Alabama basketball faces first real test of season on the road against Purdue

For No. 2 Alabama, this is a matchup that could be seen again in the NCAA tournament. The Boilermakers, currently sitting at 3-0 on the year, have been one of the best teams in the country in recent years. The Boilermakers, who made the NCAA Championship game last year before falling to UConn, dropped in the preseason poll, reflecting the loss of first-round NBA draft pick Zach Edey. They see the Crimson Tide as a way to prove they’ve still got it. 

For Alabama, this could be an early momentum-setting win ahead of a tough ending to the November slate of games. The challenge will be beating a Boilermakers squad that is ridiculously good at home. 

To open the year, the Boilermakers are 3-0 in home contests. They haven’t lost a home game since February 5th, 2023, when they fell to No.17 Indiana. In an undefeated home streak last season, Purdue averaged 89.5 points per game while allowing only 67.7. The Boilermakers were only held to less than 80 points twice at home last season while breaking 100+ twice. 

On top of all that Purdue has been exceptional against non-conference opponents, having not lost a home game in the non-conference slate winning 38 straight non-conference regular season games since 2019 when they fell to Texas on the home court. 

This year Purdue was picked to finish first in the BIG 10 preseason poll, with junior guard Braden Smith named All-BIG 10 and preseason player of the year. 

Purdue who topped Alabama 92-86 last season in Toronto returns three of five starters from last year's squad with 46% of their scoring back from a year ago. 

So far on the year the Boilermakers have been led in scoring by their three returning starters with junior guard Fletcher Loyer averaging 17-ppg, junior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn with 15.3, and Smith dumping in 15.0 ppg. 

Out the gate, the Boilermakers lack an Edey-like dominant force on the glass, with the undersized Smith leading them off the glass with 6.3 rebounds per game. 

While Purdue has impressive program numbers, The Boilermakers could be settling in for a matchup nightmare with Alabama. 6’11 forward Grant Nelson will be outsized by the Boilermakers bigs, Purdue sports two players of seven foot or bigger, but they lack experience with a sophomore and a freshman in the matchup.

The Boilermakers do like to score and have shot a convincing 54% from the floor and 43% from outside the three-point arc, but they’ll now have to do it against an Alabama team that sported the best offense in the country a year ago. 

For Alabama, if you can make defense the identity of this team again you can pick up the win and set the tone in a tough November. In Purdue and an upcoming Houston team, Alabama will face the two teams that have the highest winning percentage since 2021. 

Tip time is slated for 6:00 pm on Friday, November 15th on Peacock.