Iowa men face tall order at Purdue in Monday’s Big Ten opener
IOWA CITY, Iowa – The challenge of facing Purdue at Mackey Arena would be hard under any circumstance.
But when it’s a Purdue team that is angry and led by arguably the most dominant college player in the country, the challenge becomes even more difficult.
That’s what will be facing the Iowa men’s basketball team when it plays Purdue in Iowa’s Big Ten opener on Monday at Mackey Arena.
The Boilermakers, who are led by 7-foot-4 All-America center Zach Edey, are coming off a 92-88 overtime loss at Northwestern this past Friday.
It was Purdue’s first loss this season, and it will likely cost it the No. 1 ranking.
So, it’s easy to believe that Edey and his cohorts will be even more locked in when they face Iowa on Monday before a capacity crowd.
Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery thinks this could ultimately prove to be Matt Painter’s best team at Purdue, and that’s say a lot considering Painter’s success at his alma mater.
“It very well could be,” Fran McCaffery said. “They have been really good every year that I’ve been in this league.
“I remember the first time we went down there – Juwan Johnson and that group. That group was pretty special. They’ve been knocking on the door pretty much every year.”
The Boilermakers opened the season with seven straight victories, including a Maui Invitational title, before dropping their Big Ten opener at Northwestern.
Purdue beat three nationally-ranked teams — Gonzaga, Tennessee and Marquette — en route to the title in Maui.
Painter’s squad leads the Big Ten in free throws made per game (20), rebounding margin (+12.6) and 3-point percentage (.409).
Edey has recorded six double-doubles, and is averaging 23.5 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. He also averages 2.88 blocks per game.
“Obviously it takes a collective effort,” Fran McCaffery said of defending Edey. “He’s very difficult one-on-one, I don’t care who that one is. He’s obviously become very used to dealing with pressure and double-teams and guys running at him. He’s actually gotten a lot better at that. He was not very good when he first got there at dealing with that. To his credit, to their credit as coaches, they’ve gotten to the point where he knows where to go with it and it really challenges your defense.
“For us, and for any other team that gets ready to play these guys, you just do the best you can in terms of how you’re gonna play that team. Are you gonna double? How much are you gonna double? Because a lot of times you pick your poison. You start doubling and they start draining 3s on you, so that’s what makes them so hard to beat.”

Iowa is 5-2 heading into Monday’s conference opener with its two losses coming against Creighton in Omaha and against Oklahoma in the Rady Children’s Invitational in San Diego.
Iowa has five players averaging in double figures, and has had at least four players reach double digits in six of seven games this season.
Graduate transfer Ben Krikke, a 6-9 forward from Valparaiso, leads the team with an 18.7 scoring average and he’s the only Hawkeye to score in double figures in every game.
Krikke has a made a team leading 51 field goals and is shooting 61.4 percent from the floor, which rank second and third in the Big Ten, respectively.
Purdue has won the last five games against Iowa at Mackey Arena.
And while Edey is clearly the star for Purdue, he is hardly a solo act as sophomore point guard Braden Smith averages 12.9 points per game and leads the Big Ten with 56 assists.
Fran McCaffery plans to use multiple defensive strategies in hopes of slowing down Purdue.
“It comes down to as the game goes. You do different things,” Fran McCaffery said. “You’re not gonna do one thing the whole time. Obviously we’re gonna mix in zone, we’re gonna mix in pressure, we’ll play the post a certain way and then obviously if they start draining 3s, we’ll change it. You kind of get a feel for how the game is going and then obviously foul trouble factors into what you do. That’s why you play the game.”
Iowa vs. Purdue
When: Monday, 6 p.m.
Where: West Lafayette, Indiana, Mackey Arena (14,240)
TV: Big Ten Network
Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network
All-time series: Monday’s game will be the 174th meeting in the series between Iowa and Purdue, which began in 1908. The Boilermakers lead the all-time series, 95-78, and have won eight of the last 11 games. Iowa beat Purdue, 75-66, in Indianapolis on March 13, 2022, to win Big Ten Tournament title.
Purdue has won the last five meetings in Mackey Arena with the Hawkeyes’ last road victory coming on Jan. 2, 2016, winning 70-63. Iowa has two wins in West Lafayette since 2006 (2016, 2006).