Purdue vs. Notre Dame: Key questions at the 2018 Crossroads Classic
Will Carsen Edwards get some help?
Carsen Edwards entered this season as arguably the top returning player in the nation. A star guard who can score seemingly at will, Edwards was a unanimous choice for the preseason All-America team this year and has lived up the hype so far this year. Through the first 10 games of the year, the 6-foot-1 guard is averaging a ridiculous 25.5 points per game on .436/.394/.902 shooting despite being the first, second, and third player on the scouting report.
But Purdue’s major weakness is that Edwards’ supporting cast is extremely inconsistent. Sure, there are a few solid offensive players around him (Ryan Cline is averaging 13.5 points) but finding consistent scoring support has been a struggle for head coach Matt Painter. For reference, here is how the scoring distribution has played out in wins vs. losses for the team so far this year:
- Wins (6): Edwards – 24.3 points, Rest of Team – 57.5 points
- Losses (4): Edwards – 27.3 points, Rest of Team – 42.8 points
These numbers show a glimpse into how consistent Edwards has been as a performer while the rest of the team has struggled to support him in losses. So, it is safe to assume that Edwards will post 20+ points against Notre Dame this weekend but his supporting cast will need to find a way to score consistent buckets. If someone outside of Edwards shows up with a strong scoring performance, the Boilermakers should walk away victorious.
Next. Keys for Butler against IU. dark
In the end, this projects as an extremely fun matchup. Both Purdue and Notre Dame have storied college basketball history and they should set the tone for the Crossroads Classic with their hard-fought play. And while this has the potential to be an extremely close matchup, I lean in favor of Purdue to the starpower of Edwards.
Final Prediction: Purdue Boilermakers – 83, Notre Dame Fighting Irish – 76