Purdue Basketball: Can Purdue Stop Jared Sullinger and The Ohio State Buckeyes?

On Tuesday, the Purdue Boilermakers will travel to Columbus to face the No. 1 team in the nation, the Ohio State Buckeyes.

This game is sure to be a battle of two of the nation's elite Big Men in Ohio State's Jared Sullinger and Purdue's JaJuan Johnson.  

Sullinger has been dominant in his freshman season with the Buckeyes, leading them to a record of 20-0 this season. The 6'9", 280-pound forward out of Columbus is averaging 17.9 points and 10.2 rebounds on the season.

Sullinger is very gifted with or without the ball and is able to drive to the hoop and draw the foul. He has yet to be adequately defended and poses a tough challenge for any team in the nation.

His great performances have led many to tout him as the best player in the nation and by far the best player in the Big Ten, but I'm sure JaJuan Johnson is going to have something to say about that.

JaJuan Johnson, the 6'10" senior out of Indianapolis, has led the Boilermakers to a 17-3 record this season while averaging 20.5 points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game.

Although a big man, Johnson has one of the softest jump shots in the Big Ten. He is able to extend the court and force the opposition to guard him on the perimeter; he even hit a 16-foot jump shot against Penn State to clinch a victory less than a week ago.  

Johnson is a very dangerous player that needs attention everywhere on the court.

Although the big men will get a lot of attention in this game, it will also be a tremendous battle at the guard position.

Both Purdue and Ohio State have had excellent guard play this season.  

Purdue is led by senior shooting guard E'Twaun Moore, who is averaging 18.1 points per game this season and is coming off a 25-point performance against Michigan State.

The Buckeyes are led by William Buford, who is averaging just over 13 points a game and David Lighty, who is averaging just over 12 points.

Both of these guys know how to score and will be tough for the Boilermakers to defend.

Although Purdue has been depending on Johnson and Moore most of the season, they are blessed with a key supporting staff that has been stepping up as of late.

Point guards Kelsey Barlow and Lewis Jackson have both had great seasons and are coming off two great performances against Michigan State. Both of these guys are great defensively, with Kelsey Barlow being one of the best defenders in the Big Ten.

This basketball game should be a great game and will require an excellent game by both teams if they want to propel their squad to the top of the Big Ten.

Ohio State has been flirting with disaster, with five of their last six games being decided by five or fewer points.  

Purdue is coming in playing their best basketball of the season after defeating Michigan State, 86-76.

Look for the Boilermakers to knock off the Buckeyes in Columbus, as JaJuan Johnson makes his case for the Big Ten Player of the Year crown. 

Purdue 76, Ohio State 68.

James Evens is a Purdue student and Basketball/Football Featured Columnist for the Boilermakers, along with being a Writing Intern at Bleacher Report.    

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