Purdue was picked to finish fifth in the unofficial Big Ten preseason basketball media poll this season, but it's making a strong case to be the early favorite to win the conference.
The No. 5 Boilermakers (7-0) are the biggest surprise nationally thanks to 7-foot-4, 290-pound Zach Edey, who faces the Gophers in Sunday's Big Ten opener in West Lafayette, Ind.
The Gophers (4-3) are the latest team with no way to simulate playing against Edey's combination of massive talent and physical presence in the middle. The junior from Toronto leads the Big Ten in scoring (22.1), rebounding (11.4) and ranks second in blocks (2.1).
"They're playing well and really clicking," Gophers coach Ben Johnson said. "You got a player like Edey, who is as productive if not more productive than anyone in the country."
In preparation for Sunday, Johnson watched Purdue's win against Duke where 7-1 freshman and former No. 1-ranked recruit Dereck Lively picked up his first foul in the first minute.
Last season, the Gophers lost 88-73 against the Boilermakers at home. Edey had 14 points and 12 rebounds, but he drew four fouls on three different U players, including returning 7-footer Treyton Thompson.
Thompson, who started the first seven games at center this season, is out Sunday and didn't make the trip to Indiana due to an illness. Freshman forward Joshua Ola-Joseph will start in place of Thompson.
Gophers leading scorer and transfer Dawson Garcia had a season-high 26 points playing with North Carolina in a loss at Purdue last season. The 6-11 Garcia would be a tough matchup for Edey being able to stretch the floor.
