How to Watch Purdue's Game with Michigan on Friday; Gametime, TV, Point Spread
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Thanks to an impressive four-game winning streak that includes three upset wins on he road, Purdue has worked its way back into the conversation in the Big Ten.
The Boilermakers get a huge opportunity to make another big statement on Friday night, when they host the first-place Michigan Wolverines at Mackey Arena. Michigan is alone in first place after Iowa was upset by Indiana on Thursday night.
Purdue is 1.5 games behind Michigan, and it's thrilled to be back for a home game after playing four straight on the road.
There is BREAKING NEWS prior to tipoff. Purdue coach Matt Painter announced that junior guard Sasha Stefanovic will miss at least the next three games after testing positive for COVID-19. He will miss Friday night's game, plus the Jan. 30 game with Minnesota and a Feb. 2 road game at Maryland.
Per Big Ten protocols, Stefanovic will miss the next 17 days from his positive test and must pass further testing to return to action. Stefanovic has started all 16 games this season, ranking first in the Big Ten in three-point percentage (.456) while averaging 11.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
Here are the particulars on Friday night's game:
- Who: Michigan Wolverines (12-1, 7-1in the Big Ten) at Purdue Boilermakers (11-5, 6-3 in the Big Ten)
- When: 7 p.m. ET, Friday, Jan. 22.
- Where: Mackey Arena, West Lafayette, Ind.
- Latest Line: Michigan was favored by 4.5 points according to the DraftKings.com website as of 2 p.m. on Friday. It has ticked up to 5 points at 6 p.m. That should be of no concern to Purdue, which has won three games as underdogs in the past two weeks.
- Poll rankings: Purdue received just one vote in the Associated Press poll, but none in the Coaches poll. Michigan is ranked No. 7 in both the AP poll and the Coaches poll.
- Kenpom.com rankings: Purdue is ranked No. 26 in the Kenpom.com rankings, and Michigan is ranked No. 4.
- Last time out: Purdue beat Ohio State on Tuesday for its fourth straight win, winning 67-65 thanks to a late-three pointer by freshman guard Jaden Ivey. Michigan beat Maryland 87-63 in Ann Arbor on Tuesday with Isaiah Livers leading the way with 20 points.
- Series history: Purdue leads the overall series, 88-73.
- Last meeting: Michigan won the last meeting 71-63 on Feb. 22, 2020 in West Lafayette, Ind. Purdue fell behind early in that game and really didn't threaten, making just 4-of-16 three-point attempts.
- TV: FOX Sports 1
- Announcers: Kevin Kugler and Stephen Bardo
- Radio: Purdue Radio Network
- Announcers: Rob Blackmon and Bobby Riddell
Here are three things I want to see from the Boilers in Friday night's game against Michigan:
1. Break even in big-man battle
Michigan's great season has been driven by freshman center Hunter Dickinson, who's leading the Wolverines in points (15.7 per game) and rebounds (7.5). Purdue relies a lot on Trevion Williams, of course, and the Boilers need to do no worse than break even in this showdown on the blocks.
Williams has been playing well lately, scoring in double figures in 11 straight games. He is one of only six players nationally to be averaging 15.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Both players are talented, of course, and a lot of these big-men battles in the Big Ten are determined by who does the best job of staying out of foul trouble.
2. Which freshman steps up this time?
Purdue freshmen Zach Edey, Mason Gillis and Brandon Newman have already been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week at least once this season, and now Jaden Ivey is in the conversation this week after his career night at Ohio State that included a record 15 points and the game-winning shot.
Who's stepping off of Purdue's deep lineup on Friday night? Purdue coach Matt Painter has done a great job of getting these young guys comfortable, and as they progress through the growing pains, they've been a big help in Purdue's surprising stroll out to an 11-5 record.
Purdue is the first Big Ten team to have three freshmen win weekly honors since Michigan in 2013, when Mitch McGary, Nick Stauskas and Glenn Robinson III all won honors that season.
3. Finish the game in style
Purdue is one of the youngest teams in the country, so it's been surprising that they've been finishing games so well. That's not usually a characteristic of a team with so little experience.
According to KenPom.com, Purdue ranks 328th (out of 347 teams) in experience at 1.09 years. That's the youngest in the Big Ten, with Indiana the next least-experienced team in the league at 1.38 years. They've been doing it in different ways, too. Seeing Ivey's game-winning shot was obvious, but Aaron Wheeler had a couple big wins to set that up, and they were also great in knocking down free throws in the Penn State win.
Michigan has been playing really well, but they've had the luxury of a softer schedule that let them get comfortable a bit. Purdue does a lot of things that can both Michigan, so another upset is certainly possible.
Tom Brew is an award-winning journalist who's worked at some America's finest newspapers, including the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Indianapolis Star. He also owns the book publishing company, Hilltop30 Publishing Group, and he has written four books and published 16 others.