How to Watch No. 1 Purdue vs. Rutgers with TV Info, Key Players, Stats and Preview
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The calendar has flipped to December, which means it's time to step into Big Ten play briefly. On Tuesday, No. 1 Purdue makes the trek to Piscataway for a matchup against Rutgers to begin league play.
Rutgers has delivered some heartbreaking losses to Purdue in the past, but the Boilermakers have won five straight in the head-to-head series. Which team escapes with a win Tuesday night?
Here's everything you need to know for the Big Ten opener.
#1 Purdue (7-0) vs. Rutgers (5-3)
- What: Big Ten Conference game
- Date: Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025
- Tipoff time: 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway, N.J. (8,000 capacity)
- TV: FS1
- App: FOX Sports
- TV announcers: Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Bill Raftery (analyst)
- 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 83; 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. Rutgers 18-6
- Most recent: Purdue defeated Rutgers 100-71 in Mackey Arena on March 4, 2025
- ESPN Matchup Predictor: Purdue has an 86.8% chance to defeat Rutgers
Rankings
Purdue Boilermakers
- Associated Press — Purdue is ranked No. 1
- Coaches — Purdue is ranked No. 1
- KenPom — Purdue is ranked No. 2
- NCAA NET — Purdue is ranked No. 3
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- Associated Press — Rutgers is not ranked
- Coaches — Rutgers is not ranked
- KenPom — Rutgers is ranked No. 118
- NCAA NET — Rutgers is ranked No. 186
Team Stats
Stats (per game) | #1 Purdue | Rutgers |
|---|---|---|
Scoring | 89.7 ppg | 71.8 ppg |
Points allowed | 68.0 ppg | 67.6 ppg |
FG% | 51.6% | 42.2% |
3FG% | 42.3% | 34.2% |
Rebounds | 41.6 rpg | 38.6 rpg |
Assists | 21.0 apg | 11.4 apg |
Steals | 5.0 spg | 5.5 spg |
Blocks | 4.0 bpg | 4.3 bpg |
Turnovers | 9.6 tpg | 11.3 tpg |
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 13.0 points, 9.0 assists, and 3.6 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 six 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 16.3 points per game while shooting 47.6% 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 — A 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 14.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, scoring in double figures in every contest. He has also recorded three double-doubles in five 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 11.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, and is shooting 73.8% from the floor.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- Dylan Grant, F — Grant has taken a big leap from his freshman year to his sophomore season. A year after averaging just 5.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, he's Rutgers' leading scorer and second-best rebounder, scoring 15.6 points and collecting 6.6 boards per contest. The 6-foot-8 forward is an explosive player who likes to attack the paint, but can also step out and knock down threes when left open.
- Emmanuel Ogbole, C — The lone senior on the team, Ogbole doesn't just bring experience to the court; he also brings a strong, physical, and tough presence. He's been Rutgers' top rebounder and arguably best defender this season, averaging 7.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. At 6-foot-10, he's slightly undersized at the center position in the Big Ten, but he attacks the glass defensively and makes opponents work for buckets in the post.
- Jamichael Davis, G — Davis doesn't shoot a lot of them, but he's been Rutgers' best three-point threat through the first eight games this season. He's connected on 10-of-19 shots from distance, a big step up from last year when he shot 33.3% from long range. Davis is a microwave player for the Scarlet Knights and can catch fire at any point in a game.
- Darren Buchanan Jr., G — With his 6-foot-7 size, Buchanan brings excellent size and length to the guard/wing position. He's capable of defending multiple positions on the court and has provided Rutgers with a scoring spark at times this season. Buchanan has reached double-figure totals in five of the first eight contests.
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: 503-220
- Record at Purdue: 478-215
Steve Pikiell, Rutgers
Pikiell is in his 10th season at Rutgers and 21st year as a head coach. During his decade in Piscataway, he's turned the program into one known for its hard-nosed defense and physical approach. The Scarlet Knights love turning basketball games into rock fights when they can.
Rutgers has made two NCAA Tournament appearances and played in the NIT once during Pikiell's time. The Scarlet Knights have won more than 150 games and have finished with a record above .500 four times.
Before taking over at Rutgers, Pikiell was the head coach at Stony Brook, where he completely turned around the Seawolves program. In his first three seasons, the team posted a combined record of 20-67. In his final seven years, Stony Brook won four America East Conference regular-season titles and one conference tournament to punch its ticket to March Madness.
Pikiell had one of the best coaching mentors in college basketball, playing under Jim Calhoun at UConn from 1987-91, then working on his coaching staff as an assistant for the 1991-92 season.
- Overall record: 344-299
- Record at Rutgers: 152-143
Preview
Based on history, there's a lot working against Purdue entering Tuesday's game against Rutgers in Piscataway. The Boilermakers are just 2-6 in Big Ten road openers since the conference began scheduling conference games in early December. Purdue will also head to Rutgers ranked No. 1 in the AP poll, and the Scarlet Knights have beaten the top-ranked Boilermakers twice (2021 and 2023).
Rutgers has a great home-court advantage at Jersey Mike's Arena, and Pikiell's physical brand of basketball has given Painter's club some troubles in the past. But do the Scarlet Knights have the firepower to compete with the Boilermakers?
Purdue has more offensive weapons than it has ever had, with seven of its consistent rotation players shooting 43% or better from the floor. Cluff, Kaufman-Renn, Loyer, Daniel Jacobsen, and CJ Cox all have a field goal percentage at or above .500 entering the game.
Rutgers, on the other hand, is a team that is shooting just 42.2% from the field this season, which ranks 306th nationally. The Scarlet Knights are not a prolific three-point shooting team, either.
The biggest difference, though, is the experience. Purdue is led by a trio of seniors in Smith, Loyer, and Kaufman-Renn. They also returned sophomore guards Cox and Gicarri Harris. Rutgers has just one senior on the roster (Ogbole) and has 10 underclassmen on the team.
Yes, Rutgers' physicality may cause some early problems for Purdue. Once the Boilermakers adjust to the aggressive nature of the game, their shooting ability, size advantage, and experience should prevail with relative ease.
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5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT RUTGERS: No. 1 Purdue travels to Piscataway to play Rutgers in its Big Ten Opener on Tuesday night. Five things to know about the Scarlet Knights. CLICK HERE
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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