Indiana Hoosiers vs Purdue Boilermakers Match Preview – Injury Report, Starting Lineup, and Prediction

The Indiana Hoosiers will lock horns with the Purdue Boilermakers at the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Tuesday. While the Indiana Hoosiers have a 12-5 record, the Boilermakers would be coming into this game with a 15-2 tally.

Surprisingly, both are ranked at the second spot in the Big Ten. The game will be a delight for fans since it will make clear who is closer to winning the Big Ten.

Players to Watch

The central player to watch in this game will be the Indiana Hoosiers forward Malik Reneau. Reneau has been the alpha for his team, basketing 16.3 points per match with 5.8 rebounds per game.

He recently played a decent game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers when he throttled 16 points. Thus, Reneau would be looking to give his opponents a reality check in this game.

The other player who can make a significant difference in this game would be the Hoosiers’ center, Kel’el Ware. Ware has besotted 14.8 points per game and stands atop the rebounds tally in his team stats with 9.6 rebounds per match.

He has also performed exceptionally well in blocks obstructing 1.6 blocks per match. Ware would be keen to form a duo with Reneau and decimate his opponents.

For the Boilermakers, their key player this season has been their center Zach Edey. Edey has been a major contender for the NPOY awards this season. He has soused an exceptional 22.3 points per game with an astonishing 10.9 rebounds per match.

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Thus, he has proved his mettle both defensively and offensively. If the Boilermakers are to make anything of this game, then he will be their main player who will have to bear the onus of his team.

Head to Head

As per the Hoosiers’ official website, the Boilermakers lead the rivalry with 125 wins and have lost 92 times. However, the Hoosiers have overtaken them by leaps and bounds in their home record with a 65-43 record. Whereas in the conference the Purdue looks to dominate with a 115-90 stat. The rivals played their last game in February which the Hoosiers won by a 79-71 record. 

Prediction

The Indiana will play this match at home which will be a major advantage for them. The Purdue will have difficulty in upending the Hoosiers. With a combined effort from their team they can stop Edey in his tracks and then the Indiana can be sure of winning this.

The Purdue are a top-ranked team in AP Polls but might find it difficult to dominate the Indiana in their home.

Injury Report

As per Covers.com, the Indiana have a host of injuries. Their player Anthony Leal was out of the previous game due to an undefined injury and it is unclear if he will play against the Purdue.

The Indiana forward Payton Sparks was also sat out in the previous game due to an undisclosed issue and it is not clear if he will make a comeback against the Purdue.

The Indiana guard Jordan Rayford has been sidelined in the current NCAA season due to a lower body injury.

The Indiana guard Shaan Burke is also out due to an unknown ailment and there is no timeline announced for his return.

Their another guard Jakai Newton had undergone knee surgery and there has been no update on his return timeline.

Starting Lineup

Indiana Hoosiers: Malik Reneau, Mackenzie Mgbako, Kel’el Ware, Gabe Cupps, Trey Galloway

Purdue Boilermakers: Trey Kaufman-Renn, Zach Edey, Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, Lance Jones

Overall, this will be one of the major games in the Big Ten.

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