Purdue has been on a roll as of late, but they will have to host a Michigan team that almost upset them at the beginning of the month.
TV Schedule: Thursday Jan. 25, 2018 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN
Arena: Mackey Arena, West Lafayette, Indiana
The Purdue Boilermakers extended their winning streak to 15 games on Saturday with a rout of Iowa. They also continued their consecutive games of not giving up more than 70 points in a game.
The closest team that came near that mark was the Michigan Wolverines on Jan. 9. Michigan had a seven-game winning streak going at the time and slipped up at home to a really good Boilermaker team. From then on, the Wolverines have won three out of four games. Michigan State, Maryland, and Rutgers are all the victories and Nebraska was the lone loss.
Michigan will look to be slightly better in a game in which they almost won. Purdue dominated most of the first half by doing what they do best. The Boilermakers are such a balanced scoring team while both Carsen Edwards and Vincent Edwards are great at knocking down three-pointers. The Wolverines have scoring diversity which puts them back into the game at the end of the half.
The Wolverines were able out-score the Boilermakers 37-31 in the second half. Michigan’s X-factor was their six-foot-seven freshman forward Isaiah Livers. He can play big and stretch the floor. Livers knocked down two three-pointers early in the second half to keep Michigan well into the game.
Freshman Jordan Poole and Kentucky transfer Charles Matthews had great second half performances which also kept Michigan around. Poole scored eight points, knocked down a three-pointer and all three of his free throws in just seven minutes off the bench. Matthews started, dropped 14 points, three three-pointers and grabbed seven boards.
Zavier Simpson led Michigan with 15 points. His biggest shot came with 4:40 left as he knocked down a triple to give the Wolverines a three-point lead. Carsen and Vincent did what they do best and knocked down clutch three-pointers. Isaac Haas hit a free throw to take the lead and Matthews missed a three-pointer as the game came to an end.
The Edwards’ aren’t the only two that can knock down the three-pointer for Purdue. The point guard Dakota Mathias dropped four from downtown for 14 points and contributed four assists.
To set up the free throws from Haas, Mathias came up with a big-time steal. That’s something the Boilermakers do just as good as putting the ball in the basket. Their defense has been tremendous. When Purdue needed a big play, the point guard came up with the steal. This wasn’t Rutgers, Illinois, or Iowa. It was a good Michigan team and the Boilers proved to be too much.
Michigan can cause problems though that could’ve swayed the game a different way. Along with Livers, Moe Wagner has the ability to stretch the floor too. He can seriously be a difference maker. At six-foot-ten, he has made 30 total three-pointers, averages 14.3 points per game, and grabs 5.8 boards.
Vincent Edwards goes six-foot-seven and can certainly knock down the three. Both seven-foot-two centers, Haas and Matt Haarms aren’t reliable shooters from distance. If Michigan can have any advantage, it’s that they can hit an outside shot with their big men.
Next: Where do the Wolverines and Boilermakers fall in Bracketology?
Purdue’s winning streak is bound to come to an end sooner or later. The Boilermakers are playing out of their minds with great scoring and lockdown defense. Michigan showed signs up being great but had a slip up against Nebraska. The Cornhuskers are decent, but it’s not a game that the Wolverines should’ve lost.
Both teams have balanced scoring. The Wolverines and Boilermakers have great depth and experience. They’re going to match up really well again and Michigan is going to want to do what Purdue did to them on their home court.
Prediction: Michigan 72, Purdue 69