2. Carsen Edwards and his supporting cast are playing well
Another reason Purdue will win the regular-season title is that they have the best player in the conference in All-American candidate Carsen Edwards. And it’s not just the 23.8 points per game that Edwards supplies, which puts him eighth in the country in scoring. The 6-foot-1 guard is also 12th in the sport in 3-point makes per game (3.58) and leads Purdue in both assists (3.2) and steals (1.6).
But while he could, Edwards alone won’t carry Purdue to a title. Edwards, along with the improved play of his supporting cast (Eastern, Ryan Cline, and Matt Haarms), will. Cline is the team’s other double-digit scorer, at just over 12 per game. The senior from Carmel, Indiana is second on the team and in the conference in 3-pointers made per game at 2.9, just behind Edwards’ 3.1.
Sophomore big man Haarms has averaged eight points and five rebounds per game, but over the last eight games, he has been more of a force on the glass, pulling down 6.6 in that span. The 6-foot-6 Nojel Eastern is the team’s top rebounder at 5.6 per game, but over the team’s last nine games he’s grabbed 7.8 per game, including four games with double-digit rebounds. He’s also scored eight points per game during this stretch, which is more than his 6.9 seasonal average.