Indiana-Purdue highlights Saturday college hoops slate on FOX

John Fanta

College Basketball Broadcaster and Reporter

Mackey Arena will be on another level Saturday night when No. 5 Purdue welcomes No. 17 Indiana in this week’s edition of FOX Primetime Hoops.

That is one of three matchups on the Saturdays slate on FOX, with No. 19 Creighton facing a road test at Villanova at Noon ET, followed by the UConn women looking to bounce back on the road at DePaul at 2 p.m. ET.

Here’s a look at what to watch for in each matchup:

No. 19 Creighton at Villanova – Noon ET, Wells Fargo Center

There are two main questions surrounding this showdown, and they are very different:

How will Creighton respond from a tough loss at home to Marquette, all but officially ending the Bluejays’ hopes of winning the Big East regular-season title?
Could Villanova be peaking at the perfect time and be the dark horse to emerge as Big East Tournament champions in two weeks?

Kyle Neptune’s Wildcats are playing their best basketball of the season, winning four of their last five games and coming off a 64-63 victory at Xavier. The reason for Villanova’s recent success is clear: Justin Moore. Not only has he picked up steam since he made his season debut on Jan. 29 coming off his Achilles injury, but it’s allowed for others to settle into their roles. Moore has averaged 19 points over the last three games, and it’s clear that Villanova will be the team none of the higher-seeded teams in the Big East Tournament want to draw in the quarterfinal round at Madison Square Garden.

Meanwhile, the Bluejays had won eight in a row and were playing like a top-15 team throughout January and the first half of this month, but they have dropped two of their last three games. It’s not often that Greg McDermott’s team loses a 12-point lead on its home court, but that’s what happened in Tuesday’s 73-71 defeat to the Golden Eagles. Ball movement and security are important for this team to thrive. They had 15 turnovers against Marquette and throughout much of the second half, the ball was stuck. The Jays have high-level individual playmakers in Trey Alexander, Baylor Scheierman and Arthur Kaluma, but they can’t get trapped into playing hero ball.

When these teams met three weeks ago, it was the first real sign that Villanova could put a stretch run together as the Wildcats took Creighton to the final minute before the Jays found a way to win, 66-61. Alexander went off for 27 points in the victory, while Ryan Kalkbrenner tallied 16 points. Moore had 13 points but went 4-of-11 from the floor, and was still easing his way back. He’s become a different player in recent weeks, and Villanova could keep this recent surge rolling Saturday if he’s leading the way.

No. 4 UConn at DePaul (W) – 2 ET, Wintrust Arena

It’s not often that we’re saying “UConn’s women’s basketball team is looking to bounce back,” but that is the case entering Saturday. Coming off impressive wins over Creighton and Villanova, UConn was stunned by St. John’s, falling 69-64 in Hartford and giving the bubbly Red Storm team a massive win that puts them on the right side of things.

Perhaps it was the aftereffects of those previous Big East battles for Connecticut that played into the Huskies taking a second loss in conference play for the first time in a decade. But more than anything, UConn only having six players in its rotation means that the Huskies’ winning formula becomes much more limited than normal. It’s pretty remarkable that this team is 24-5 to begin with, as Lou Lopez Sénéchal has taken on the lead scoring role and Aaliyah Edwards has been one of the best frontcourt players in America.

What makes Saturday’s matchup a fun watch? It’s actually DePaul, which will have the best bucket-getter on the floor. Blue Demons sophomore and Chicago native Aneesah Morrow is fourth in the country at 25.7 points per game and has been playing as well as any player in the nation over the last two weeks. She is averaging 27.5 points, 17.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 3.3 steals and 1.8 blocks per contest over the last four games.

Morrow’s productivity in Hall of Famer Doug Bruno’s system has resulted in a highly entertaining offense. The issue for the Blue Demons is defense. DePaul ranks last in that column in the Big East, surrendering 72.1 points per game. That’s what led the Huskies to a 94-51 win over the Blue Demons in the first meeting.

No. 17 Indiana at No. 5 Purdue – 7:30 ET, Mackey Arena

This is the type of showcase game that is great for the sport, as All-American talents Zach Edey and Trayce Jackson-Davis collide in this Big Ten matchup on Saturday night. What adds to the drama of this matchup? Purdue is out for revenge after taking just its second loss of the season back on Feb. 4, when Jackson-Davis put up 25 points, seven rebounds and five blocks in a 79-74 victory over the Boilermakers.

Purdue has had a week to reset and prepare for this game. The Boilers blasted Ohio State this past Sunday, but they had lost three of four before that win over the Buckeyes. For Matt Painter’s team, this home stretch is about staying on the 1-line in NCAA Tournament bracket projections and regaining the rhythm offensively that led them to a 22-1 start to the year. That comes down to Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer knocking down perimeter shots and for the entire team to avoid turning the ball over.

Meanwhile, Saturday night offers a daunting task for a Hoosiers team that will try and respond from an 80-65 loss to Michigan State on Tuesday. Indiana is 9-3 in its last 12 games, playing like a team capable of winning multiple games in the NCAA Tournament. In Tuesday’s loss, though, the Hoosiers lost the handle on their defensive identity while Tyson Walker and AJ Hoggard combined for 45 points for the Spartans. With Jalen Hood-Schifino struggling from 3-point range, the Hoosiers just didn’t have enough.

With Xavier Johnson still out with a foot injury, Hood-Schifino has had to really step up, which he’s done. But more than anything, the level that Jackson-Davis has been playing at makes Indiana a team that can make the second weekend of the tournament. Over the last six games, Jackson-Davis is averaging 28.2 points, 10.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.

Meanwhile, Edey is coming off a 26-point, 11-rebound outing in Purdue’s win over Ohio State. He went for a casual 33 points, 18 rebounds and three blocks in the first meeting against the Hoosiers.

This matchup comes down to which supporting cast – and in particular, who of the top-tier freshmen – will come up bigger for their team.

There’s no love lost between these teams and Mackey will be on another level. This will be a fun one.

John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.

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