Following their dominant victory over Ohio State, Maryland will travel to West Lafayette for their first true road game of the season against Purdue on Sunday afternoon. The Boilermakers currently hold a record of 7-1 (0-0), and will face off against Penn State on Thursday night before returning home for this game. They've played a very tough schedule thus far, with their biggest win coming over Alabama. Their only loss came on the road to Marquette. Over the recent Thanksgiving holiday they participated in and won the Rady Children's Invitational in San Diego, with wins against N.C. State and Ole Miss.
Matt Painter is in his 20th season as their head coach, and his team once again has an excellent offensive attack led by a dominant big man. Trey Kaufman-Renn isn't quite as tall as some of the recent front-court prowlers Purdue has boasted, but he averages 19 points and 7 rebounds per game while shooting 60% from the field. Fletcher Loyer returns in their back-court, and leads the team shooting 59% from beyond the arc. Junior point guard Braden Smith is averaging 9 assists per game, and leads one of the country's best half-court offenses.
This is the only time that Maryland and Purdue will meet this season. The Terps are 6-9 all-time against the Boilermakers but have only won once in West Lafayette, back in 2015.
KenPom Rankings
- Maryland: #17 (#38 ORtg, #6 DRtg; #109 AdjT)
- Purdue: #15 (#10 ORtg, #55 DRtg; #327 AdjT)
