How to Watch Purdue's Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinal Game vs. Nebraska Live
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CHICAGO — Believe it or not, we've already reached the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament. After a convincing 81-68 victory over Northwestern on Thursday night, Purdue advanced to play Nebraska on Friday at the United Center.
The Boilermakers and Cornhuskers had quite a battle back in February, with Purdue escaping Lincoln with an 80-77 overtime victory. Friday night's rematch could be one of the best of the tournament.
Here's everything you need to know for Friday night's clash between Purdue and Nebraska.
#7 Purdue (24-8, 13-7) vs. #2 Nebraska (26-5, 15-5)
- What: Big Ten Tournament Game 13 (quarterfinal round)
- Date: Friday, March 13
- Tipoff time: 6:30 p.m. ET
- Location: United Center in Chicago (20,917 capacity)
- TV: Big Ten Network
- App: FOX Sports
- 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); View all listings: CLICK HERE
- Radio announcers: Rob Blackman (play-by-play), Bobby Riddell (analyst), Wes Scott (producer).
- Live stats: StatBroadcast.com
- All-time series: Purdue leads the series vs. Nebraska 22-7
Team stats
Stats (per game) | #7 Purdue | #2 Nebraska |
|---|---|---|
Scoring | 82.3 | 77.9 |
Points allowed | 70.7 | 66.0 |
FG% | 50.1% | 46.7% |
3FG% | 38.5% | 35.4% |
Rebounds | 35.5 | 35.1 |
Assists | 19.7 | 18.1 |
Steals | 5.6 | 7.4 |
Blocks | 2.7 | 2.6 |
Turnovers | 9.1 | 9.7 |
Key players
Purdue Boilermakers
- Braden Smith, G — Now over 1,000 assists for his career, Smith continues to prove himself as one of the best passers in the history of college basketball. He really opens up Purdue's offense when he's scoring, putting opposing teams in difficult defensive situations. For the year, Smith is averaging 14.9 points and 8.7 assists per game. The senior's ability to distribute and score at every level makes him such a dangerous player.
- Fletcher Loyer, G — Since the calendar turned to February, Loyer has really played at a high level. In his last 10 games, the senior guard is averaging 16 points per game and is shooting nearly 50% from three-point range. Yes, he went through a bit of a slump in January, but Loyer is playing some of his best offensive basketball right now.
- Trey Kaufman-Renn, F — Kaufman-Renn has become a much more impactful scoring threat for Purdue in recent weeks. He's averaging 13.4 points per game for the year, but has scored 17 points or more in four of the team's last five games. Where the senior forward is really imposing his will is on the glass, averaging 8.7 rebounds per game.
- C.J. Cox, G — The sophomore guard is considered Purdue's best perimeter defender, but that's not his only strong quality. Cox is an excellent shooter, especially when given open opportunities. He's a 46% shooter from the floor and is better than 38% from three-point range. Cox is able to be disruptive on the defensive end and can also knock down shots offensively.
Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Pryce Sandfort, F — Sandfort has been one of the most important transfer additions in the Big Ten this season. He leads Nebraska with 17.9 points per game and has an incredibly quick trigger, especially from deep. The junior forward is shooting the long ball at a 40.1% clip and has scored 20 points in 13 games this season, including a pair of 32-point performances against Illinois and USC, and a 33-point effort vs. Penn State. Sandfort is capable of lighting it up at any given moment.
- Rienk Mast, F — Mast is a good decision-maker, has a high basketball IQ, and can space the floor with his ability to shoot from deep. The 6-foot-10 forward is Nebraska's best post player on both ends of the floor. Where he really hurts teams, though, is with his passing and ability to pull opposing big men away from the rim. He's averaging 13.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game this season.
- Sam Hoiberg, G — There may not be a more under-appreciated defensive player in the Big Ten than Hoiberg. He's a scrappy player and the quintessential glue guy, willing to do whatever it takes to win. Hoiberg is another high-IQ player, averaging 9.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game. He is a patient guard, takes what the defense gives him on the offensive end and plays a pesky brand of defense that bothers many opposing guards.
- Braden Frager, F — Frager was the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year as a freshman. He's stepped in and immediately made an impact for the Huskers this season. He's averaging 11.7 points per game and is shooting 48.9% from the floor. The freshman has good length at 6-foot-7 and can get to the rim or knock down shots from the perimeter, like so many others on Nebraska's roster. He has had issues with consistency at times, but did knock down seven threes against Oregon earlier this year.
What happened in the first meeting?
The first meeting in Lincoln came down to the wire. Despite owning a 22-point lead in the second half, Purdue needed overtime to fend off a furious Huskers team, winning 80-77. It was a hectic and fun Big Ten regular-season game.
Oscar Cluff and Trey Kaufman-Renn were outstanding on the glass, combining for 33 rebounds in the win. Cluff also scored 12 points, including a clutch bucket in overtime to give the Boilermakers a late lead. Fletcher Loyer scored 18 and Braden Smith had 13 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.
Purdue's greatest reason for success was thanks to its 54-37 advantage in the rebounding department. It also finished with just 11 turnovers.
Nebraska's defensive pressure gave Purdue trouble, especially in the second half. Plus, the Huskers have a roster full of players who can shoot from te perimeter. Despite all that, the Boilermakers escaped with a win.
How they got here
Purdue's path to the quarterfinals
- Finished with a 13-7 Big Ten record, seventh in the conference
- Earned a double-bye for the Big Ten Tournament
- Defeated #15 Northwestern 81-68
Nebraska's path to the quarterfinals
- Finished with a 15-5 Big Ten record, second in the conference
- Earned a triple-bye for the Big Ten Tournament
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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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