College Hoops

Preview:  #8 Duke Blue Devils (6-1) vs. #24 Purdue Boilermakers (5-0)

Preview:  #8 Duke Blue Devils (6-1) vs. #24 Purdue Boilermakers (5-0)

About the Opponent

Purdue improved to 5-0 with an 84-66 victory over No. 6 Gonzaga in the Phil Knight Legacy semifinals in Portland. Purdue is now 5-0 for the second straight season after last year’s team started 8-0 and rose to No. 1 in the national rankings. Purdue is 5-0 (or better) for the second straight year for the first time since doing it in three straight years from 2008-09 to 2010-11. Purdue is looking for wins in consecutive games against top-10 non-conference opponents for the first time in school history. The last time Purdue defeated top-10 teams in consecutive games came in Feb. 2011 (No. 10 Wisconsin, No. 2 Ohio State).

No team has shot better than 42 percent from the field against Purdue in its five games this year. West Virginia is the best so far at 41.3 %. Purdue has made 83 free throws this season, while opponents have shot just 48.

Zach Edey recorded his fourth straight 20-point game with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocked shots vs. Gonzaga. He is the first Boilermaker with four straight 20-point games since Carsen Edwards in 2018-19 (6 games). Over the last four games, Edey is averaging 24.3 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game, while shooting 37-of-52 (.712) from the field and 23-of-33 (.697) from the free throw line. Per 40 minutes this season, Edey is averaging 29.7 points, 16.4 rebounds and 3.8 blocks. Through Friday, Zach Edey ranks No. 1 in the KenPom POY ratings. Purdue has had a top-10 KenPom player in 5 of the last 7 seasons. He ranks 11th in the country in scoring, 2nd in rebounding and 12th in blocked shots per game.

Braden Smith was named the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Week after scoring 20 points with three assists and two rebounds vs. Marquette. Through two games in Portland, Smith is averaging 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. He is one of three high-major freshmen to average at least 11, 4 and 3 for the season (Arkansas’ Anthony Black, Baylor’s Keyonte George). In two games in Portland, Ethan Morton is averaging 6.0 points, 6.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds. He has 13 assists against zero turnovers.

Edey leads the Boilermakers in scoring with 21.5 points per game, he’s also the leading rebounder for Purdue at 13.3 per game. Edey also averages 2.8 blocks her game. Ethan Morton is the leading assist man for the Boilermakers at 5.3 per game. As a team the Boilermakers shoot 32% from the 3-point range and 45.7% overall.

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