Purdue Preview: Scouting No. 21 Auburn

Based on the numbers, Saturday’s tilt looks to be a high-scoring affair. Both teams score prolifically; Auburn puts up 86.5 points per game, while Purdue tallies 84.6 points each contest. The 8-3 Tigers have scored more than 90 points six times already this season, which includes a 112-point barrage inflicted on Jackson State on November 16.

The Boilers have given up 67.1 points per game thus far this season, so their task to get the victory on Saturday is cut out for them.

Leading the way offensively for Auburn is senior forward Keyshawn Hall, a transfer from Central Florida. After earning second-team All-Big 12 honors with the Knights last season, Hall has fit in nicely with the Tigers. He leads his team in both scoring (20.9 per game) and rebounding (8.8) while hitting on 41.5% of his three-point attempts.

Tigers’ head coach Steven Pearl lavished high praise on his star player, comparing him to former Auburn greats Chuma Okeke, JT Thor, Jabari Smith, and Johni Broome. All of those players either played or are currently playing professionally.

“Keyshawn has a mold of all those guys as far as his ability to shoot the ball,” explained Pearl. “I would say the one area that Keyshawn is probably ahead of all those guys is his ability to put the ball on the floor, get to the rim, get contact, and score through contact. He is also really quick and versatile.”

While Hall will be a handful to contain, he is not the only Tiger that demands Purdue’s attention. Three other Auburn players average scoring in double figures.

Tahaad Pettiford, a sophomore guard who was first team All-freshman a year ago, checks in at 16.1 points per game this season. In last year’s matchup, he torched the Boilermakers for 18 points of the bench.

Next on Auburn’s scoring list is swingman Kevin Overton, a Texas Tech transfer, who adds 10.6 points each game. Guard KeShawn Murphy, a senior who played at Mississippi State last season, contributes 10.1 points per contest.

One dark cloud hovering over Auburn is the recent news that 7-foot center Emeka Opurum will be sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a health concern. His 3.8 points and 2.5 rebounds per game will no longer be available for Pearl’s team in 2025-26.

Similar to Purdue, Auburn’s early-season schedule was littered with major-college opponents that have battle-tested them to this point. Their three losses came at the hands of three top-10 teams: No.8 Houston (73-72), No.2 Michigan (102-72), and No.1 Arizona (97-68). This will allow the Tigers to be unfazed when taking the floor against No.6 Purdue.

End Of My Purdue Rant: The Boilers Should Be Ready For Revenge

Auburn’s strength of schedule over its first two months is admirable, but Purdue has played enough high-leverage games to prepare them for this point as well. They have battled against three top-15 teams, going 2-1 in those games.

With a week removed from their previous game against Marquette, the Boilermakers should be well-rested and properly motivated to avenge last year’s loss to Auburn. The hope is that the Paint Crew and the rest of Boiler Nation are willing to travel an hour down the road to make Gainbridge Fieldhouse feel like “Mackey South.”