A thrilling Top 10 matchup engages on Thursday as Purdue heads to Alabama for a major throwdwon in Tuscaloosa; can the Crimson Tide get another huge win or do the Boilermakers pull it off on the road?
TV schedule: Thursday, November 13, 7:00 pm ET. ESPN2
Arena: Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Fans of Purdue (2-0) were in for something of a surprise when the Boilermakers were no longer the top-ranked team in the nation at the start of the week. This team brought back incredible talent and secured a pair of wins in the opening week, even if their performance against Oakland was closer than expected. The Boilermakers didn’t have star forward Trey Kaufman-Renn in those games and are a more complete team with him on the court.
They still had Braden Smith (13.0 ppg, 10.0 apg) making plays, as the senior is unquestionably one of the best point guards in the nation. It’s not a surprise either seeing great contributions from Fletcher Loyer (22.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg) a talented sharpshooter who’s been on his game in the early going. The newcomer is Oscar Cluff (11.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg), the 6-11 big man who’s done his best to pick up the slack in Kaufman-Renn’s absence, though the Boilermakers will be glad to have a healthy lineup again.
As we hinted before, Purdue fell to #2 in the AP Top 25 this week, though it’s not an outrageous decision, seeing as how they’re just 7th in KenPom. Offensively, Purdue is the best of the best, leading the nation in offensive efficiency while having the tools to take over games, both in the paint and from outside the arc. On the other end, they didn’t limit Oakland as much as expected and you have to wonder how they’ll fare against much tougher opposition.
Meanwhile, things are going great for Alabama (2-0) early this season. After a brilliant showing against North Dakota on opening night, the Crimson Tide secured a massive win over St. John’s at Madison Square Garden over the weekend. It’s a result that has catapulted their national reputation, though we already knew we could expect great things from a Nate Oats team even with new faces.
Sophomore Labaron Philon (23.5 ppg, 5.5 apg) is living up to his preseason billing and was a major part of this hot start. Alabama survived without his backcourt partner, but Aden Holloway was a major piece of that win in New York, dropping 21 points in his season debut. The same can easily be said about Latrell Wrightsell Jr., who had 17 points at St. John’s and helped anchor an incredible victory. Don’t forget about the frontcourt, as Taylor Bol Bowen (12.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg) has stood out early two games into his Alabama career.
Alabama’s brilliant performance saw them rise to #8 in the AP poll, though they still sit just 17th in KenPom and aren’t as high in other metrics. Some of those sites are weighting preseason expectations quite heavily, but there’s no question that the Crimson Tide can be a top offense again after dropping 105 points on Saturday. When healthy, this team can hang with anyone in any arena, especially with this balance on offense.
The biggest question in this game remains an uncertainty as we’re just not sure if Kaufman-Renn will be available on Thursday night. If he doesn’t play, it becomes even more of a challenge for the Boilermakers, who’ll have to keep leaning heavily on Cluff and Liam Murphy in the frontcourt. Both of these teams are brilliant at shot making, but this game could be won inside the paint, especially if Bol Bowen has another great performance in primetime.
We’ve seen great shotmaking from Loyer and Philon and great leadership from Smith as well, but it’s hard to bet against the Crimson Tide on their home floor, especially after what they’ve already accomplished. With Alabama back at full health and Purdue potentially still short-handed, it’s easy to ride with the Boilermakers, but don’t discount what Loyer and Smith mean for this crew. Purdue is the #2 team in the nation for a reason and they’re going to make this a bitter fight.