Oregon St. (201) vs. Purdue (3-2) at Madison Square Garden - 2K Sports Classic Consolation Round - 2 PM / ESPNU / KEJO 1240 AM / KPOJ 620 AM
Oregon State's sloppy play and frequent turnovers cost them a win against Alabama on Thursday, and Purdue's inconsistent offense and bad free-throw shooting were to blame for their 89-81 OT loss against Villanova. Both teams will be playing with a chip on their shoulder, but will also be feeling the effects of playing two games well within 24 hours of each other.
Here's how Hammer & Rails, the Purdue blog, is looking at the game.
Last year, the Boilermakers finished 6th in the Big Ten, made it to the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament, and lost to Kansas in the round of 32 at the NCAA tournament. However, like the Crimson Tide, they've lost their best player from the 2011 campaign in Robbie Hummel. As of now, it's looking like a stretch for the Boilermakers to return to the NCAA tournament this year. On Thursday, D.J. Byrd lead Purdue with 16 points, but fouled out, along with many other Boilermakers, late in the game.
The Beavers also struggled Thursday, turning the ball over a whopping 20 times, and looked absolutely hopeless on defense for much of the second half. Nobody performed particularly well except Devon Collier and Angus Brandt, Ahmad Staks was ice cold, and the poor showing resulted in a 65-62 loss of a winnable game. The Beavers look to save some face and leave New York with a win.
Go Beavs!