Maryland basketball vs. Purdue: Game time, how to watch and what to watch for

Channel: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

It took Maryland until the first week of February but come Saturday, they will get their first chance to face a ranked opponent as they host the no. 23 Boilermakers. Purdue has spent the entire year ranked, starting at no. 15 before eventually falling to their current spot. Purdue is the only Big Ten team to have handed Wisconsin a loss this season and also own a strong win over Notre Dame on a neutral court. On the other hand, the Boilermakers had two chances at a signature win against Villanova and Louisville, but lost both of those games. Regardless, Purdue will be the toughest team Maryland has faced all season.

What to watch on Maryland’s side

Justin Jackson has been red-hot Maryland’s last two games. Jackson has made 75 percent of his threes while averaging 25 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Jackson’s massive improvement stands in contrast from the rest of time in conference play: before the Minnesota game he was not even knocking down 25 percent of his threes and was only grabbing 5.4 rebounds per game. If Jackson is able to deliver a 20-point performance with more excellent three-point shooting, it will at the very least keep Maryland in the game with the Boilermakers.

What to watch on Purdue’s side

Caleb Swanigan is one of the best players in the Big Ten, if not the country. ESPN currently has Swanigan in their top five candidates for the John R. Wooden Award and Kenpom.com currently has Swanigan as the second best player in the country. Swanigan has established himself to be one of the best players in the nation thanks to elite rebounding. He is second in the country in rebounds per game and is third in defensive rebounding percentage. Swanigan is also averaging a double-double and he has only once failed to record a double-double in conference play.