It’s February, so it’s prime season for showdowns between top teams in each conference.
One of those clashes will feature seventh-ranked Purdue at No. 20 Michigan in Big Ten play Tuesday night in Ann Arbor.
Purdue enters the game atop the league standings at 11-2 (19-5 overall), a half-game ahead of Michigan (18-5, 10-2) and Michigan State as the Big Ten title race enters its final weeks.
Purdue can take a great step toward its third straight regular-season championship by continuing its torrid play.
The Boilermakers have won four straight games and 11 of their last 12 games, with one of those victories a 91-64 home blowout of Michigan on Jan. 24.
Purdue coach Matt Painter knows the crucial finishing stretch is coming up but just wants his team to focus on improving each game.
“That’s what we want to grow,” he said. “We have to fix some things here while we’re winning a couple games. There are some shortcomings we have to clean up and be better. We have to be around the ball more, have to defend better, contain better, be in gaps better, have better man awareness. If you have a team that’s mature, they understand that. Hopefully, we get that response and understand we have to be better if we’re going to win our next game on the road.”
Purdue, which is coming off a 90-72 home victory Friday over Southern California, has been paced by the trio of forward Trey Kaufman-Renn — who averages 18.9 points a game and has shot 42.9 percent from 3-point range — and guards Braden Smith (16.1 ppg, 8.8 assists) and Fletcher Loyer (13.8 ppg, 45.8 percent from long distance).
For Michigan, it will be one of the biggest home game in years and a chance to not only take over the top spot in the Big Ten, but to pay back Purdue for that lopsided defeat earlier this season.
The Wolverines have won four straight games under first-year head coach Dusty May and have been led by the dynamic frontcourt duo of 7-footers Vladislav Goldin (15.7 ppg) and Danny Wolf (12.7 ppg, 10 rebounds per game).
In particular, Wolf has become a revelation after transferring from Yale. He not only leads the league in rebounding, but he regularly handles the ball like a point guard and initiates the offense, drawing lots of attention from NBA scouts with his versatility and ability to create mismatches.
May said Wolf does many small things for the team that other players feed off of.
“We don’t want those highlight-reel plays to define Danny Wolf,” May said. “He does so many other things to help us win, and the gravity he requires and what not is really important for other guys to be successful. We’re still trying to figure out our offensive flow and rhythm. I do think we took a step forward (on Saturday in a 70-67 win at Indiana). I thought we had pretty sound role definition for the most part.”
Purdue has won the last four meetings against Michigan.
–Field Level Media
