack for the Boilermakers in their 74-62 win.
Trayce Jackson-Davis led all Hoosiers with 16 points, while Justin Smith added 11. Devonte Green struggled as he only hit one shot, a three, on seven field-goal attempts. Indiana looked flat for most of the game as Purdue just methodically beat the Hoosiers.
Indiana will look to return the favor to a suddenly desperate Purdue team who is on the outside of the NCAA tournament bubble right now. The Boilermakers have played well at home as they have beat Michigan State, Virginia, and Iowa by at least 29 points in Mackey Arena, but has lost their last two games at home as Michigan came in and beat them easily and so did Penn State.
Purdue, like Indiana, is prone to scoring slumps and when the outside shot is not falling they can really struggle to score. Trevion Williams is one of only two players averaging double figures in points with 11.4 on the year. Hunter Jr. is the only other and he is averaging 10 a game.
Nojel Eastern, who many thought was ready to take the next step, has really struggled this year and is only scoring just over five a game. Sasha Stefanovic is the one the Hoosiers has to keep an eye on because he likes to chuck it from deep and get hot in a hurry. If Indiana can slow him and the rest of the team from the outside they should have a good shot to win.
The Hoosiers have shown more life in their last two wins and will need to keep that intensity up at Purdue on Thursday night. Indiana is currently looking like a safe bet for the NCAA tournament and a win at Purdue will only help solidify that spot.
Even with the struggles Purdue has had lately, playing in Mackey Arena is tough for any opponent and the Boilermakers are a completely different team at home. It will be tough for the Hoosiers to get a win on the road but would be a huge boost for them as they finish up the regular season. Expect a close low scoring game on Thursday as theses two rivals do battle.
Key Storylines
Indiana
Can Devonte Green flip the script on his last game against Purdue? Can the Hoosiers win two in a row on the road after their big win at Minnesota? Will Indiana come out with the same intensity on defense as they did against Penn State? Will the Hoosiers avoid their scoring slumps they so often go through? Will the Hoosiers attack the inside to open out the outside shot or will they settle?
Purdue
Can the Boilermakers get back on track at home after losing two straight at Mackey Arena? Will Purdue hit enough shots to beat an Indiana team getting hot? Can they slow down Trayce Jackson-Davis inside? Can they limit Devonte Green again and keep him from getting hot from deep?
Key Players
Indiana
Trayce Jackson-Davis (14.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg), Justin Smith (10.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg), Devonte Green (10.6 ppg, 38.4% 3pt), Al Durham (9.9 ppg, 35.8% 3pt)
Purdue
Trevion Williams (11.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg), Eric Hunter Jr. (10.0 ppg, 37.7% 3pt), Sasha Stefanovic (9.0 ppg, 38.8% 3pt), Jahaad Proctor (9.4 ppg, 32.9% 3pt)