How to Watch No. 5 Purdue vs. Penn State with TV Info, Key Stats and Preview
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Teams on opposite ends of the Big Ten standings are set to do battle at Mackey Arena on Saturday afternoon. Penn State, coming off a near upset of No. 2 Michigan on Tuesday, is still searching for its first Big Ten win this season. No. 5 Purdue, on the other hand, hopes to stay undefeated in conference play.
Last year, Penn State defeated Purdue in State College, a big upset in December. Can Purdue return the favor and extend its winning streak to seven games this weekend?
Here's everything you need to know for this weekend's game between Penn State and Purdue.
#5 Purdue (14-1, 4-0) vs. Penn State (9-6, 0-4)
- What: Big Ten Conference game
- Date: Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026
- Tipoff time: 2 p.m. ET
- Location: Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. (14,876 capacity)
- TV: Big Ten Network
- App: FOX Sports
- Announcers: Jack Kizer (play-by-play), Shon Morris (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 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 47-14
- ESPN Matchup Predictor: Purdue has a 96.6% chance to defeat Penn State
Rankings
Purdue Boilermakers
- Associated Press — Purdue is ranked No. 5
- Coaches — Purdue is ranked No. 5
- KenPom — Purdue is ranked No. 4
- NCAA NET — Purdue is ranked No. 7
Penn State Nittany Lions
- Associated Press — Penn State is not ranked
- Coaches — Penn State is not ranked
- KenPom — Penn State is ranked No. 110
- NCAA NET — Penn State is ranked No. 114
Team Stats
Stats (per game) | #5 Purdue | Penn State |
|---|---|---|
Scoring | 86.0 ppg | 77.7 ppg |
Points allowed | 66.9 ppg | 74.2 ppg |
FG% | 51.3% | 46.7% |
3FG% | 39.4% | 32.8% |
Rebounds | 39.6 rpg | 31.9 rpg |
Assists | 20.7 apg | 13.5 apg |
Steals | 5.9 spg | 8.2 spg |
Blocks | 3.7 bpg | 1.7 bpg |
Turnovers | 10.3 topg | 9.1 topg |
Key Players
Purdue Boilermakers
- Braden Smith, G — It's been quite a week for Braden Smith, who became the Big Ten's all-time assist record holder with a 12-assist performance against Wisconsin last Saturday. He followed that by hitting 900 career assists against Washington on Wednesday, but it was his scoring that made the difference in that game, dropping in 23 points in a victory. For the season, Smith is averaging 13.3 points and 9.5 assists per game.
- Fletcher Loyer, G — In wins over Kent State and Wisconsin, Loyer scored 39 points across two games, leading the Boilermakers to a pair of wins. He struggled against Washington, scoring just five points and shooting 2-of-8 from the floor. Loyer is still Purdue's top scorer and three-point threat, averaging 13.8 points and hitting the three at a 39% clip.
- Trey Kaufman-Renn, F — Kaufman-Renn has been dominant on the glass this season, the most improved aspect of his game. He's averaging 13.8 points and 10.1 boards per game this season. He's coming off a double-double performance in Wednesday's win over Washington, scoring 14 points and collecting 14 rebounds. The senior has really helped Purdue crash the boards in the first two months of the season.
- Oscar Cluff, C — Cluff has been tough for opponents to deal with in the post. He's an excellent offensive rebounder and has become a great scoring option in the painted area. Cluff is shooting at a 72.6% clip on the year and is nearly averaging a double-double, putting up 11.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. He's another reason why the Boilermakers have improved so dramatically on the boards this year.
Penn State Nittany Lions
- Freddie Dilione V, G — With Kayden Mingo expected to be out, Dilione will be Penn State's top active scorer for Saturday's game against Purdue. The guard is averaging 14.3 points per game, but is also making an impact with 3.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He's coming off a stellar performance against Michigan, ending the game with 17 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
- Melih Tunca, G — Tunca is one of Penn State's top three-point threats this season, hitting at a 40% clip from distance. He's also averaging 10.2 points per game, but has struggled since scoring 13 points against Indiana. In his last five games, he has scored five points or fewer four times and is averaging just 5.0 points per game in that stretch.
- Ivan Juric, F —Juric stepped up in a big way for Penn State in Tuesday's game against Michigan, scoring a season-high 20 points. The 7-footer is averaging 9.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, but the Nittany Lions need him to be more assertive as a scorer and on the glass. He has also been a player who has battled foul trouble throughout the season.
- Josh Reed, F — Reed has had some big games this year, reaching a double-digit scoring total in six different games this season. He recorded a double-double in Tuesday's game against Michigan, finishing the night with 13 points and 10 rebounds. He's another player taking on a bigger role with Mingo sidelined.
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: 510-221
- Record at Purdue: 485-216
Mike Rhoades, Penn State
Rhoades is in his third season as the head coach at Penn State and his 12th season at the Division I level. He was a head coach at the Division III level before making the jump to the next level.
Rhoades got his start at Randolph-Macon (Va.) in 1996 as an assistant coach. By 1999, he was the head coach of the program, guiding the team to four straight conference championships from 2001-02 through 2004-05. The Yellow Jackets earned four trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament,
After the 2008-09 season, Rhoades left Randolph-Macon and served as the associate head coach at VCU, where he worked under Shaka Smart. In 2014, Rhoades accepted a head coaching job at Rice and spent three seasons leading the program.
In 2017, Rhoades was named the head coach at VCU and immediately began winning. After an 18-15 record in his first season, the Rams won the Atlantic 10 and earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament. He remained at VCU through the 2022-23 season, posting a 129-61 record and earning three March Madness bids and playing in the NIT once.
Penn State hired Rhoades ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. He has won 16 games in each of his first two seasons in State College.
- Overall record: 217-151
- Record at Penn State: 41-38
Preview
On paper, fifth-ranked Purdue has a distinct advantage heading into Saturday's game against Penn State, especially with Mingo expected to miss another game due to injury. But this is a Nittany Lions squad that has found itself in tough battles with both Michigan State and Michigan this year. It's a team that likes to make life difficult, especially on the defensive end.
Purdue's greatest advantage is on the glass, averaging just under 40 rebounds per game, and its plus-10.6 rebound differential ranks 12th in the nation. The combination of Cluff and Kaufman-Renn on the glass has been tough for opponents to stop. Plus, Penn State is collecting just 31.9 boards per game this season, a mark that ranks 335th in the NCAA.
Additionally, the Boilermakers have an army of three-point shooters, led by Loyer, CJ Cox, Gicarri Harris, and Jack Benter. They're shooting the long ball at a 39.4% clip. Having so many weapons around the perimeter is going to be tough for Penn State to defend.
The biggest positive for Penn State is that it doesn't turn the ball over. The Nittany Lions average just 9.1 turnovers per game, the sixth-best mark in the country. But with Mingo out, they're going to need more production from players like Juric, Reed, Eli Rice, and Dominick Stewart to compete on the road.
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5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT PENN STATE: Penn State is still searching for its first Big Ten win of the season. What to know about the Nittany Lions ahead of Saturday's matchup against Purdue. 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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