Following the Christmas break for both teams, Kent State and No. 5 Purdue hope their high-scoring and winning ways will continue when they hook up for a Monday evening tip-off in West Lafayette, Ind.
Many likely aren’t surprised by the scoring prowess of Purdue (11-1), which was ranked No. 1 in the country going into the season and has pretty much exhibited the expected form, other than an 81-58 home loss to then-No. 10 Iowa State on Dec. 6.
Purdue enters averaging 84.9 points per game behind the three-headed veteran monster of Trey Kaufman-Renn, Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer.
Kaufman-Renn is averaging 13.9 points and 10 rebounds per game, Loyer is averaging 13.6 points per contest and shooting 42.1% from 3-point range, and Smith averages 12.6 points and 9.6 assists per contest.
However, Purdue’s main focus at the moment is getting better on the other end — defensively.
“That’s what we need to be a really good team,” Kaufman-Renn said. “If we can pull teams under 60 points, we’re going to win a lot of games.”
Purdue hasn’t allowed more than 60 points over its last three contests, giving the Boilermakers nearly unbeatable balance.
“We’ve had some success with teams that don’t double and have to overhelp, and then it can lead to rotations,” Purdue head coach Matt Painter said. “Just trying to have the balance of playing in transition and playing the halfcourt, but also get some things off the glass. We almost got to where we held three opponents in a row to under 60. Just have to keep getting better on the defensive end.”
The Boilermakers, who have won three straight since that lopsided home loss to Iowa State, enter allowing 66.5 points per game overall on the season.
Purdue hopes to keep the defensive improvement going against a Kent State team that has been prolific offensively so far this season.
The Golden Flashes are sixth in the country in scoring at 94.3 points per game, a big reason why they are off to a 10-2 start heading into what will be their first game against an opponent from a Power Four conference this season.
And much of that scoring success comes from the free-throw line, where Kent State averages more than 27 attempts a game and is shooting 73.8%.
Kent State has averaged 11.2 attempts per game from 3-point range, as well, converting 38.6% of them.
Leading the way for the Golden Flashes has been senior forward Delrecco Gillespie, who is averaging 19.3 points and 12.6 rebounds per game, and senior guard Morgan Safford, who is averaging 15.1 points per game and shooting 39.2% from 3-point range.
This will be the fourth meeting all time between the programs, but the first since 1971 when Purdue earned an 82-75 win at Kent State. Purdue has won eight straight games against Mid-American Conference opponents.
–Field Level Media
