Overview
- Tip is set for Saturday at 12 p.m. ET at Mackey Arena on CBS, with both teams entering 8-0 in nonconference play.
- Purdue is fresh off an 81-65 road win at Rutgers that featured balanced scoring and a 36-25 rebounding edge, with Trey Kaufman-Renn posting 19 points and 13 boards.
- Iowa State routed Alcorn State 132-68 with a program-record 22 made threes and enters leading the nation in field-goal percentage at 55.0% while ranking third from deep at 43.3%.
- All eyes turn to the backcourt as Purdue star Braden Smith directs the nation’s top-rated offense, while Iowa State awaits clarity on Tamin Lipsey’s status after he practiced Friday, per CBS Sports.
- Context favors experience-rich Purdue, which owns marquee wins over Alabama and Texas Tech and a 49-3 nonconference mark since 2021-22, as CBS projects Purdue -4.5 and a Yahoo preview leans Boilermakers by six.