Purdue vs. Illinois: Big Ten Basketball Clash Tonight

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00:00A big game in the Big Ten tonight, in terms of conference seating for next week's Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis.

00:07It's Purdue and Illinois in Champaign.

00:10The Boilermakers, a four-and-a-half-point road underdog, despite being the ranked team against an Illinois squad

00:17that is playing much better basketball in their last two.

00:20Two consecutive 20-point wins, including over the weekend,

00:24so a long stretch for the Illini to rest against Michigan in Ann Arbor.

00:28DRS, four-and-a-half-point number, total now at 160, and a hook.

00:33How do you read tonight's game in Champaign?

00:35It's hard to read. It's knocking off my equilibrium right now, because everything I love, it's like,

00:39ooh, I get excited for it, and then I got to take two steps back here.

00:42Hear me out on this. Purdue's offense is really good. We know that.

00:44Ultra-efficient, the best in Big Ten play.

00:46What they do well is shoot the three-point shot, number one in conference play, about 38% of the team.

00:52Then you take a look at Illinois, like, ooh, they don't defend it all that well, at about 35%.

00:55So the three ball should be open. Then you look at Stiles making fights here.

01:00Yeah, they don't defend it all that well, but they're the best in conference play,

01:02Ben, at chasing you off the three-point line, which disappoints me greatly.

01:06Let's flip it over to Illinois on offense here. Very quality offense.

01:09Fourth out of 18 teams in Big Ten play on efficiency here.

01:13They love to shoot the three-point shot, but they don't make the three-point shot all that much.

01:18And how about this? Purdue's defense will let you shoot the three-point shot,

01:22but then defend the hell out of it. You see what I mean?

01:24Like, this could be a match made in heaven, and it's really giving me a gut punch right now.

01:28Going like, ooh, I love the three-point shooting for Purdue.

01:30Ah, but they won't get a lot of three-point shots off.

01:32Ooh, look at Illinois. They love to shoot the three-point shot.

01:35Brick, brick, brick, brick, brick. See where I'm going with that?

01:37But for me, I do think Purdue is the better basketball team overall.

01:41But again, it's hard to win on the road. I'm willing to take the four-and-a-half points here,

01:45trusting Purdue's offense, even if it's a minimal shot attempt they get from three-point range.

01:50When they're open, they'll knock them down. It's a tough game, though.

01:53It's almost a perfect storm, but then you take a look at the numbers, like,

01:56oh, man, it's a perfect storm that might rain on me tonight with a loss.