Purdue's Indy Classic Showdown vs. Colorado Will Have Family Ties

When Purdue takes the floor against Colorado in the Indy Classic on Dec. 19, there will be a family element to the matchup. It makes for a fun storyline.

Purdue Boilermakers center Daniel Jacobsen (12) celebrates a basket. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Purdue finally rounded out its 2026-27 non-conference schedule on Thursday, announcing that it will play Colorado in the Indy Classic on Saturday, Dec. 19. Not only does this matchup give the Boilermakers their sixth power conference opponent for the upcoming year, but there's also a fun family tie involved.

When Purdue takes the floor against Colorado in December, Boiler center Daniel Jacobsen will be playing against his younger brother, Eric Jacobsen, in the game. Eric was a three-star prospect in the 2026 recruiting class per 247Sports and committed to play for Tad Boyle and the Buffaloes.

This matchup could provide an opportunity for Daniel and Eric to rekindle some of those driveway games from their younger days, though it remains unknown how much of an impact both will have with their respective teams this coming season.

Daniel is expected to be Purdue's starting center to begin the 2026-27 campaign. He's coming off his first full season playing for the Boilermakers. He earned the starting job as a true freshman at the beginning of the 2024-25 campaign, but suffered a leg injury in the second game that sidelined him for the remainder of the year.

In his first full year on the floor, Daniel averaged 5.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. Head coach Matt Painter has said he expects the 7-foot-4 center to make a "big leap" this season.

Eric will be entering his freshman year at Colorado. He is listed as a 6-foot-11 center on the Buffaloes' official roster for the 2026-27 season.

Purdue's bigs may play a little differently this season

Purdue Boilermakers center Daniel Jacobsen (12) practices. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Over the years, Purdue has traditionally had that dominant low-post player. Guys like Zach Edey, Isaac Haas, A.J. Hammons, Caleb Swanigan and Trey Kaufman-Renn have made life miserable for opponents down low. Daniel Jacobsen still possesses that power, but he's also a more versatile big that is capable of shooting from multiple spots on the floor.

So, as the Boilermakers prepare for this next era, things could look a little different offensively from the bigs.

"There's going to be a lot more space. We'll just do different things, playing the perimeter a little more and maybe fewer post-ups," Daniel told reporters back in June. "Pick-and-pop instead of pick-and-rolls. I think we're just going to be versatile."

It's going to be interesting to see how Purdue's offense adjusts to its personnel and how the bigs are used throughout the season.

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