2025-2026 Season
Record: 9-5
Previous 3 Games
1/4: L – 80-90 vs Indiana @ Away
12/29: W- 74 – 65 vs Utah @ Home
12/22: W – 86 – 56 vs San Diego @ Home
Washington Personnel
Starters
Bench
In-Season Injuries
Preseason Injuries
C: Mady Traore – # 3 JuCo Transfer / Former Maryland Starter
F: Jacob Ognacevic
– 4* – Lipscomb Transfer
F: Christian Nitu – UR – FSU Transfer
Key Analytics
(Per KenPom.com – National Rank in ())
KenPom Ranking – 51
Offense
Adjusted Efficiency: 116.6 (66)
Adjusted Tempo: 68.1 (355)
Average Possession Length: 16.9 (128)
Effective Field Goal%: 50.5 (199)
Offensive Rebound%: 36.8 (39)
Three Point%: 31.9 (253)
Two Point %: 51.8 (177)
Defense
Adjusted Efficiency: 101.3 (56)
Adjusted Tempo: 68.1 (199)
Average Possession Length: 17.5 (233)
Effective Field Goal%: 47.9 (65)
Offensive Rebound%: 27.4 (62)
Three Point%: 32.3 (120)
Two Point %: 47.5
Purdue Advantages
Adjusted Efficiency
Purdue Offense: 129.1 (1)
Washington Defense: 101.3 (56)
Notes
Washington is not a bad defensive team; it just so happens that Purdue is historically good on offense. Throw in the lack of a bench and Purdue’s efficiency machine should neuter the Huskies.
Adjusted Efficiency
Purdue Defense: 95.15
Washington Offense: 116.6 (66)
Notes
The efficiency I mentioned above is fueled by made shots. The Boilermakers score, Washington doesn’t, the Boilermakers score, Washington doesn’t, and suddenly you look up, and it’s a 16-point lead. Purdue’s offense is like an anaconda. Every time you don’t match a Purdue basket with one of your own, the Boilermakers squeeze a little harder. Last season, they didn’t have the defense to go along with the offense. It was harder to blow teams out. Now the Boilermakers squeeze their opponents in the first half and eat them in the second
Three Point Shooting %
Purdue Offense: 39.7 (9)
Washington Defense: 32.3 (120)
Not only does Purdue hit shots while stopping their opponents from hitting shots (the very object of the game of basketball), but they also hit 3-point shots. Teams that want to clog the lane and stop the pick-and-roll die quickly from a barrage of threes. Teams that want to stick with shooters die a slower but more brutal Trey as Braden, Trey, Oscar, and DJ punch you in the liver until you move our hands, and then the shooting knocks you out anyway.
Washington Advantages
Offensive Rebounding %
Washington Offense: 36.8 (39)
Purdue Defense: 27.3 (58)
Y’all, we’ve got a Hannes Steinbach vs TKR battle on our hands. The freshman from Germany boasts a (32) offensive rebounding rate (32). Meanwhile, TKR’s 24.3% (57) has come back to earth after his hot early start. We’ll need someone to tell Trey he’s soft before the game because he’s going to need a little extra to keep Steinbach off the glass.
Brief Thoughts
I’m not saying this Huskies team is cursed; all I’m saying is that Danny Sprinkle would be well served by burning some sage around the practice facility because injuries have devastated what could have been a solid team. That’s none of Purdue’s concern; in fact, Washington’s lack of depth might be an important part of Purdue’s gameplan. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few more TRK and Cluff post-ups to see if they can get either Kepnang or, ideally, Steinbach in foul trouble. The biggest guy they have on the bench is 6’7”. If Washington tries to pack the paint to avoid that fate, Purdue will knock them out from the perimeter.
This isn’t a Purdue team you want to play with your full complement of players. I almost feel sorry for the seven deep Huskies.
Prediction
KenPom
Purdue: 82
Washington: 67
Confidence: 92%
Drew
Purdue: 90
Washington: 67
I didn’t see a way for Washington to win this game with Wesley Yates in the lineup. I see a blowout with him on the bench in street clothes. There’s no way seven players can hang with this Purdue team. They’re too physical, and they mentally break teams with their offense. Washington gave Indiana a decent game in Assembly Hall; they’ll enjoy their trip to the premier basketball arena in the state even less.
I’m thinking Purdue takes a low double-digit lead into the locker room at half and balloons it to over 20 by the end of the game. The walk-ons should lock in during the halftime shoot-around because they’re getting off the bench early in this one.
