How to Watch No. 7 Nebraska Basketball vs. No. 13 Purdue with Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

It's incredible to witness the difference that a healthy Rienk Mast can have for the No. 7 Nebraska men's basketball team.

Dealing with a flu bug in the middle of NU's toughest stretch in conference play, the Huskers were scrapping by, and yet still came within shouting distance of taking down No. 3 Michigan on the road and a top-10 Illinois team that's been playing like one of the best teams in the country. But in a game that saw subpar play from most of Nebraska's major contributors, Mast was playing with his hair on fire by scoring a game-high 26 points and grabbing eight rebounds in an 80-68 get-right win for Nebraska.

Three others joined Mast in double figures with 15 from Pryce Sandfort, 13 from Sam Hoiberg and 12 from point guard Jamarques Lawrence. Despite a game that was only a two-point contest midway through the first half, the Huskers poured it on in the final 10 minutes, outscoring the Scarlet Knights 21-9 for a 14-point cushion at halftime. NU pulled away in the second half as it earned a school record sixth-straight road win to reach 21 victories on the season.

Now returning to Lincoln after a brief road trip east, Nebraska completes its toughest stretch of the season against another Big Ten contender.

How to Follow Along

Matchup: No. 7 Nebraska (21-2, 10-2 B1G) vs. No. 13 Purdue (19-4, 9-3 B1G)
When: Tuesday, February 10
Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, Neb.
Time: 6 p.m. CST
Watch: FS1
Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

No. 13 Purdue Scout

Head Coach

Matt Painter | 21st season at Purdue; 22nd as HC
490-219 (.691) at Purdue; 515-224 (.697) Career Record
16x NCAA Tournament Apps., 1x NCAA Runner-Up, 1x Elite Eight, 6x Sweet 16
5x B1G regular season, 2x B1G Tournament, 1x MVC regular season
5x B1G Coach OTY, 2x AP B1G Coach OTY, NABC Coach OTY, MVC Coach OTY, John R. Wooden Legends Coaching Award
Previous head coach at Southern Illinois
Previous assistant at Purdue, Southern Illinois, Eastern Illinois, Barton and Washington & Jefferson

2024-2025 Record & Awards

Record: 24-12 (13-7 B1G, T-4th)
All-Americans: 1x First Team, 1x Honorable Mention
Conference Awards: B1G Player of the Year
All-B1G: 2x First Team, 1x Honorable Mention

All-Time Series

Purdue leads 21-7
Jan. 12, 2025, last matchup, 104-68 Purdue

Purdue guard Braden Smith (3) leads the Boilermakers with over 15 points and eight assists per game as a senior. | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Key Returners

Braden Smith | G | Sr. | Returning Big Ten Player of the Year and First Team All-American who leads Purdue in scoring (15.2 PPG) while shooting over 41% from three and dishes out over eight assists per contest.
Trey Kaufman-Renn | F | Sr. | 6-foot-9 veteran who joined Smith on the All-Big Ten First Team last season, but has seen his point production slip from 20 to 12 points per game.
Fletcher Loyer | G | Sr. | Another returning starter for the Boilermakers who's adding over 13 points per game and leads Purdue with 58 made three-pointers.
Daniel Jacobsen | C | Soph. | 7-foot-4 center that played in only two games before breaking his leg last year; contributes over seven points and four rebounds per game as a key reserve off the bench.
C.J. Cox | G | Soph. | Sharpshooter off the bench last season as a freshman, but now is part of the starting five for Purdue and logs eight points per game with 31 made three pointers.
Gicarri Harris | G | Soph. | Returning sophomore who has appeared in all 23 games this season while chipping in 4.9 points and two rebounds per contest.
Raleigh Burgess | F | Soph. | 6-foot-10 depth forward that saw only six minutes per game last year, but has yet to touch the floor this season.

Key Departures

Myles Colvin | G | Transfer | Started in eight of his 36 appearances last season as a true freshman, but transferred to Wake Forest over the offseason, where he's a double-digit scorer (12.2 PPG) for the Demon Deacons.
Camden Heide | F | Transfer | Another true freshman that started in eight games across 36 appearances, but now plays at Texas and averages 7.6 points per game.
Caleb Furst | F | Graduated | Veteran post that produced over four points and three rebounds per game while starting in 23 of his 36 showings last year.

Myles Colvin (6) appeared off the bench for Purdue last season before transferring to Wake Forest where he averages 12 PPG. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Impact Transfers/Newcomers

Oscar Cluff | C | Sr. | Heralded as one of, if not the best, transfer over the offseason after pouring in 17 points and 12 rebounds per game at South Dakota State. It has been a tougher transition to the Big Ten, but the 6-foot-11 center adds over 10 points and seven rebounds per game for the Boilermakers.
Omer Mayer | G | Fr. | 6-foot-4 true freshman from Israel who's carved out a role off the bench with over five points per game.

Outlook

Just on paper, it's tough to beat the roster Purdue has this season. Point guard Braden Smith returns as the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year and AP First Team All-American. He's still producing at a high rate with over 15 points and eight assists per game. While he's not matching his 20 PPG from last season, returning All-American Honorable Mention forward Trey Kaufman-Renn pulls in nearly 13 points and eight rebounds per game. Returning starter Fletcher Loyer leads the Boilermakers with 58 made three pointers and adds 13 points, while the sharpshooting C.J. Cox made a shift to the starting lineup after being Purdue's top reserve last season.

Back to their roots as a seven-footer factory, head coach Matt Painter and the Boilermakers return 7-foot-4 sophomore Daniel Jacobsen after he appeared in only two games last season before breaking his leg. He's a dangerous option off the bench and averages seven points and four rebounds per game.

Purdue center Oscar Cluff (45) came from South Dakota State where he was heralded as one of the country's top transfers. | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

With such a strong nucleus returning, Purdue could choose their offseason additions carefully. 6-foot-4 true freshman Omer Mayer has made a positive impact with over five points per game off the bench, but it was the acquisition of South Dakota State transfer Oscar Cluff that moved the needle. After averaging over 17 points and 12 rebounds in the Summit League, the Australian has put up 10 points and seven rebounds as a starter for the Boilermakers in the Big Ten.

Despite what could be the best roster in the NCAA, Nebraska may be catching Purdue at the best time. After four consecutive down performances that resulted in narrow wins against overmatched opponents, the Boilermakers poor play caught up to them, losing three straight games against UCLA, No. 11 Illinois and Indiana in a seven-day span from Jan. 20 to Jan. 27. Purdue bounced back with back-to-back wins, but it came against an awful Maryland team and they barely sneaked by a flailing Oregon team by four at home. With the Huskers looking clean on the injury report, I like Nebraska to take down the Boilermakers and keep them in the hunt for the Big Ten regular-season crown.