Ohio State men’s basketball vs Purdue: Game preview and prediction

The game everyone circled on their calendars back in November has finally arrived, with about as much fanfare and excitement as any game has so far this season. This afternoon, the No. 16 Ohio State Buckeyes (13-4, 6-2) travel to West Lafayette to battle the No. 6 Purdue Boilermakers (17-3, 6-3) in Mackey Arena. Matt Painter has perhaps his best team ever during his 17-year run at Purdue, with future NBA lottery pick Jaden Ivey (16.6 PPG, 5 REB) leading the charge.

The Boilermakers are No. 6 in the AP Poll. They are No. 4 in KenPom. They are No. 6 in the NET rankings. They’re averaging a tremendous 84.7 points per game, and have four players averaging at least 12 points per game. They’re…