INDIANAPOLIS, IN – After throttling then No. 23 Wisconsin, No. 1 Arizona Basketball (8-0) takes on the No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers (9-1, 1-1).
Playing its fourth Top 25 ranked opponent so far on this young season, No. 1 Arizona Basketball returns to action for a primetime matchup against the No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers.
It has been a week since we saw our Wildcats throttle then No. 23 ranked Wisconsin at home. However, for the past week, the focus has been on Purdue, and squaring off with an early title favorite.
Coming in, the Wildcats will be tested significantly. For starters, they travel to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, roughly 70 miles from Purdues' campus, so this will essentially be a home game for them.
Beyond that, Arizona will have to contend with Purdue center, Zach Edey, arguably the best big man and overall player in college basketball.
We see this one being a battle to the end, and for many Cat fans, this has been the game that has been circled on the calendars for many months.
We know it will not be easy, but hopefully, the Wildcats will be ready to go in this one, and earn another big win on the young season!
Getting to Know the details about Arizona Basketball’s opponent, the Purdue Boilermakers.
Team: Purdue Boilermakers
Conference: Big 10 Conference
Current Record: 9–1 (1–1)
Head Coach: Matt Painter. Coach Painter enters his 19th season as head coach of the Boilermakers (20th overall as a head coach).
An alumni of Purdue, Painter has built the Boilermakers into a potential title contender these past couple of seasons, and once again Purdue has a team that is built for a potential deep run in March.
Overall, Coach Painter is 422–199 (210–121) as a head coach at Purde with 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, including six Sweet 16 finishes, and an Elite Eight apperance ('18-'19).
2022-23 Record: Finishing the 2022-23 season with a 29–6 (15–5) record, the Boilermakers had a disappointing tournament, losing to No.16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
So with Arizona Basketball taking on Purdue here is how you can watch and follow our Wildcats!
Arizona Basketball vs Purdue Information and Details:
Date: Saturday, December 16, 2023
Time: 2:30 P.M. MST / 1:30 P.M. PST
Television: Peacock TV
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse – Indianapolis, IN (18,000)
Spread: -1.5 Arizona (Don’t forget to sign up with Caesars Sportsbook or DraftKings to enhance your overall betting experience)
Overall Series Record: 7-5 Purdue. Having met a few times in their collective history, Arizona trails in this head-to-head series, with Purdue having won the last two matchups.
Last Meeting: Purdue beat the Wildcats 89-64 in 2017 as part of the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas.
Arizona Basketball Game Preview:
After throttling Wisconsin at home last week, the Wildcats are back in action with yet another significant challenge as they take on No. 3 Purdue in Indianapolis.
Arizona enters as the slight favorites in this one; however, this one is going to be a dogfight!
Purdue is a very good team, and a lot of their success and production goes through big man, Zach Edey!
If Arizona is going to win, it is going to need one hell of an effort.
Edey is the real deal, and Purdue’s offense flows through him. If the Wildcats are to knock off Purdue, they will need to do its best to stay out of foul trouble and limit Edey as much as it feasibly can.
Beyond that, what will also be important is how Arizona’s guards play. I see the Wildcats having the advantage here, and if Arizona can get strong production from its guards and supporting cast, I like them in this one!
Again, we expect this one to be a fight until the end and it will be no cakewalk for the Cats! Hopefully, Arizona look sharp from the tip and is ready to go for one of the best matchups in college basketball this season!
Tip-off is set for 2:30 P.M. Tucson time with the game being broadcasted on Peacock’s app!
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