The No. 16 Purdue Boilermakers make the trip down south to face the No. 2 Auburn Tigers at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL.
The Tigers continue to dominate this season, hosting an impressive 10-1 record. Behind the likes of stars Johni Broome and Tahaad Pettiford, every defense the Tigers seem to face are without answer to the dynamic offense.
“The mirror image here is that Purdue and Auburn both played as tough a schedule as anybody in the country,” head coach Bruce Pearl said. “Purdue's already beaten Alabama and Ole Miss in our league. They lost to Texas A&M. All those teams were ranked when they played them. They've had great wins over Maryland and NC State. So they played a really tough schedule.”
Broome, a frontrunner for The Naismith Player of the Year Award, suffered a shoulder injury in Auburn’s matchup against Georgia State on Tuesday. While Broome’s injury is minor with no surgery needed, he could be out for Saturday’s matchup. In Broome’s potential absence, expect Chaney Johnson, coming off a 26-point outing against Georgia State, to be Broome’s replacement.
“He won't practice today, but you know, he will travel up there, and I couldn't even tell you status, whether it's questionable or not likely. We just don't know. But the good news, it's not a long term problem,” Pearl said of Broome.
While Broome’s offensive presence is what has willed Auburn to numerous victories this season, the Tigers may be in luck against Purdue, as the Boilermakers are ranked 173rd in the nation in team defensive efficiency. While Purdue has earned its No. 16 ranking with impressive wins over No. 2 Alabama and No. 23 Ole Miss, Auburn shooters; Denver Jones, Miles Kelly and Tahaad Pettiford, will have many opportunities to capitalize on the Boilermakers lackadaisical defense.
While Purdue may find themselves in hot water defensively, guards Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer will make the Tigers pay if Auburn doesn’t match up the moment the two cross center court. Smith and Loyer are lethal from behind the arc and can get hot at any moment, striking fear into opposing defenders.
“They've got five great starters, and a couple of the Player of the Year candidates. Braden Smith is the Big 10 preseason player of the year. Analytically, he's the best point guard in the country, just from a standpoint of his tremendous assist-to-turnover ratio and his three point percentage. He just plays the game the right way," Pearl said.
Paired with the stout, 6-foot-9 forward, Trey Kaufman-Renn who leads the team in points and total rebounds, the Boilermakers have the opportunity to knock-off another top ranked opponent from the state of Alabama.
Purdue, like Auburn, has a very deep roster which Coach Matt Painter likes to utilize in big games. Painter has given significant play time to 12 different players on his roster this, which could be crucial in a hard fought game that could come down to the wire.
Coverage for Saturday’s matchup can be found on ESPN with tipoff set for 3:30 p.m. CST from Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL.
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Charlie is a sophomore from Mendham, New Jersey. He is majoring in journalism and started with The Plainsman in spring 2024.
