GAMEDAY INFORMATION
[6 / 6] Purdue (9-1, 2-0) vs. Marquette (5-5, 0-0)
Saturday, December 13 | 2:00 PM ET
West Lafayette, Indiana | Mackey Arena (14,876)
TV: Peacock, NBCSN (John Fanta, Jess Settles)
RADIO: Purdue Global Radio Network (Rob Blackman, Bobby Riddell)
THE SCENE SETTER
• Stepping back into non-conference play after a successful two-game stint into Big Ten play, the No. 6-ranked Purdue Boilermakers host regional rival Marquette to Mackey Arena for a Saturday afternoon tilt. Saturday’s contest will complete a two-game, home-and-home series and actually marks the sixth time in the last nine seasons that the teams have faced off, after not having played previously since 1969.
• Following the Marquette contest, Purdue will take a week off before battling No. 21-ranked Auburn in the Indy Classic on Dec. 20.
THE MATCHUP
• Meeting for the 14th time in school history, Purdue and Marquette will face off for the third straight season after meeting as ranked foes in each of the previous two campaigns.
• No. 15 Marquette defeated the sixth-ranked Boilermakers a year ago on Nov. 19, in Milwaukee, 76-58, handing the Boilermakers their first non-conference loss since the 2020-21 season (had won 39 straight reg.-season, non-con games).
• The two teams met in a memorable contest in the Maui Invitational in Nov. 2023, as the No. 2-ranked Boilermakers topped No. 4 Marquette, 78-75, on a late tip-in by National Player of the Year Zach Edey.
• Purdue won the first nine games between the two teams in series history from 1932 to 2017.
• The lone meeting in Mackey Arena history was Braden Smith’s coming-out party as a freshman during the 2022-23 season, scoring 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting with three assists in a 75-70 win.
• Purdue faced Marquette in three of its five appearances in the Gavitt Games, coming in the 2017, 2019 and 2022 events.
NEWS AND NOTES
• Purdue is coming off a bounceback performance in an 85-57 win over Minnesota, the Boilermakers’ fourth win this season by 25 or more points.
• After a slow start, Purdue outscored Minnesota 29-2 right out of halftime to cruise to the win in the second half.
• The Boilermakers are now 9-1 (or better) for the seventh time under Matt Painter, including four times in the last five seasons (2010, 2011, 2016, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026).
• Purdue is also 2-0 in Big Ten play for the first time since the 2022-23 season and for just the seventh time in Matt Painter’s 21-year tenure.
• Purdue is one-of-14 schools in the country to rank in the top 30 nationally in both offensive (1st) and defensive (26th) efficiency, via KenPom.
• Purdue is also 10th nationally in assist rate (A / FGM), assisting on 65.2 percent of all its made field goals.
• Oscar Cluff (3rd) and Trey Kaufman-Renn (7th) rank in the top 10 in offensive rebound percentage, via KenPom.
• On the NCAA team leaderboards, Purdue ranks third in assist / turnover ratio (2.04), sixth in assists per game (20.4), 10th in 3-point percentage (.403), 11th in rebound margin (+11.7) and 34th in field goal percentage (.502).
• On the NCAA individual leaderboards, Braden Smith is second in assists per game (9.1), Trey Kaufman-Renn is 10th in rebounds per game (10.6) and Daniel Jacobsen is 22nd in blocks per game (2.40).
• Purdue has won its first two Big Ten games by a combined 44 points, its highest combined margin of victory in its first two Big Ten games since the 1943-44 season (62 combined points).
• Purdue is just 12-of-37 (.324) from long range and 21-of-36 (.583) from the free throw line in the last two games.
• Purdue hasn’t had a starter score 20 points in a game since the Nov. 20, contest against Memphis, six games ago.
• Purdue players have recorded 10 double-doubles in 10 games this season. A year ago, Purdue had 14 double-doubles in 36 games. The school record for double-doubles in a season is 38 (2023-24).
