Ohio State then-sophomore forward E.J. Liddell (32) gets a shot off during the Ohio State-Purdue Big 10 Tournament game on March 12, 2021. Ohio State won 87-78. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
March 19, 2021, was a day that will never be forgotten in Ohio State men’s basketball history, for all the wrong reasons.
It marked the last time the Buckeyes traveled to West Lafayette, Indiana, and into the hallowed halls of Mackey Arena. But Ohio State didn’t play Purdue that day; the Buckeyes, instead, fell victim to March Madness.
On that day, the Buckeyes took the floor at Mackey Arena and became just the ninth No. 2 seed in NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament history to fall to a No. 15 seed — losing to Oral Roberts 75-72 in heartbreaking fashion.
While that game still sticks in the mind of the No. 16 Buckeyes’ (13-4, 6-2 Big Ten) players, coaches and fans, assistant coach Ryan Pedon said that it’s a different season and that they cannot let that game affect their preparation for a talented No. 6 Purdue (17-3, 6-3 Big Ten) squad.
“It’s human nature. You walk through those doors and the memories you carry from last March 19th, I don’t think those will ever leave us. But at the end of the day, this is a whole different chapter,” Pedon said. “Do I think that will have any bearing on tomorrow’s game? To be honest I don’t. But, hopefully that experience has galvanized us in some form or fashion.”
While the opponent and circumstances are different than they were on that infamous day, Mackey Arena still provides a distinct challenge for visitors. Touted as one of the most difficult places to play in all of college basketball, Purdue holds a 10-1 record at home entering Sunday.
Under head coach Chris Holtmann, the Buckeyes are 1-2 against the Boilermakers at Mackey Arena and have not beat Purdue on its home floor since Feb. 7, 2018.
“Everybody struggles at that place,” Holtmann said on his weekly radio show on 97.1 The Fan Monday.
With “The Paint Crew” — Purdue’s student section — behind them, the Boilermakers boast the nation’s most dangerous offense — ranking first in the country in adjusted offensive rating, per KenPom.
The Boilermakers are led by a quartet of double-digit scorers that pace them to a Big Ten-best 84.7 points per game. Purdue is also one of three teams in the country that shoots higher than 50 percent — nailing 50.6 percent of its shots.
Purdue sports a pair of elite scoring duos, as guards sophomore Jaden Ivey and senior Sasha Stefanovic rain fire from the perimeter while big men sophomore Zach Edey and senior Trevion Williams bully opponents in the paint.
In the backcourt, Ivey and Stefanovic both shoot the 3-ball above a 40 percent clip. Ivey leads Purdue with 16.9 points per game while Stefanovic drops 12.2 points per game.
While Ivey and Stefanovic stretch defenses out with their shooting ability, Edey and Williams are dominating presences in the paint. The 7-foot-4 center Edey dazzles with his length, producing 14.8 points per game on a Big Ten-best 70.4 percent from the field.
Despite picking up 2020-21 All-Big Ten First Team honors, Williams moved to the bench in 2021-22 and has thrived as the Boilermakers’ sixth-man. The Chicago native provides Purdue with 12.7 points per game.
With attention to Purdue’s dynamic offense, Pedon said the Boilermakers’ ability to score from anywhere is what makes them so difficult to stop.
“Purdue’s offense is well-documented. They can hurt you in a variety of ways,” Pedon said. “I see a team that knows who they are at a high level. They’re not trying to be someone or a team that they’re not. They play to their strengths and know who they are and it’s a real challenge to stop them.”
The Buckeyes and Boilermakers met three times last season, with Purdue emerging victorious in both regular season contests but Ohio State got the last laugh with an 87-78 overtime win in a wild Big Ten Tournament meeting.
Ivey, Edey, Williams and Stefanovic were all part of the Boilermakers in 2020-21, with Ivey even delivering a game-winning dagger with five-seconds remaining to push Purdue over the Buckeyes Jan. 19, 2021.
As Ohio State prepares to see the Boilermakers for the first, and only, time this regular season, Pedon said that Purdue is “pretty similar” compared to last year and will pose the same threat it did last season.
“They have so many guys returning so it’s going to be a real challenge. They’ve got great size, they’ve got versatility, they’re deep,” Pedon said. “I see a lot of the same tendencies and coverages that they had last year.”
The Buckeyes and Boilermakers tip-off at noon Sunday in West Lafayette, Indiana. The game will be televised on CBS.
