College Basketball Analyst Ranks Purdue-Indiana Matchup as Top-5 'Must Watch' Game

One of the greatest rivalries in college basketball gets renewed on Friday, when Indiana travels to play Purdue at Mackey Arena.

Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) dribbles the ball while Indiana Hoosiers guard Trey Galloway (32) defends | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

One of the best rivalry games in college basketball gets renewed this week. On Friday, Indiana (14-7, 5-5 Big Ten) travels to West Lafayette for a showdown with No. 10 Purdue (16-5, 8-2 Big Ten). It's the first of two meetings between the Hoosiers and Boilermakers this season.

College basketball analyst Andy Katz believes the in-state battle is one of the "must watch" games on the schedule this week. He has it penciled in as No. 2, behind only Saturday's matchup between the Tobacco Road rivals North Carolina and No. 2 Duke.

Katz created a top-10 list of his "must watch" games for the week ahead. Here is the complete list:

1. North Carolina at No. 2 Duke — Saturday, Feb. 1 (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
2. Indiana at No. 10 Purdue — Friday, Jan. 31 (8 p.m. ET, FOX)
3. New Mexico at Utah State — Saturday, Feb. 1 (9:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1)
4. Gonzaga at St. Mary's — Saturday, Feb. 1 (11 p.m. ET, ESPN)
5. No. 5 Florida at No. 8 Tennessee — Saturday, Feb. 1 (Noon ET, ESPN)
6. Arkansas at No. 12 Kentucky — Saturday, Feb. 1 (9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
7. No. 17 Wisconsin at Maryland — Wednesday, Jan. 29 (7 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
8. No. 3 Iowa State at Arizona — Monday, Jan. 27 (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
9. No. 12 Kentucky at No. 8 Tennessee — Tuesday, Jan. 28 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
10. No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 23 Ole Miss — Saturday, Feb. 1 (2 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Last season, Purdue swept the season against Indiana on it way to winning a second straight Big Ten title. The Boilermakers defeated the Hoosiers 87-66 in the first meeting in Assembly Hall. Purdue then clobbered Indiana at Mackey Arena 79-59.

Although Purdue won the Big Ten title during the 2022-23 season, Indiana actually swept the season series that year. The Hoosiers beat the Boilers 79-74 in Bloomington and 79-71 in West Lafayette.

Still, Matt Painter and his team have enjoyed a lot of success against their in-state rival over the last several years. Purdue has won 15 of the last 19 meetings with Indiana. The Boilers also lead the all-time series 127-92.

Indiana will attempt to keep their hopes alive for a spot in the NCAA Tournament, needing a signature win to add to its resumé. Upsetting Purdue on the road would provide the program with a huge boost.

Purdue, on the other hand, is hoping to keep its pursuit of a third consecutive title intact. The Boilers are just one game behind Michigan State entering the week.

This is one of the best rivalries in college basketball and should be an interesting matchup come Friday night.

Related stories on Purdue basketball

PURDUE BACK IN AP TOP-10: Purdue has now won eight of its last nine games and has climbed back into the top-10 of the Associated Press poll this week. CLICK HERE

BIG TEN POWER RANKINGS: Minnesota has now won three straight games, including two wins over ranked opponents. Has Ben Johnson's team finally found something? Here's a look at the latest Big Ten basketball power rankings. CLICK HERE

BIG TEN BASKETBALL STANDINGS: Things in the Big Ten are heating up as we enter the second half of the conference season. Here's a look at the standings entering the last week of January. CLICK HERE