West Lafayette, IN (My Sportsbook) - An intriguing battle of national heavyweights will ensue in West Lafayette, Indiana this evening, as the Purdue Boilermakers host the Duke Blue Devils as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
Duke is 7-0 on the year, marking the 22nd time in school history and 15th time under Mike Krzyzewski it has opened the season with seven straight wins. All but one of the Blue Devils' victories have come by double figures, including a 95-72 decision over Duquesne on Friday. The team is 9-0 all-time in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, an obvious reason for confidence heading into tonight's matchup.
Purdue is fresh off its first loss of the season, as it dropped an 87-82 decision to Oklahoma in overtime on Saturday. That game, which was part of the NIT Season Tip Off, should serve as a source of confidence for the Boilermakers, as the Sooners are legitimate Final Four contenders. Matt Painter's Purdue squad carries a 5-1 record into this evening's showdown.
Purdue owns a 4-1 lead over Duke in the all-time series between the programs, and the Boilermakers won the most recent meeting by a 76-68 final as part of the 2003 Great Alaska Shootout.
Duke is averaging 83.7 ppg this season while limiting opponents to just 60.9 ppg on 38.1 percent shooting from the floor. The Blue Devils are outrebounding foes by 10.1 rpg, key to their early success. It certainly comes as no surprise that Kyle Singler has been the top performer for Duke. The frontcourt standout is averaging 16.7 ppg and 6.9 rpg. Nolan Smith checks in with 12.4 ppg on 52.6 percent overall shooting, and Jon Scheyer adds 12.0 ppg. Gerald Henderson rounds out the double-digit scorers with 11.4 ppg. In the romp over Duquesne on Friday, Singler scored 17 points, while Smith tallied 11 points. But it was Lance Thomas who stole the shot, as he hit all eight of his shots from the floor and finished with 21 points off the bench.
Many Purdue players deserve credit for the way that they performed against Oklahoma in the overtime loss. E'Twaun Moore scored a team-high 22 points in 42 minutes of action, and Nemanja Calasan pitched in 20 points and eight rebounds. Robbie Hummel and Lewis Jackson both chipped in 10 points for the Boilermakers, who were outscored 33-4 from the foul line, the most obvious reason for the loss. A high total of 19 turnovers and a 45-32 rebounding disadvantage certainly didn't help matters. Moore is the team's leading scorer with 16.7 ppg, and he is tops with 24 assists as well. Hummel is contributing 14.2 ppg and 6.2 rpg, while Calasan nets 10.7 ppg. Purdue has played well defensively, holding opponents to 58.5 ppg on 35.3 percent shooting from the floor.
