5 Things to Know About Purdue's Next Opponent — Marquette Golden Eagles
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It feels like Purdue-Marquette game has become an annual tradition for the two programs. This will be the fourth straight year in which the teams have met on the hardwood, with the battle returning to Mackey Arena on Saturday.
Shaka Smart's team heads into West Lafayette with a 5-5 record and trying to keep its head above water. Here are a few things to know about the Golden Eagles entering Saturday's matchup.
Zero transfer portal additions
Despite losing a plethora of talent from last year's roster in Kam Jones, David Joplin, and Stevie Mitchell, Smart opted against adding players from the transfer portal. It's a team comprised of returners and recruits.
So far, that strategy hasn't worked out for Smart this season. Marquette is sitting with a 5-5 record and is struggling on the defensive end. The Golden Eagles still have some talented guys on the roster, but this is a squad that would have benefited from adding a player or two from the transfer portal.
This is also a young team, with 10 players listed as freshmen or sophomores. There are three seniors, but Ben Gold is the only one of the bunch who sees significant playing time.
Chase Ross is a handful
Ross is a tough player to defend because of his ability to score at every level. He's averaging 19.5 points per game and shooting 48.4% from the floor. He's been the most consistent player for Marquette this year and has already had four games in which he's scored 20 points or more, including a 31-point outing against Maryland.
The 6-foot-5 guard likes to drive to the basket and can finish through contact. He can hit tough shots in the post and will occasionally step behind the three-point line and knock down shots from the perimeter.
Ross is also a good rebounder and solid passer. In addition to his scoring abilities, Ross is also an aggressive defensive player and likes to deny the basketball to his assignment. He's averaging more than two steals per game. His size can cause some problems for opposing guards.
Another poor three-point shooting team
Much like Minnesota, Purdue faces another team that has really struggled to hit shots from the perimeter. Marquette is hitting the long ball at a 31.1% clip on the year, which ranks 275th nationally.
Right now, there isn't even a player on the roster who Marquette can depend on to hit shots from distance. Freshman Adrien Stevens has the best percentage on the team among frequent shooters, hitting at a 34.2% clip.
No wins over power conference opponents
Marquette has played 10 games so far, with four coming against teams in power conferences. The Golden Eagles are 0-4 in those contests, which includes a 100-77 loss to Indiana and a 96-76 loss to Wisconsin. Smart's team has also lost to Oklahoma (75-74) and Maryland (89-82).
Over the years, Marquette has been known as a team that can cause problems for opponents because of its length and defensive pressure. That just hasn't been the case this year. The Golden Eagles can outmatch teams at lower levels, but doesn't cause the same level of grief as it has in the past.
Opponent FG% ranks in the 200s
Speaking of Marquette's defense, it hasn't been able to keep teams from scoring at a high rate this year. Opponents are hitting shots at a 44.1% clip, which ranks 215th nationally. The Golden Eagles are also allowing a 35.6% hit rate from three-point range, which is 298th.
Marquette is allowing 76.4 points per game this year, an average that is 253rd in college basketball. Any way you slice it, Smart's team is just not as good defensively as it has been in the past. And, this year, it really doesn't have the offense to make up for those shortcomings on the defensive end.
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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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