Penn State-Purdue Preview: How Will the Lions Stop Zach Edey?

The No. 1 Boilermakers host Penn State, which seeks the program's first win over a top-ranked team.

Penn State men's basketball gets no reprieve following its sour home loss to Northwestern this week. The team visits top-ranked Purdue on Saturday to face two harsh truths. The Nittany Lions have yet to win a road game this season, and they'll need a creative defensive workaround to stop Boilermakers center Zach Edey.

Remember that the Nittany Lions took Purdue to the wire in last year's Big Ten Tournament final, cutting a 17-point deficit to one before ultimately falling 67-65. Purdue beat Penn State three times last season. In those games, Edey, the defending national player of the year, had 78 points and 39 rebounds. Edey's averaging 21.8 and 10.4 per game this season.

Can the Lions pull together a miracle? Here's a glance at Penn State vs. No. 1 Purdue

Penn State (8-8, 2-3 Big Ten) vs. Purdue (14-2, 2-3)

When: 2:15 p.m. ET Saturday

Where: Mackey Arena, West Lafayette, Indiana

TV: Big Ten Network

Streaming: FuboTV (start your free trial)

Series history: Purdue leads 46-13

Last meeting: Purdue 67-65 in the 2023 Big Ten Tournament title game

Streaks: Purdue has won seven straight

KenPom rankings: Penn State is 113; Purdue is 3

NCAA NET rankings: Penn State is 126; Purdue is 3

About the Lions: Penn State is 0-14 all-time against top-ranked teams, but this is coach Mike Rhoades' first crack at a No. 1 as Penn State's head coach. And Rhoades certainly doesn't lack for confidence in road games, though his team has yet to win one. The Lions are 0-2 in Big Ten road games and 1-6 away from State College (beating Michigan at the Palestra). But Edey presents a mountain to climb for Penn State's defense. The Lions don't have the height to challenge the gifted 7-4 center, either defensively or on the boards, so they'll have to keep the ball away from him. That means aggressive pressure, of the kind Penn State used in beating Michigan, and successful offensive possessions. However, Penn State ranks 128th in KenPom in offensive efficiency and 12th in the Big Ten in shooting percentage. In their last two losses, the Lions have shot a combined 6-for-46 (13 percent) from 3-point range. That will have to change drastically.

About the Boilermakers: Purdue just lost by 16 at Nebraska, so it's either vulnerable or antagonized. Playing at home should mitigate the former. The Boilermakers have won nine straight games at Mackey Arena and are 24-3 there against Penn State. Purdue ranks second nationally in offensive efficiency, in part because Edey is shooting 63.2 percent. Notably, the Boilermakers also lead the Big Ten in 3-point shooting percentage (39.4 percent). Despite their losses, both in Big Ten road games, the Boilermakers also lead the nation with six Quad 1 victories. Since classes have resumed at Purdue, this game marks the first with students (the section known as the "Paint Crew") since early December. Purdue is 62-6 with the Paint Crew in-house since the 2014-15 season.

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.