GAME DAY INFORMATION
[6 / 6] Purdue (9-1, 2-0) vs. Marquette (5-5, 0-0)
Saturday December 13 | 2:00 p.m. 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 STAGE EDITOR
• Returning to non-conference play after a successful two-game stint in the Big Ten, the No. 6-ranked Purdue Boilermakers welcome regional rival Marquette to Mackey Arena for a game Saturday afternoon. Saturday’s contest will complete a two-game home-and-away series and actually marks the sixth time in the last nine seasons that the teams have played each other, having not previously played since 1969.
• After the Marquette contest, Purdue will take a week off before facing 21st-ranked Auburn in the Indy Classic on Dec. 20.
THE MATCH-UP
• Meeting for the 14th time in school history, Purdue and Marquette will face off for the third straight season after facing off as ranked foes in each of the previous two campaigns.
• No. 15 Marquette beat 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 (it had won 39 straight regular-season games, without games).
• The two teams met in a memorable matchup at the Maui Invitational in November 2023, as the No. 2-ranked Boilermakers topped No. 4 Marquette, 78-75, on a late buzzer-beater from national player of the year Zach Edey.
• Purdue has won the first nine games between the two teams in the series’ history from 1932-2017.
• The only game 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 victory.
• Purdue has faced Marquette in three of its five Gavitt Games appearances, in 2017, 2019 and 2022.
NEWS AND NOTES
• Purdue is coming off a bounce-back performance in an 85-57 win over Minnesota, the Boilermakers’ fourth victory this season by 25 or more points.
• After a slow start, Purdue outscored Minnesota 29-2 at halftime to claim the second-half victory.
• 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 the Big Ten for the first time since the 2022-23 season and just the seventh time in Matt Painter’s 21-year tenure.
• Purdue is one of 14 schools nationwide to rank in the top 30 nationally in offensive efficiency (1st) and defensive efficiency (26th), via KenPom.
• Purdue is also 10th nationally in assist rate (A/FGM), assisting on 65.2 percent of all its field goals.
• Oscar Cluff (3rd) and Trey Kaufman-Renn (7th) rank in the top 10 in offensive rebounding percentage, via KenPom.
• In the NCAA team rankings, Purdue ranks third in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.04), sixth in assists per game (20.4), 10th in 3-point percentage (.403), 11th in rebounding margin (+11.7) and 34th in field goal percentage (.502).
• In NCAA individual rankings, 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 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 points combined).
• 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 game 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).
