Column: Scouting the Boilermakers

WHO Purdue (20-10, 10-7)
WHAT Senior Night for Tom Crean’s first recruiting class.
WHEN 6 p.m. Sunday
WHERE Assembly Hall
HOW TO WATCH Big Ten Network, IU Radio Network

Scouting Purdue
Head coach Matt Painter, seventh season
Leading scorer Senior forward Robbie Hummel, 16.8 points per game
Leading rebounder Senior forward Robbie Hummel, 7.0 rebounds per game
Best win At Michigan, 75-61
Worst loss At Penn State, 65-45
What they do well The Boilermakers’ assist/turnover ratio, 1.6, is the best in the conference. They are averaging just 8.7 turnovers per game.
What needs work Free throws. Purdue has the worst free-throw percentage in the Big Ten at 65.3 percent

Projected starters
Indiana
G Jordan Hulls
11.1 points per game
G Victor Oladipo 11.3
F Will Sheehey 8.4
F Christian Watford 11.5
F Cody Zeller 15.5

Purdue
G Lewis Jackson 10.3 ppg
G Terone Johnson 8.3
G Ryne Smith 9.3
F Travis Carroll 2.7
F Robbie Hummel 16.8

My take

Even though IU is now securely in the NCAA Tournament, there is still a lot to play for Sunday. First and foremost, it is the chance to give these five seniors a win in their last game at Assembly Hall.

Second, the Hoosiers can sweep Purdue in a two-game regular season series for the first time since 2005-06, when Mike Davis was at the helm. And third, Sunday’s game will decide who finishes fifth in the Big Ten, a seed that will play the 12th-place team in the Big Ten Tournament.

Since the dismissal of guard Kelsey Barlow on Feb. 20, the Boilermakers have not lost. Within that three-game winning streak, Purdue handed No. 13 Michigan its only loss at home this season. In that loss, the Wolverines learned the danger of unlikely Boilermakers emerging as scorers.

Against Michigan, Purdue sophomore guard Terone Johnson led all scorers with 22 points off 9-of-12 shooting from the field. Boilermaker senior forward Robbie Hummel will take a lot of shots and get his points — this is a given. But IU has to watch out for that second player who could step up and emerge as another threat.

Still, too much is going in the Hoosiers’ favor in this one. IU is playing at home against its rival for Senior Night. Assembly Hall is going to be packed, and it’s going to be loud. Emotions will be running high, and the younger Hoosiers will want to help honor these seniors by playing their tails off and getting a big win. IU handily beat the Boilermakers in Mackey Arena, and I expect no different Sunday.

More than anything though, I want to see the Hoosiers build a big lead late in the game so the five seniors can sub in and be the last IU players on Branch McCracken Court in the 2011-12 season.