Coming off a victory in Atlanta, Auburn will go from one NBA arena to another as it travels north to Indianapolis for a marquee matchup against No. 6 Purdue on Saturday.
This contest will mark the Tigers’ fourth top ten test just twelve games into the season as Auburn looks to claim victory for the first time this year over a top ten opponent while taking on the Boilermakers.
“Another crazy opportunity on Saturday to go play one of the best coaches in college basketball and one of the best teams in college basketball,” said head coach Steven Pearl.
The Tigers found a ranked win in Las Vegas against former No. 14 St. John’s but find themselves 0-3 in other ranked contests with 29-plus point losses to No. 7 Michigan and No. 2 Arizona, while falling just one basket shy of victory against No. 1 Houston.
Purdue, on the other hand, was the nation’s No. 1-ranked squad in the past weeks before dropping their first game to current No. 4 Iowa State, but has notched two ranked victories over No. 8 Alabama and No. 15 Texas Tech in impressive fashion. The Boilermakers fell to the No. 6 spot in the AP Poll after their sole loss to the Cyclones, but will need to gain another ranked win over Auburn to halt themselves from dropping even further.
A prominent factor of Purdue’s success this season has been its ability to share the rock to create baskets, as the Boilermakers are third in the nation in assists with 20.4 per game, while Pearl’s team averages just 13.7 per game thus far, good for 173rd in the country.
Senior Purdue guard Braden Smith has been a stellar example of the Boilermakers' offensive scheme, as he is currently averaging near a double-double with 9.2 assists per game, which puts him atop the nation in total assists. The senior is also a prime threat to score by shooting 43% from beyond the three-point arc, forcing Auburn’s defense to pay heavy attention to Purdue’s leader.
Another issue that gives the Boilermakers the advantage in Saturday’s matchup has been on the other side of the court in Auburn’s defense. The Tigers' defense has shown glimpses of strength, but the box score has exemplified struggles as Auburn has allowed 76.8 points per game, which is 14th in the Southeastern Conference. On the contrary, Purdue has given up just an average of 67.1 points to opponents, which leaves them in the 4th spot in the Big 10.
“Our defense was horrible,” Keyshawn Hall stated following Auburn’s win over Chattanooga. “We just have to pick some things up, and we know what we can do. We know our potential, so we just have to lock in and have that same effort the whole game.”
This year’s neutral contest between Auburn and Purdue will be the 5th time the two storied programs will meet and will end a deadlock in the record books as each team is 2-2 in the previous all-time matchups. The Tigers claimed victory in the most recent matchup with an 87-69 win in Birmingham, Alabama, last year, and will look to build off last year’s success on Saturday.
Pearl’s Tigers may be faced with an uphill battle, but Auburn has the talent to go head-to-head with Purdue, so viewers will be set up for what should be an exciting battle. Tip-off is set for 5:30 P.M. CST inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and the ranked matchup will be televised on Peacock.
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Will is a sophomore majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in the spring of 2025.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @willdembo
