Purdue vs. Illinois State: Stats & Preview

• What: Illinois State (1-1) vs. Purdue (0-2)
• When: Monday, Nov. 9, 2026
• Where: Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. (14,876)
• Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
• TV: Fox Sports 1 (FS1)
• Stream: FOX One
• TV announcers: Jeff Levering (play-by-play), Steve Smith (analyst)
• Radio: Purdue Global Radio Network | 96.5 FM WAZY (Lafayette), 100.9 FM WKJG (Fort Wayne), 1260 AM WNDE (Indianapolis), 99.5 FM WFNB (Terre Haute), 1450 AM WXVW (Louisville) | SiriusXM Channel 271
• Radio announcers: Rob Blackman (play-by-play), Bobby Riddell (analyst)
• Live stats: StatBroadcast
• Series: Purdue leads the all-time series vs. Illinois State 8-0
• KenPom: Purdue is No. 41; Illinois State is No. 114

Scouting Illinois State

Ryan Pedon, head coach

• 5th season at Illinois State (2022-present)
• 72-66 overall record
• 22-14 in 2024-25, CBI Champion
• 23-13 in 2025-26, NIT semifinals
• Increased win total every season
• Assistant coach at Illinois (2013-15)
• Assistant coach at Butler (2015-17)
• Assistant coach at Ohio State (2017-22)

Key players

• Johnny Kinziger, G  — Through the first two games, Kinziger has been Illinois State's top scorer, averaging 23 points per game. He dropped 30 in the season-opening loss to St. Mary's, trying to will the Redbirds to a victory. Kinziger is shooting 68.8% from three-point range early this year. He's also a former All-MVC second-team selection (2025).
• Chase Walker, F — Walker was a first-team All-MVC selection last year after averaging 13.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He's a strong scorer and good rebounder for Illinois State, bringing good size and physicality into the post. Walker scored 11 points and grabbed five boards in the team's win over Central State.
• Malik Messina-Moore, G — Perhaps Illinois State's most consistent player in the first two games this season. Messina-Moore scored 16 points in the opener and had 18 in the second game. He is averaging 17 points. 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game to start the year.
• Nick Allen, F — A freshman, Allen really popped in Illinois State's win over Central State. He scored 18 points and was 7-of-7 from the floor. He struggled in his first game against St. Mary's, scoring just two points, but he did grab five rebounds and dish out a pair of assists.
• Mason Klabo, G — Klabo is a good passer, accounting for three assists in each of Illinois State's first two games. He scored 12 points against St. Mary's and followed it up with a six-point outing against Central State.

Boilers to watch

• Daniel Jacobsen, C — Jacobsen has taken a massive leap from last season and is averaging 25.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game for the Boilermakers. He's been a dominant force inside through Purdue's first two games, shooting 75% from the field and connecting on 82.4% of his free-throw attempts. It's early, but he's playing at an All-Big Ten level.
• C.J. Cox, G — The junior guard has struggled shooting the basketball, but he's still Purdue's second-leading scorer, averaging 12 points per game. Although it came in a loss, Cox tried to will the Boilers to a victory over Valparaiso, scoring 13 points, collecting 12 rebounds and dishing out four assists.
• Antione West Jr., G  — A redshirt freshman, West has struggled in his first two games at Purdue, but he's been the one that Matt Painter has rolled with down the stretch in games against Gonzaga and Valpo. He's a fearless guard, but needs to start knocking down some shots from the perimeter. West is averaging 8.5 points per contest but is shooting only 33%.
• Gicarri Harris, G — Harris has done some positive things in the first two games. His overall game has improved from last season, which can also be attributed to playing more minutes. In two contests this season, the junior is averaging 9.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists.
• Caden Pierce, F — Pierce has provided a punch on the glass from the four spot this season. He's averaging 6.5 rebounds per contest, as well as 4.5 points and 2.0 assists. The former Ivy League Player of the Year also provides an experienced voice and a calming presence to this team.

2026-27 stats

What to watch

Three-point shooting

The three-point shooting has been a major storyline through Purdue's first two regular-season games. The Boilers are shooting 20% from long range, an atrocious number for a team that was expected to rely heavily on it this season. Has it just been a few poor outings? Or is three-point shooting going to be a season-long issue?

On the other side, Illinois State enters Mackey Arena shooting at a ridiculous clip from behind the arc. The Redbirds have shot 51% from three, making 29-of-57 attempts. Purdue needs knock down their own shots and try to run the Redbirds off the three-point line.

Any answer to Jacobsen?

Neither Gonzaga nor Valparaiso had a legitimate counter to Jacobsen in the first two games. The 7-foot-4 center has been dominant in the post, scoring 22 points in the opener and dropping 28 in Friday's loss to Valparaiso. He's also done an excellent job at converting on his free-throw attempts.

Does Illinois State have an answer? Will it try to double- or triple-team him to get the ball out of his hands and force the Boilers to knock down threes? Can the Redbirds get him into foul trouble? Those will be a few things to watch Monday night.

Potential lineup or rotation changes

We're only two games into the 2026-27 season, so it's way too early to press the panic button. But it will be interesting to see if Painter changes anything up after some tough performances in the first two games. Will we see a different starting lineup? What do the rotations look like?

Perhaps most interesting; who will be on the floor at the end of the game if the Boilers find themselves in another tight battle late?