Purdue vs. Ohio State: JaJuan Johnson vs. Jared Sullinger and Other Key Matchups
Tonight, the No. 12 Purdue Boilermakers will travel to Columbus, Ohio to take on the No. 1 ranked team in the nation—the Ohio State Buckeyes.
The Buckeyes are one of two remaining unbeaten teams in the college basketball ranks, with the other being the San Diego State Aztecs.
This matchup will be a prime time battle of two of the nation's elites and should be a terrific matchup to watch.
Here are some matchups within the matchup to keep an eye on.
JaJuan Johnson vs. Jared Sullinger
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This is definitely the marquee matchup of the evening. Two of the best big men in the country battling for all of the marbles in the Big Ten.
Jared Sullinger—the highly touted freshman has definitely proved he is the real deal.
Sullinger—averaging 17.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game including five games with 20 or more points and a 40-point game earlier this season against IUPUI.
Sullinger is a great player in the post and has the ability to draw a foul and finish strong at the hoop.
He is a defensive nightmare for any team, and that will be no different when he faces JaJuan Johnson.
Unlike Sullinger who is a bruiser in the paint, Johnson is more of a finesse player.
In his senior season, Johnson is averaging 20.5 points and eight rebounds, including 10, 20-plus point games this season.
Johnson has a great jumper and really extends the court for the Boilermakers which causes a lot of problems when he steps out to the perimeter.
This should be an excellent battle on Tuesday evening.
Expect Sullinger to dominate on the boards against a Purdue team that is severely lacking in that area especially offensively.
The key to winning this matchup between the post-monsters, will be fouls. If Jared Sullinger can get Johnson in foul trouble early, Purdue will be in big trouble. Their most consistent post player other than Johnson is freshman center Travis Carroll, who is averaging around 10 minutes per game this season and has been improving—just not highly productive yet.
If Johnson can stay out of trouble, this game will be very competitive, and I would give Purdue the edge, but if he gets into trouble, it could be a long night for the Boilermakers.
Johnson also needs to keep Sullinger in check and keep him under 15 points. If he can do this, the Boilermakers will win this game.
Travis Carroll vs. Dallas Lauderdale
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This matchup is key for the Boilermakers to win.
Both teams have a similar structure to starting lineups as of late, by starting the game big with Purdue starting Johnson and Carroll, and Ohio State starting Lauderdale and Sullinger. Each coach likes to substitute these big men early in the game for guards and go with a smaller lineup.
Carroll is only averaging 10 minutes per game and has very little experience, while Lauderdale is averaging 18 minutes per game.
Lauderdale is the much more experienced player and could prove to be a thorn in the side for the Boilermakers.
Expect Thad Matta to play Lauderdale more minutes than usual against Purdue because of the lack of size and the inexperience of Carroll.
Carroll needs to prove to the Boilermaker nation why he deserves to be starting for the Boilermakers. A great defensive stand by Carroll would be a much needed boost for the Boilers.
Lauderdale could be a key component in the Buckeyes success against the Boilermakers, and it's Travis Carroll's responsibility to make sure that does not happen.
If Carroll is not able to get the job done, the Boilermakers might turn to D.J. Byrd, Kelsey Barlow, or god forbid, Sandi Marcius to contain him.
Kelsey Barlow vs. David Lighty
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These two guards have two completely different roles on their respective teams. Lighty is an all around player who can score and defend, while Barlow is a great defender, who can drive to the hoop and create plays if he needs to.
Barlow will be stuck like glue to Lighty most of the night. I could be wrong though because, Purdue has so many options defensively and might move Barlow to Buford.
Lighty is averaging 12.8 points per game, and Barlow will be expected to limit him throughout the game.
Barlow, on the other hand, is discovering his game offensively and will need to be guarded to assure he does not have opportunity to drive the lane and score.
This should be a great battle on both ends of the court.
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E'Twaun Moore vs. William Buford
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This should be a great battle.
Again, I'm not too sure on who Moore will guard, but I would put him on Buford. Buford is a 6'5" guard out of Toledo averaging 13.4 points per game which puts him second on his team in points.
It will take a lot of great defense for Moore to guard him, but the veteran should be able to at least hamper him with his hard-nosed defense.
Moore on the other hand is averaging 18.1 points per game and is also Purdue's second leading scorer behind Johnson.
Moore is very versatile offensively and is coming off a 26-point performance against Michigan State.
Look for this to be a key matchup on the perimeter—no matter who is guarding these guys.
Jon Diebler vs. Ryne Smith
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This will be a matchup of two guards who are either on—or off.
Jon Diebler is scoring 11.7 points per game on the season but has the ability to get hot, quick. He is shooting 48 percent from behind the arc and is great defensively.
Ryne Smith has been hot and cold this season. He only averages 6.6 points a game but has the ability to drop 20 on a team in a heartbeat. He doesn't force shots, and his pump fake drives opponents (and crowds) insane.
Smith is a great defender and has been stuck like glue to opponents in his last few outings.
Look for these two to trade shots most of the night. It should be a very exciting battle to watch unfold.
Lewis Jackson vs. Aaron Craft
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If the coaches decide to change things up in this game, both of these guys could end up starting. Both are great point guards, and it should pose a terrific matchup.
Lewis Jackson can be described as a "junk yard dog." The 5'9" (maybe) point guard has the heart of a champion and is a glue defender. Jackson learned from the best in Chris Kramer and is able to stick with opponents better than almost anyone in the league.
One problem Jackson does have is his turnovers. He is giving up the ball two times a game. Although not known for his offense, Jackson has stepped up in Big Ten play, averaging 10.4 points per game in conference play which is way above his career average.
Craft is an up-and-coming star for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He is great on the point and is a great asset to the Buckeyes.
Craft is averaging 6.3 points per game and almost five assists. Craft is also a great defender and has really come on later in the season for the Buckeyes.
Look for both of these guys to come off the bench and provide substantial minutes for both teams.
The Bench
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Both of these squads go eight or nine deep on a regular basis. Following Purdue this season, I know Terone Johnson, DJ Byrd and John Hart will all get significant minutes off the bench for the Boilermakers.
Johnson and Byrd are both defensive specialist, with an ability to shoot the three, while John Hart is a sharp shooter still recovering from injury.
Each of these guys will play a key part in this game for the Boilermakers and will be able to guard any of Ohio State's guards, with DJ Byrd also being able to handle a big man in the post.
Ohio State will likely get significant bench minutes from Deshaun Thomas who is averaging almost 10 points a game and Jordan Sibert—both are great freshman.
Prediction
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To see my prediction for the game you can head on over to my preview article.
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