Mackey Matchups

Tonight starts the official season for the Purdue basketball team as the team prepares to play against Detroit Mercy at nine o’clock in Mackey Arena. I know I plan on going to the game and am excited for the great home schedule the Boilers will be playing this year. There are some huge name teams coming to WestLaf this year and while I am excited for all the games, I am particularly excited for a select few.

#5 Duke (December 2)- When I heard about this game last year I immediately got excited. Duke is a one of the best if not the best basketball program in the country and once again they will field a very competitive team. The Blue Devils are ranked fifth in the latest USA Today poll and are led by three year starter Greg Paulus and sophomore Kyle Singler. Singler is a “Robbie Hummel” like player in that he can do everything on the court. Duke is very similar to Purdue as they are lacking a true inside presence, but like Purdue they make up for it with their quickness and great perimeter play. Teams like Duke don’t come to Mackey very often so take advantage and get tickets.

#21 Wisconsin (January 11)- This is the day before we start classes for the second semester so make sure you come back early enough from Winter Break to catch this game. The Badgers are the returning conference champs and are the model of consistency in the Big Ten in that they have finished in the top two in the conference all but one time in the last five years. Coach Bo Ryan has got a great thing going in Madison and he looks to continue that success this year. The Badgers are led by senior Marcus Landry (brother of Purdue alum Carl Landry) and junior guard Trevon Hughes. The Boilers were the only team to beat Wisconsin twice last year and the Badgers will definitely be looking for revenge. This should definitely be a fun matchup as the established returning champs look fight off the young and upcoming Boilers.

#7 Michigan State (February 17)- Even with the graduation of All-Conference guard Drew Neitzel the Spartans will be a very tough team this year. Sophomore Kalin Lucas seems more than ready to slip into the starting five and replace the gap left by Neitzel. Lucas scored a season-high twenty points against Purdue last year and most of the offense should run through him. In addition to Lucas Michigan State will look to junior Raymar Morgan for big plays. Morgan will be entering his third year as a starter and is probably one of the most athletic players in the conference. With their abundance of talent and Tom Izzo’s coaching the Spartans will definitely be in contention for a Big Ten title.

The Whoosiers (February 21)- That other school in Indiana will be having a bit of a rebuilding year after the departures of D.J. White, Eric Gordon, and coach Kelvin Sampson. The team was hit by NCAA sanctions because of a recruiting scandal and lost some scholarships because of it. The team is only returning three players from last year’s entire team and the roster is flooded with freshmen and inexperience. The leader for the Whoosiers will be senior Kyle Taber who averaged just 1.3 points per game last season. I don’t think this will be a very competitive game, but I included it on the list because they are IU and Mackey will definitely be shaking when our hated rivals make their way to WestLaf.

“The” Ohio State University (February 28)- This will be one the last home games of the year, but it could be one of the most exciting. The Buckeyes are young and inexperienced, but their young players are so, so talented. The youthful Bucks will be led by the top ranked recruit in the class of 2008, B.J. Mullens. Mullens is the third seven footer in as many years that coach Thad Matta has brought in and his coaches are expecting big things. The freshman will be a force down low and has the ability to hit some outside shots as well as run the floor. It will definitely be interesting to see if this kid can live up to the hype. Mullens and his fellow freshmen will look to junior David Lighty for leadership. Lighty is a shut-down type defender who is the most experienced player on the roster. This should definitely be a great matchup as Purdue and Ohio State each beat each other once last year.

Remember all these games are in Mackey Arena and we must protect our home turf. If you go to these games, BE LOUD. Last year the student section was great and Coach Painter called us the “best student section in the Big Ten”. We have to keep this going and keep “Mackey Madness” alive. Go Boilers!