5 Things to Know About Purdue's Next Opponent — Washington Huskies
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Washington is receiving a heavy dose of the basketball state this week. After dropping a 90-80 decision to Indiana on Sunday, the Huskies now head to West Lafayette for a showdown with No. 5 Purdue.
The Huskies are 9-5 on the season and sit 1-2 in Big Ten play. They'll be looking to pull off a major upset, while the Boilermakers plan to extend their winning streak to six games.
Here's a few things to know about Washington before Wednesday night's clash in Mackey Arena.
Steinbach is a walking double-double
The German native has hit the ground running at Washington. Hannes Steinbach has been Washington's top player this season, averaging 18.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game this season. He's almost assured to get a double-double each night, recording nine in his first 11 games with the Huskies.
At 6-foot-11, Steinbach has good size to cause problems in the post, but he is also quick and moves up and down the floor extremely well for a player of his size. He can handle the basketball and, at times, gives Washington a bit of a "point forward" look when the Huskies are working in transition.
Steinbach isn't a traditional 6-foot-11 big. He moves well without the basketball, can beat teams in transition, but can also score on the low block with his back to the basket.
Three-point shooting is a struggle
Shooting consistently from the perimeter has been a struggle for Danny Sprinkle's team again this season. Washington enters Wednesday's game against Purdue hitting the three-ball at just a 31.9% clip, a mark that ranks 272nd nationally.
Statistically, Steinbach has the best percentage (40%), but he's only attempted 15 shots from long range. Zoom Diallo and Quimari Peterson have been the most consistent for the Huskies this year, both hitting above 34% for the year.
Other than those two players, Washington just hasn't had any consistency from distance this year.
Claude's last performance vs. Purdue
Desmond Claude was at USC last year, a team Purdue faced twice during the 2024-25 campaign. However, the guard was only available for one of those matchups, the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.
Claude posed a lot of problems for the Boilermakers that night in Indianapolis, scoring 18 points while shooting 8-of-16 from the floor. He also had three rebounds, two assists, and just one turnover. His performances nearly helped the Trojans pull off the upset in Indianapolis, but ultimately Purdue prevailed 76-71.
Last year, Claude was able to take advantage of Purdue's lack of size on the interior and attack the basket. He may find it's more difficult to do that this year against Oscar Cluff and Daniel Jacobsen.
Bitten by the injury bug
Washington has really been hit hard with injury this season. Only four players — Diallo, Peterson, Franck Kepnang, and JJ Mandaquit — have played in all 14 games this season. Claude missed four games to start the year, Steinback was out for three games in November, and Wesley Yates III hasn't played since Dec. 19.
Additionally, Lipscomb transfer and senior forward Jacob Ognacevic hasn't played in a single game this season, sidelined for three months because of injury. It's been a tough two months for Sprinkle and his staff.
Those injuries have forced Sprinkle to play a much shorter rotation, essentially relying on just seven players for the last two games.
Washington's first trip to Mackey Arena
Wednesday's game will mark the eighth meeting between Washington and Purdue, with the Boilermakers owning a 6-1 advantage. However, it's the first time the two teams have ever played in Mackey Arena.
Yes, Washington has actually made two previous trips to West Lafayette, with the most recent coming in 1966, before Mackey Arena opened its doors. So, this will be a new experience for the Huskies and their fans.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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