The biggest game on Thursday night’s college basketball slate — and arguably the biggest game of the young season to date — is slated for prime time treatment Thursday night as No. 2 Purdue travels to Tuscaloosa to take on No. 8 Alabama. The battle, slated for a 7 p.m. ET tipoff, features two of the nation’s most effective offenses, some of the top talents and contrasting styles that should amount to must-watch entertainment.
Purdue enters the game 2-0 after 29- and 10-point wins over Evansville and Oakland to open the season, respectively. The wins were never in doubt for the Boilermakers, but they nonetheless dropped one spot in Monday’s AP Top 25 poll from No. 1 to No. 2.
Alabama, on the other hand, is on the rise after a 2-0 start to its own season highlighted by a 29-point win over North Dakota and a 103-96 road win over preseason No. 5 St. John’s. The Tide, who rose seven spots in the AP Top 25 poll Monday, are rolling into this one headfirst with momentum after that win over the Red Storm on Saturday, and they are armed with a near 100-point-per-game scoring average bolstered by the No. 2 adjusted pace in the sport.
College basketball rankings: Purdue, Alabama clash in top-10 showdown as No. 1 Boilermakers face road test
Gary Parrish
Here is everything you need to know as preseason No. 2 Purdue travels to Tuscaloosa to face No. 8 Alabama on Thursday night.
Where to watch Purdue vs. Alabama live
Date: Thursday, Nov. 13 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Coleman Coliseum — Tuscaloosa, Alabama
TV: ESPN2 | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Purdue vs. Alabama: Need to know
Purdue’s offense efficient early: The most-anticipated season in Purdue men’s basketball history has gone as good, or perhaps better, than expected for coach Matt Painter and his ball club. The Boilermakers have two wins under their belt despite the absence of returning leading scorer, Trey Kaufman-Renn, and thus far their offense is No. 1 in adjusted efficiency metrics at KenPom in that stint. They’ve been efficient in taking care of the ball and in nailing outside shots — having made 13 3s in each of their first two outings.
Boilermakers star Kaufman-Renn set for season debut: Preseason All-American Trey Kaufman-Renn missed the first two games of the season nursing an injury but is slated to make his season debut Thursday night vs. the Crimson Tide. He led the team in scoring and rebounding last season and was devastatingly effective in an early season outing vs. the Crimson Tide in which he scored 26 points and added eight boards and four assists in a win.
Can Alabama dictate pace?: It’s no secret Alabama wants to win by focusing on 3s and layups as part of a modernized shot diet in line with NBA offenses. But the sneaky byproduct of that modernization has been its focus, led by guards Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway, to push the pace and operate with tempo. In two games it ranks No. 2 in adjusted tempo. That stands in stark contrast to Purdue, which is 324th (out of 365 Division I teams) in adjusted tempo. If Alabama can speed Purdue up — or if Purdue can slow Alabama down — it could and likely will go a long way toward determining the victor Thursday.
Purdue vs. Alabama prediction, pick
Alabama has the horses to play fast and the scheme to score 100 even against some of the best teams in the sport — as we have seen already this season. But Purdue is every bit as lethal when accounting for its star power and depth. If Kaufman-Renn can give Purdue what he did down the stretch of the season, this sets up for the Boilermakers to win or at least cover as narrow road dogs. I’m sticking with Purdue — my preseason No. 1 pick — and think this could be a sneaky spot for it to flex its mettle on a big stage. Pick: Purdue +2.5
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