For Purdue, their first season aim might be checked off. They’re the 2023 Massive Ten Champions. The following aim? Win the Massive Ten Event, however between then and now, Purdue may have one common season recreation left.

The 25-5 Boilermakers should host Illinois (20-10) within the first and solely common matchup between the 2 groups.

Purdue’s motivation? Their final aim of the season: profitable the NCAA Event. A win towards Illinois and a robust push within the Massive Ten Event will all however lock up a #1 seed for Purdue. A win towards Illinois, possibly simply as necessary, will all however assure nothing worse than a excessive #2 seed for Matt Painter and his younger roster.

As for Illinois, what’s there to say about one of many season’s strangest and most up and down groups within the nation. We’ll begin with some of the weird headlines in latest and never so latest school basketball historical past.

Beginning senior ahead Matthew Mayer missed follow after struggling caffeine poisoning after ingesting 5 Monster vitality drinks in a single evening taking part in video video games.

However Illinois has gained three of their final 4, and has probably the greatest wins within the Massive Ten this season, beating UCLA on a impartial ground in November.

The Preventing Illini will get yet one more likelihood so as to add a signature win for a group that is trying to improve its resume going into the NCAA Event.

Jayden Epps is not going to be touring to West Lafayette after struggling a concussion throughout the week at follow. Epps suffered the harm throughout follow when he obtained an unintended elbow to the jaw, however Epps is recovering after spending the evening within the hospital on Tuesday evening earlier than being launched on Wednesday.

Illinois is coming off a double-overtime towards Michigan on Thursday. Epps didn’t play in that recreation. Epps has began 11 video games this season for the Preventing Illini and performed in all earlier 29 video games. He was averaging almost 26 factors a recreation and scoring 10 factors a recreation.

With Epps out, Illinois will go into Purdue with one of many longest beginning lineups within the nation. Illinois already had size at nearly each place, however their present beginning lineup options nobody beneath 6-6 with three gamers at 6-9 or larger.

Illinois will get away with this as a result of their size is matched with elite athleticism. It makes their protection one of many harder duties to tackle for an offense.

“They block pictures. They get steals. They use their size. They’ve interchangeable items,” Matt Painter stated on Saturday forward of Sunday’s recreation. “Once you get behind performs and you’ve got that size generally you possibly can nonetheless make a play… deflecting a ball, and blocking a shot, or altering a shot. That is what, as a coach, is irritating. Since you execute and also you get one thing good, and you find yourself with nothing due to their size.”

A story all season has been Purdue’s lack of measurement on the perimeter. Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer will each proceed to be undersized towards Illinois. This will likely be a very good take a look at for Purdue forward of the NCAA event the place it is greater than doubtless they will face groups with measurement on the perimeter.

Matthew Mayer and Coleman Hawkins duo as two bigs with ball abilities, able to making pictures across the perimeter, and placing the ball on the deck and driving to the ring.

Terrence Shannon is among the largest guards within the nation, a bully with a robust left hand that is loss of life as soon as he will get any momentum. He’ll run the present for the Preventing Illini and their offense within the half court docket goes how he goes.

Matt Painter confirmed he’ll follow the brand new beginning lineup he debuted in Madison. Mason Gillis will keep on the 4 spot and Brandon Newman will get his second straight begin for Ethan Morton.

Newman’s defensive spark was a lot wanted towards Wisconsin. He had two steals that he was two lay ups within the first half towards the Badgers.

“I believed he introduced good vitality and defended within the Indiana recreation. I believed he did the identical on this recreation [Wisconsin],” Painter stated about Newman getting put within the beginning lineup.

Late within the recreation, Painter substituted in each Ethan Morton and Brandon Newman to offer Purdue a bit of extra measurement and on ball protection on the perimeter. Newman struggled together with his shot, however towards a group like Illinois, it may very well be that Painter seems to be so as to add extra size to his rotation once more.

Purdue’s senior evening will function two gamers, switch David Jenkins Jr. whose profession has taken him everywhere in the nation. For a full understanding of how Jenkins journey introduced him to West Lafayette, try:

David Jenkins Jr. – The Outdated Guard, The Gamer, and The Expiring Clock

The opposite senior being honored after the sport is walk-on Matt Frost who has been with this system for the final 4 seasons.