For Ohio, this is about as big of a nonconference regular season game as it can get.
The Bobcats will welcome Purdue to The Convo on Tuesday night for the venue’s first Big Ten opponent appearance since 2001. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. on national television on ESPN2.
For Purdue, the game should merely be a simple preseason tuneup against a mid-major school with an inexperienced roster. Ohio, however, has a chance to make another early statement ahead of Mid-American Conference play if it can keep things close against a team that advanced to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament last season.
Here’s everything you need to know:
How to watch/listen
TV: ESPN2
Radio: Learfield IMG broadcast call
The opposition
The Boilermakers (6-4, 1-1 Big Ten) dropped their Big Ten road opener Sunday against Nebraska and are currently in a 12-way tie for third place in the conference — yes, all but two teams are 1-1.
Purdue has lost games to Texas and Marquette but has wins over VCU, ranked No. 20 at the time, and Virginia, who is currently ranked No. 9 and won the NCAA Tournament last season.
Senior guard Jahaad Proctor leads the Boilermakers with 13.3 points per game while Matt Haarms (10.8 points per game) and Eric Hunter Jr. (9.7 points per game) trail closely behind. 6-foot-9 forward Trevion Williams has provided a rebound spark off the bench and leads Purdue with 6.4 boards per game. Sasha Stefanovic is the Boilermakers’ best 3-point shooter and is 21-of-51 (41.2%) beyond the arc.
What to watch from Ohio
The Bobcats (7-3) have already played some formidable opponents thus far in their first season under coach Jeff Boals.
All three of Ohio’s losses have come against major college basketball programs in Villanova, Baylor and Utah. Those games have exposed some of the Bobcats’ biggest flaws: offensive rebounds, free throws and turnovers.
So, has Ohio made big enough improvements to at least compete against one of the top programs in the nation?
Regardless, it should be fun to see how guard Jason Preston, who has enjoyed a breakout sophomore season, fares against the top-ranked defense in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers have allowed 56.3 points per game and shouldn’t have much issue containing Preston, but his versatility and elite passing ability — he’s currently third in the nation with 8.6 assists per game — could open opportunities for Ohio’s other starters.
The Bobcats will likely need a big game from Preston in all categories if they want to keep the score close. Ohio has lost by 15 or more points each time it’s played a major program this season.
Notes
-Ohio fell 95-67 to Purdue last season on the road
-Purdue leads the all-time series 5-2
-The Bobcats are 23-68 all-time against current members of the Big Ten
-Ohio’s last win over a Big Ten opponent was its upset over Michigan in the second round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament
-Ohio hasn’t beaten a Big Ten team in The Convo since 1971, when the Bobcats won 79-70 over No. 12 Indiana
-The Bobcats defeated Purdue 80-79 inside The Convo in 1969
