Some info...
Some info...
THE STORY: A pair of Big Ten teams heading in opposite directions clash when eighth-ranked Purdue travels to No. 25 Minnesota on Thursday evening. The Boilermakers have won 10 consecutive road games as well as 10 straight overall, while the Golden Gophers have dropped three of four since league play began.
TV: ESPN, 7 p.m. ET.
ABOUT MINNESOTA (12-4 overall, 1-3 Big Ten): The Golden Gophers began the season on a roll, winning the Puerto Rico Tip-Off and climbing as high as 13th in the national polls before stumbling out of the gates in Big Ten play. All of Minnesota's conference losses, however, have come on the road against nationally ranked opponents, including a narrow 67-64 defeat at No. 2 Ohio State on Sunday. The Golden Gophers are 8-1 at home.
ABOUT PURDUE (15-1, 4-0): The Boilermakers have dominated this season with ball control and defense. Purdue ranks among the country's top 10 teams in assist-turnover ratio (1.53) and turnover margin (5.2) and ninth in scoring defense (57.0). Opponents are shooting just 38.8 percent from the field. Seniors JaJuan Johnson (19.4 ppg) and E'Twaun Moore (18.8) were both among those named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 30 list, making Purdue one of just two schools (joining Duke) with more than one player on that list.
WHO'S HOT/WHO?S NOT: Purdue junior guard Ryne Smith shared Big Ten Player of the Week honors after averaging 19.0 points and hitting 11 of 14 shots from 3-point range over the last two games ... Moore, meanwhile, has struggled in the Boilermakers' last two contests, hitting just 7 of 25 shots and averaging 7.5 points ... Minnesota forward Trevor Mbakwe recorded his 10th double-double of the season (16 points, 12 rebounds) against Ohio State on Sunday.
KEY STATISTIC: Both schools have been among the league's best on the boards ? Purdue has a plus-10.9 rebounding margin in its four Big Ten games, while Minnesota is at plus-7.2 in conference play.
RECENT HISTORY: Purdue had won five in a row in the series, including a 59-58 victory at Minnesota last Feb. 24, before the Golden Gophers broke the string with a 69-42 rout in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals on March 13. Minnesota held the Boilermakers to 11 first-half points and limited Moore to just two points on 1-of-14 shooting.
LOOKING AHEAD: Purdue will step away from the league grind on Sunday when it travels to West Virginia, while Minnesota hosts a struggling Iowa club.
LAST WORD: Mbakwe, who leads Minnesota in scoring (13.4) and rebounding (10.4), was jailed on Monday after allegedly violating a restraining order filed by an ex-girlfriend, but head coach Tubby Smith announced Tuesday that Mbakwe will not be suspended for any length of time.
(hey Tubby, nice call on the no-suspension...)
keeping with the Big Ten's high level of integrity...
