Indiana Basketball Game Preview: Purdue – key storyline, injury report, how to watch

Indiana basketball continues Big Ten Conference play in its 125th season of competition  at No. 10 Purdue at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 31, at Mackey Arena. The Hoosiers come into this game 5-5 in the Big Ten.

The Boilermakers enter the game with a record of 16-5 (8-2 Big Ten) under 20th-year head coach Matt Painter. Purdue is led by 15.4 points, 8.9 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per game from junior guard Braden Smith. Junior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn has added a team-best 18.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per night.

Tipoff is set for 8:00 ET on FOX.

Below is the full preview.

Key Indiana basketball Storyline

It’s your rival, act like it

Indiana basketball is in a very tough sport right now. Looking ahead, even though there are many opportunities for the Hoosiers to get back on the right side of the bubble, it is going to be a tall task.

Up next for Indiana, they have a trip to Purdue to face their No. 2 rival. Purdue is a very good team and there is certainly no denying it and while you would hope to be jacked up for a rivalry game, there is just not much hope that the Hoosiers can go in there and compete.

Here is the thing, regardless of where Indiana basketball is right now as a program, you are facing your top rival. Now is the time to play for pride and for the name on the front of the jersey.

Nobody expect Indiana to go in this game and win. Nobody. It is up to Indiana basketball play however they see fit. If Indiana goes in there and simply rolls over, might as well not even care about the remaining part of your season moving forward.

For the 220th times in program history, Indiana will take on archrival Purdue. No team has appeared on the IU schedule more often than Purdue. The Boilers hold a 127-92 advantage in the series.

The Boilermakers won both matchups last season after the Hoosiers swept the series the previous season. Head coach Mike Woodson owns a 3-3 record against Purdue, including a 79-71 win in Mackey Arena on Feb. 25, 2023.

SEE ALSO: Indiana basketball searching for any positives as its execution continues to lack while the gap continues to grow between itself and the competition

Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated, part of the Full Ride Network, on Twitter @Indiana_FRN, Facebook and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. You can also listen to the Talking’ Bout the Hoosiers podcast on Spotify.

Looking for a place to get more Indiana content? Hoosier Illustrated has partnered with Tom Brady’s company ‘Autograph’ to streamline our coverage, so you can continue to do what you do best – follow IU sports. Use the CODE: Indianafr to get started today. For more info, you can start here.