How to Watch Minnesota vs. No. 6 Purdue with TV Info, Key Stats and Preview
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For the first time this season, Purdue will play a Big Ten opponent in Mackey Arena. The sixth-ranked Boilermakers will host Minnesota on Wednesday, the second conference game for both teams this season.
The Boilermakers are coming off an 81-58 loss to Iowa State over the weekend. Meanwhile, the Golden Gophers enjoyed an upset win over No. 22 Indiana last week to open their conference schedule.
What can we expect on Wednesday night in this Big Ten clash? Here's everything you need to know for the game between the Boilers and Gophers.
#6 Purdue (8-1, 1-0 Big Ten) vs. Minnesota (5-4, 1-0 Big Ten)
- What: Big Ten Conference game
- Date: Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025
- Tipoff time: 7 p.m. ET
- Location: Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. (14,876 capacity)
- TV: Big Ten Network
- App: FOX Sports
- TV announcers: Kevin Kugler (play-by-play), Robbie Hummel (analyst), Andy Katz (reporter)
- Radio: Purdue Global Radio Network — WAZY 96.5 FM (Lafayette); WKJG 100.9 FM (Fort Wayne); WNDE 1260 AM (Indianapolis); WGBF 1280 (Evansville); Sirius XM 84; View all listings: CLICK HERE
- Radio announcers: Rob Blackman (play-by-play), Bobby Riddell (analyst), Wes Scott (producer).
- Live stats: Purdue.StatBroadcast.com
- All-time series: Purdue leads the all-time series vs. Minnesota 111-84
- Most recent: Purdue defeated Minnesota in Minneapolis 81-61 on Jan. 2, 2025
- ESPN Matchup Predictor: Purdue has a 92.8% chance to defeat Minnesota
Rankings
Purdue Boilermakers
- Associated Press — Purdue is ranked No. 6
- Coaches — Purdue is ranked No. 6
- KenPom — Purdue is ranked No. 6
- NCAA NET — Purdue is ranked No. 9
Minnesota Golden Gophers
- Associated Press — Minnesota is not ranked
- Coaches — Minnesota is not ranked
- KenPom — Minnesota is ranked No. 112
- NCAA NET — Minnesota is ranked No. 132
Team Stats
Stats (per game) | Minnesota | #6 Purdue |
|---|---|---|
Scoring | 73.4 ppg | 85.2 ppg |
Points allowed | 67.9 ppg | 69.1 ppg |
FG% | 46.1% | 49.9% |
3FG% | 31.7% | 40.2% |
Rebounds | 37.4 rpg | 40.0 rpg |
Assists | 16.4 apg | 20.2 apg |
Blocks | 3.6 bpg | 3.6 bpg |
Steals | 6.8 spg | 5.1 spg |
Turnovers | 12.1 topg | 10.1 topg |
Key Players
Purdue Boilermakers
- Braden Smith, G — Smith has looked like a National Player of the Year candidate through the first month of the college basketball season. He's averaging 13.1 points, 8.8 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game, which includes a 29-point performance in a win over Alabama earlier this season. He's at his best when he gets his teammates involved and has been doing an excellent job of both scoring and distributing through eight games.
- Fletcher Loyer, G — Loyer is Purdue's top scorer right now and has been a threat from long range, much like he has been throughout his career. He's averaging 14.4 points per game while shooting 46.6% from three-point range. He scored 30 in the opener against Evansville and was named MVP of the Baha Mar Championship after averaging 15 points in two games.
- Trey Kaufman-Renn, F — Another senior leader, Kaufman-Renn has provided Purdue with a great spark in the post and on the glass. He missed the first two games due to injury, but has been dominant since his return. Kaufman-Renn is averaging 13.9 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, scoring in double figures in six of seven contests. He has also recorded four double-doubles in his first seven games.
- Oscar Cluff, C — Cluff really flexed his muscle as a dominant rebounder in the Baha Mar Championship. In the win over Texas Tech, he scored 15 points and collected 15 rebounds in a blowout victory. He's averaging 11.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, and is shooting 71.4% from the floor. He struggled in the game against Rutgers, but he has still proven to be an effective addition for the Boilermakers this season.
Minnesota Golden Gophers
- Cade Tyson, G — Tyson has made the most of his opportunity at Minnesota, leading the team with 21.8 points per game. This is just one season after he averaged only 2.6 points per game at North Carolina last season. He's a 6-foot-7 wing who can score from multiple levels and is one of Minnesota's most versatile players. Tyson is a 53% shooter and is the best three-point weapon for the Gophers at 37.2% for the year.
- Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, F — Crocker-Johnson is an aggressive post player who is also arguably the top defender for the Gophers. He's averaging a team-high 8.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks this season, standing at 6-foot-8. The forward is another player capable of scoring in a variety of ways, though he's not as consistent. Crocker-Johnson recorded double-doubles in three of Minnesota's first four games this season.
- Isaac Asuma, G — The only returning player from Minnesota's 2024-25 squad, Asuma has shown improvement with a bigger role for the Gophers. He's averaging 9.9 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game this season. The sophomore is coming off his best performance of the year against Indiana, scoring 15 points, grabbing seven rebounds, dishing out four assists, and recording a pair of steals.
- Langston Reynolds, G — Reynolds is another player who is capable of contributing in multiple ways on the floor. He's a double-digit scorer, averaging 10.6 points per game. But he's also a solid rebounder and passer for a 6-foot-4 guard, posting 4.2 boards and 2.9 assists per game. Reynolds is one of Minnesota's most consistent shooters, hitting at a 59.7% clip.
The Coaches
Matt Painter, Purdue
Painter is in his 21st season at Purdue and his 22nd year overall with the Boilermakers. In that time, he's led the program to five Big Ten regular season championships, two Big Ten Tournament titles, 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, and a trip to the National Championship Game in 2024.
A lot of Purdue's success has come in the last decade, with the Boilers adding four Big Ten championships to their collection since the start of the 2016-17 season. Painter has had four different players win the Big Ten Player of the Year Award five times: JaJuan Johnson (2010), Caleb Swanigan (2017), Zach Edey (2023, 2024), and Braden Smith (2025).
Painter is a Purdue alum, playing under legendary coach Gene Keady from 1989-93. After his playing career ended, he jumped right into coaching, working as an assistant at Washington & Jefferson (Division III) and Barton (Division II) before getting a job at Eastern Illinois (1995 to 1998). Painter then joined former Purdue assistant coach Bruce Weber at Southern Illinois as an assistant from 1998 through 2003. Painter then became head coach of the Salukis for the 2003-04 season.
In 2004, Painter returned to Purdue as the associate head coach alongside Keady before taking over the program for the 2005-06 season. In a win over Akron on Nov. 16, 2025, Painter won his 500th career game as a head coach.
- Overall record: 504-221
- Record at Purdue: 479-216
Niko Medved, Minnesota
Medved is in his first season at Minnesota and his 13th season as a head coach. He's a Minneapolis native and a graduate of the school. He also had a one-year stop with the Golden Gophers during the 2006-07 season, working as an assistant coach on Dan Monson's staff.
Before taking the job at Minnesota, Medved was the head coach at Colorado State for seven seasons. His teams have reached the 20-win mark five times and made three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the Round of 32 last year. The Rams also played in the NIT at the end of the 2020-21 campaign.
Medved led Colorado State to a 143-85 record in seven seasons, with just two losing seasons. He also had a four-year run at Furman (2013-17) and coached at Drake for one season (2017-18).
This is Medved's first year coaching in the Big Ten, and he's coaching a new team in Minneapolis. There will be some growing pains, but he has had success at each of his stops as a head coach.
- Overall record: 227-177
- Record at Minnesota: 5-4
Preview
Purdue and Minnesota enter Wednesday night's game after experiencing different results in their previous game. The Boilermakers suffered a 23-point loss on their home court to Iowa State. Meanwhile, the Gophers upset No. 22 Indiana in Minneapolis last week.
It's safe to assume Purdue will enter this Big Ten contest wanting to prove a point. Minnesota is probably as confident as it has been all season, which isn't a bad thing when you're entering one of the most intimidating environments in college basketball.
The Boilermakers shot poorly against Iowa State on Saturday, but don't expect that to continue. After combining for just nine points, expect Kaufman-Renn and Loyer to get rolling early at Mackey Arena, especially considering Minnesota's defensive issues. The Gophers rank 333rd nationally in three-point defense, a weakness Purdue can exploit.
If Loyer, Smith, CJ Cox and others can knock down some triples early, it will open up Kaufman-Renn and Cluff in the post. If not, life might be a little more difficult, but Purdue's frontcourt has the ability to bully Minnesota in the paint.
Minnesota has some versatile players in Tyson, Crocker-Johnson, and Reynolds, but this is a team that shoots just 31.7% from the three-point line and struggles to score at times. The positive for the Gophers is that they're holding opponents to just 67.9 points per game this season.
Ultimately, though, Purdue has more depth, experience and a better collection of shooters than Minnesota.
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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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