No. 4 Purdue Basketball Begins Final Regular-Season Stretch Saturday at Michigan State
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — With three games left to play in the regular season, No. 4 Purdue basketball charges into the final stretch of its pursuit of a Big Ten title. The next program standing in its way is Michigan State, a team that finds itself freefalling as of late.
The Boilermakers, sitting at 24-4 on the season and 13-4 in league play, will tip off against the Spartans beginning at noon ET on Saturday at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan.
Purdue is coming off a convincing 84-72 victory over Rutgers on Sunday. The team had ample time to recover after having some days off ahead of its upcoming matchup.
"It gives us a chance to rest our bodies, but also mentally just really lock into what our goal is and what we want to accomplish," Senior guard Sasha Stefanovic said. "All of our goals are still ahead of us, and everything that we want to do is obviously still at our grasp. We have to handle our business. We have three really tough games, but you really have to just focus on the one ahead of us."
Entering Saturday's game, Michigan State — losers of three straight and five of its last six— has fallen out of the national rankings and out of the race for a regular-season conference championship. The Spartans sit at 18-9.overall and 9-7 in the Big Ten.
The team has just two players averaging double-digit scoring on the year, spearheaded by forward Gabe Brown. The senior has registered 11.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.
Despite averaging 72.3 points per game while shooting 38% from the 3-point line, which ranks second in the Big Ten behind Purdue, Michigan State has scored just 64 points per game over its last three contests.
The Spartans turn the ball over at the highest rate in the conference, giving the basketball away 13.7 times per game.
"I think they've just gone through what any other team has gone through at some point this season as far as just having an offensive drought," Purdue senior guard Eric Hunter Jr. said. "You're kind of looking for a player, or a couple of players, to get your team going. We've had games like that, too. I don't think it's anything different. We're preparing for them to be at their best."
Purdue has also been prone to giving the ball up so far this season, a fatal flaw that's shown itself in the team's losses. Against a Michigan State team that's near the top of the conference in rebounding, making the most of quality opportunities is a must, especially on the road.
"I think that's first and foremost, taking care of the basketball, taking good shots and trying to keep them out of transition to the best of your ability," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "And then keep them off the glass. They've always been really good at rebounding the basketball and don't allow second-chance opportunities. And then be able to withstand and be able to play through their physical play."
Above all else, Painter is emphasizing the need for taking care of the basketball. Purdue's high-octane offense jumpstarts the team's energy, which can be hard to come by away from West Lafayette.
No game in the Big Ten is a guarantee, so the Boilermakers will need to be locked in to come away with a victory Sunday despite the Spartans' recent struggles.
"When we give ourselves a chance offensively, we've proven that we've had a lot of success," Painter said. "It doesn't mean it's foolproof, and you're gonna win every single game, but so far, it's pretty close."
Stories Related to Purdue Basketball
- EPISODE 14 OF SASHA LIVE! PODCAST: Welcome to Episode 14 of the Sasha Live! Podcast streamed from Mad Mushroom in West Lafayette. Purdue guard Sasha Stefanovic recaps Purdue's game versus Rutgers, previews the remaining three regular-season games and talks about how meaningful it is to be tied in eighth place for Purdue's most career-three pointers. CLICK HERE
- PURDUE'S VERSATILE OFFENSE SHINES AGAINST RUTGERS: Purdue basketball had five players score in double figures in a victory against Rutgers on Sunday. The team posted 19 assists in the contest and were led by sophomore guard Jaden Ivey's 25 points. CLICK HERE
- PURDUE RANKED FOURTH IN AP POLL: Victories over Northwestern and Rutgers pushed Purdue to the No. 4 ranking in this week's AP College Basketball Top 25 poll. The Boilermakers have a 24-4 overall record and are 13-4 in the Big Ten. CLICK HERE
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