Gonzaga forward Drew Timme (2) guards Purdue center Zach Edey (15) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Nov. 25. (Rick Bowmer, Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

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.

Johnson is also likely to rely on 6-9, 255-pound freshman Pharrel Payne alongside Garcia. Payne, who leads all Big Ten freshmen in rebounding (6.4) and field goal percentage (72%), had 13 points, six rebounds and three blocks in Monday's 67-57 loss at Virginia Tech.

Caleb Furst, a 6-10 sophomore, will replace injured forward Mason Gillis in the starting lineup for the Boilermakers on Sunday.

Edey scored 25 points on 11-for-14 shooting in Wednesday's win against Florida State. He's only the fourth 7-footer in the last 25 seasons in Division I basketball to have six straight 20-point performances during the season.

"They know who their guy is and they play off that," Johnson said about Purdue. "It will definitely be a challenge."

GAME INFO

Time: 4 p.m. CT, Sunday. Where: Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. Line: Gophers 19-point underdogs. Series: Purdue leads the series 98-81, including 88-73 win last season at Williams Arena. TV: Big Ten Network. Online/Live video: BTN-plus. Radio: KTLX 1130-AM

PROJECTED STARTERS

MINNESOTA GOPHERS (4-3)

Pos.-Player Ht. Yr. PPG

G – Ta'Lon Cooper 6-4 195 Jr. 10.4

G – Jaden Henley 6-7 200 Fr. 6.1

G – Jamison Battle 6-7 220 Jr. 11.3

F – Joshua Ola-Joseph 6-7 215 Fr. 6.3

F – Dawson Garcia 6-11 230 So. 14.3

Key reserves – Pharrel Payne, F, 6-9, Fr., 8.7 ppg; Braeden Carrington, G, 6-4, Fr., 7.6 ppg; Taurus Samuels, G, 6-1, Sr., 1.7 ppg.

Coach: Ben Johnson 17-20 career (2nd season)

Notable: Last season's leading scorer and rebounder Jamison Battle made his season debut Nov. 21 against Cal Baptist in the SoCal Challenge in California. Battle, who led the team with 17.5 points and 6.3 rebounds last season, missed the first four games to recover from foot surgery. … Freshman forward Kadyn Betts will redshirt the 2022-23 season after reclassifying and joining the team early this year. Betts will play with a highly touted 2023 class that includes four-star Illinois guard Cameron Christie and five-star California center Dennis Evans III … Freshman guard Braeden Carrington, who won Minnesota Mr. Basketball and a state title last season at Park Center, made his season debut Nov. 14 vs. DePaul after missing two games with an ankle sprain.

NO. 5 PURDUE BOILERMAKERS (7-0)

Pos.-Player Ht. Yr. PPG

G – Braden Smith 6-0 180 Fr. 10.3

G – Fletcher Loyer 6-4 185 Fr. 11.3

F – Ethan Morton 6-7 215 Jr. 4.6

F – Caleb Furst 6-10 230 So. 6.6

C – Zach Edey 7-4 290 Jr. 22.1

Reserves – Trey Kaufman-Renn, F ,6-9, Fr., 4.1 ppg; Brandon Newman, G, 6-5, Jr., 7.4 ppg; Brian Waddell, F, 6-8, Fr., 1.0 ppg; David Jenkins, G, 6-1, Sr., 4.3 ppg.

Coach: Matt Painter 416-197 (18th season)

Notable: The Boilermakers looked like the best team in America during back-to-back wins last month winning by 18 points against Gonzaga and 19 points against Duke in the Phil Knight Legacy Classic. Edey was a preseason all-league pick, but Purdue lost three starters from last season. Edey's supporting cast includes starting guards Fletcher Loyer (11.3) and Braden Smith (10.3), who are two of the top five scoring freshmen in the Big Ten. Smith leads all Big Ten freshmen in steals (1.9) and ranks second in assists (3.7). … Former Wayzata standout Cam Heide has not played this season and is a redshirt candidate for Matt Painter.

Fuller's score prediction: Purdue 80, Gophers 65.