Purdue vs NC State: 2024-25 College basketball game preview, TV schedule

Purdue and NC State matchup in the Rady Children’s Invitational on Thanksgiving. Will the Wolfpack avenge last year’s loss or do the Boilermakers continue their solid start to the season?

TV schedule: Thursday, November 28, 3:00 pm ET. FS1

Arena: LionTree Arena in San Diego, California

While this season is still young, Purdue (5-1) has given something of an answer to how they’d fare with Zach Edey off to the NBA. The Boilermakers have looked strong and may be the Big Ten’s best team again, drawing national attention in their win over Alabama. However, they were humbled by Marquette a few days later and certainly aren’t in perfect shape just a few weeks into the year.

As expected, Braden Smith (12.2 ppg, 9.3 apg) is putting up dynamic numbers and continues to develop into one of the nation’s best point guards. What’s slightly less expected is how Trey Kaufman-Renn (17.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg) has taken a major step forward as a junior as the new option in the paint. Fellow junior guard Fletcher Loyer (14.5 ppg, 2.2 apg) continues to blossom as a top scoring option for the Boilermakers, hitting 62% of his 3-pointers already.

Right now Purdue is #13 in the AP Top 25 and sit at 16th in the KenPom ratings. The offense is among the national leaders in the efficiency ratings, really standing out with that performance against the Crimson Tide nearly two weeks ago. The Boilermakers aren’t going to get quite as much production from the frontcourt with Edey, but this offense can still do major damage when the shots are falling and the defense is no slouch.

Perhaps revenge is on the mind of NC State (5-0), as the Wolfpack saw their magical season ended by Purdue in the Final Four last season. Things are very different across this lineup and this matchup represents NC State’s first real test. The season began with five straight home wins against mid-major, but the Wolfpack haven’t exactly looked dominant, with a few issues along the way.

This new-look lineup is leaning more heavily on Jayden Taylor (13.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg) a senior guard who was a big part of last season’s success. Marcus Hill (13.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg) has been a great new piece in the backcourt after dominant play at Bowling Green last season. The frontcourt is headed by Ben Middlebrooks (11.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and Louisville transfer Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (11.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg), both of whom are producing in the early going.

Certainly not a ranked team at this point, NC State sits down at 55th in the KenPom ratings, with their defense slightly more efficient than their offense to this point. The new pieces seem to be playing well with each other on the surface, though the Wolfpack have struggled at times from outside the arc, not making a single 3-pointer in their win over Coastal Carolina two weeks ago. At least the defense has been more consistent.

This is not a redo of last year’s Final Four matchup; major pieces from both teams are gone this season. That said, these two teams are still figuring things out, with Purdue slightly ahead of schedule. This trip to San Diego is a great measuring stick for both teams, though it’s the Wolfpack’s first test of any kind, whereas Purdue already has that great win over Alabama.

If NC State can’t start making 3-pointers, then you can mark down the Purdue win already. Instead of last year’s battle between Edey and DJ Burns, we’re interested to see how Kauffman-Renn and Purdue’s young forwards manage against the new pieces for NC State. The road to an upset win for the Wolfpack rests on shot-making and winning the battle in the paint, though we’re leaning on the more talented team and expecting Smith and Loyer,, in particular,, to stand out.

Prediction: Purdue 77, NC State 70