Purdue’s first home test after opening the season with a 76-59 win over Illinois State comes Friday night, and Ohio brings more than just a 2-0 record into Mackey Arena. Jeff Boals’ team has already handled South Alabama and North Carolina A&T, and now the Bobcats get their toughest assignment yet against a Big Ten opponent.
The biggest reason Ohio has started fast is the way the offense has spread the load. Six players are averaging at least 10 points per game, which makes this group tough to key on.
Jackson Paveletzke leads the way at 15.0 points per contest while shooting 61.5% from the field. Javan Simmons is at 14.0 points per game, Kolton Mitchell is putting up 13.5, Siebe Ledegen is adding 11.5, and Che Brogan and Dusan Makitan are both at 10.
That balance has been backed up by efficient shooting across the board. Ohio is hitting 50% of its shots overall, 43.1% from three-point range and 74.4% at the foul line. That kind of production gives the Bobcats plenty of ways to stay in a game, especially if one or two of their top scorers cool off.
Makitan, though, is doing more than scoring. The 6-foot-8 forward has been a force on the glass, averaging 12 rebounds per game, which ranks seventh nationally.
That’s a strong number no matter the opponent, even if it has come against North Carolina A&T and South Alabama. It also fits a longer track record for Makitan, who was a dominant rebounder in Bosnia before arriving at Ohio.
Across 23 games there, he averaged 15.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per contest.
That rebounding edge is part of what makes Ohio dangerous. Purdue’s bigs are going to have to deal with a physical presence underneath, and Makitan has shown early that he can make life difficult on the glass.
The Bobcats also want to play fast. That has been a Boals staple over the last three seasons, and Ohio ranked in the top 100 in KenPom’s adjusted tempo in 2025 and 2026.
Heading into Friday, the Bobcats sit No. 84 in that category, making them the quickest opponent Purdue has seen so far this season. Gonzaga is close behind at 91st.
That matters because Purdue is on the opposite end of the spectrum, sitting 359th in KenPom’s adjusted tempo. So Friday night shapes up as a real style clash. Can Purdue slow the game down, or will Ohio be able to speed things up and turn it into the kind of game it wants?
The pace also brings some risk. Ohio is averaging 14 turnovers per game and has lost the turnover battle in both of its first two outings. Purdue hasn’t been generating a ton of transition scoring, but if the Bobcats get loose with the ball, the Boilermakers should have chances to capitalize in the open floor.
Boals has built Ohio into one of the MAC’s most reliable programs since taking over for the 2019-20 season. The Bobcats have finished with a winning record in each of his first five seasons, have never placed below fifth in the conference standings and have not posted a losing record in MAC play. That kind of consistency is hard to sustain anywhere, and especially in mid-major basketball.
Ohio reached the NCAA Tournament in 2021 and advanced to the CBI quarterfinals in 2022. Under Boals, the Bobcats are 131-93 overall and 73-51 in conference play, and this season’s group looks capable of pushing toward the top of the MAC again.
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The two additions also help push Purdues 2027 class up to No. 11 nationally, a sign that the program is staying aggressive on the recruiting trail while maintaining the kind of profile that has become standard under Painter. For a fan base that already expects to contend, landing a guard-center duo with this kind of ranking only adds to the sense that Purdues long-term outlook remains in good shape. [Read more 🡒]