(PURDUE RELEASE)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - After a much-needed eight-day break, the Purdue men's basketball team returns to action to start the second half of league play on Saturday by hosting No. 21-ranked Minnesota. Tip is scheduled for 7:37 p.m. ET, on the Big Ten Network with Dave Revsine and Len Elmore calling the game from a secluded tropical island.
The short-handed Boilermakers saw a four-game winning streak end against Michigan, but with six of its final 10 games at home, Purdue looks to start the second half of league play on a high note as it pushes toward its sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
THE KEY TALKING POINTS
1) Purdue leads the series with Minnesota by a 105-85 margin. Purdue is 41-7 against the Golden Gophers at Mackey Arena, having won 11 of 12 meetings in the facility under Matt Painter (lone loss -- Jan. 1, 2017; 91-82 overtime loss).
2) According to KenPom.com, Purdue ranks 331st (out of 347 teams) in experience (1.07 years). The total is 14th in the Big Ten. Indiana is the next least-experienced team in the league at 1.36 years (286th nationally).
3) Purdue has had its full arsenal of rotation players for just 10 of its 17 games this year, missing key personnel for seven games this year. Purdue went 7-3 in those 10 games, all coming against power-conference teams.
4) Friday's contest is game number 800 in Mackey Arena history. Purdue is 654-145 (.819) in the facility, including 353-107 (.767) in Big Ten play.
5) A win would give Matt Painter 174 wins in Big Ten play, tying Illinois' Harry Combes for eighth on the all-time Big Ten wins list.
6) Four freshmen have earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors, the most in league history. Michigan (2012-13) and Ohio St. (2010-11) had 3.
7) Purdue's strength of schedule ranks in the top 10 across all metrics (7th - ESPN BPI; 8th - Sagarin; 8th - KenPom; 9th - NCAA Net rankings).
8) Purdue owns a 51-9 record at Mackey Arena in Big Ten games since the start of the 2014-15 season. Michigan St. has next best record (47-12).
9) Saturday's game will be the 299th conference game that Matt Painter will coach in (18 at Southern Illinois; 280 at Purdue). He owns a 190-108 (.638) record in league games. He has finished in the top 3 of the league standings in 10 of his 16 completed seasons.
10) With the win over Penn State, Purdue has won 19 straight games when scoring at least 80 points; 41-2 since the start of the 2017-18 season.
11) Purdue averaged 15.4 turnovers per game during the first seven games. In the last 10 games, Purdue has averaged just 11.6 turnovers.
12) Purdue has won 102 straight games when scoring at least 90 points, spanning over 33 years (last loss: Nov. 24, 1987, to Iowa State).