3 keys for Wisconsin Basketball to upset Purdue Boilermakers in Big Ten clash

Stop Zach Edey!

7’4″ Junior center Zach Edey has erupted for 30 or more points on six different occasions this season. Purdue has won five of those games. Simply put, when Edey is at his dominant best the Boilermakers are nearly impossible to beat.

While Edey does not fit the mold of modern-day big men who are drifting away from the basket with increasing regularity, part of his strength is that he fully embraces his size. Do not expect to see hm put the ball on the floor for more than one or two dribbles. Even then, those bounces will be used to get him closer to the basket and in scoring range. He rarely brings the ball low, instead, he wisely keeps it high and avoids getting stripped by pesky guards. He has great hands and is not turnover prone and his touch around the basket is built on skill and dexterity, not force. Simply put, there are not very many big men on the college level equipped to slow him down by themselves.

The responsibility of stopping Edey from having his way on offense will fall on the shoulders of 7’0″ Steven Crowl and 6’9″ Tyler Wahl. These two must be physical while remembering not to allow Edey to bait them into silly fouls. Edey is shooting a reliable 74.2 percent from the free throw line, so sending him to the charity stripe in order to “make him earn” his points will most likely backfire. However, if the Badgers are able to slow down Edey’s offensive productivity, Purdue does not have another player who tends to put up big numbers. Their second-leading scorer is Freshman guard Fletcher Loyer who is averaging 11.8 points per game. Stopping Edey is the key.

The Wisconsin Badgers are four games above .500 with one win against ranked teams this season. Currently, they are not considered a bubble team who could sneak into the Big Dance on Selection Sunday. However, if they are able to knock off Purdue, the fourth-ranked team in the Nation, on Thursday, the narrative surrounding them could improve significantly.

In order to do so, they must rebound by committee, knock down open shots, and stop the Boilermakers’ star player from having a great game. As the regular season winds down, every game matters. The Badgers are hoping to make a statement in front of their hometown fans on Thursday!