The Boilers will look to keep pace with Michigan State by making Mackey even more intimidating
Mackey Arena, already known as one of the most intimidating places for opponents to visit, will be made that much more daunting for the visiting Indiana Hoosiers. The men’s basketball ‘X’ account announced that the home game on Friday against the Hoosiers will be a ‘Black Out,’ magnifying one of the sport’s best rivalries. The game will tip off at 8:00pm from Mackey Arena and will be televised nationally on Fox.
The Boilers will enter the game as one of the most improved defensive teams in the country since the start of the season, rising to 22nd nationally on Kenpom’s adjusted defensive efficiency rankings after being near 100th in December. That, paired with an offense that has been ranked in the top 10 all season, has pushed the Boilers from a solid second weekend NCAA Tourney team into legitimate Final Four consideration. The Boilers are 16-5 overall and hold an 8-2 B1G record which places them second behind 10-0 Michigan State.
The Hoosiers, however, have struggled to find consistency from a lot of their transfers to create a cohesive unit. Indiana enters the game just 14-7 overall and ranked 68th in the NET. That places them outside of the NCAA Tourney with a difficult schedule ahead of them facing Purdue twice, Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State, UCLA, and Oregon still. At just 5-5 in the B1G, the Hoosiers could be looking at another .500 conference season or worse.
Sure. Let’s do a Black Out Friday. pic.twitter.com/ihTX0LolpY
— Purdue Men’s Basketball (@BoilerBall) January 29, 2025