The top-ranked Purdue Boilermakers (4-0) look to start their quest for a fifth straight multi-team event tournament championship in the Baha Mar Championship semifinal against the Memphis Tigers (1-2) on Thursday night at 6 pm in the Bahamas.
The Boilermakers reclaimed the top spot in the Associated Press top 25 poll this week and are rounding into top form with Trey Kauffman-Renn back at full strength.
Kauffman-Renn returned on Nov. 13 against the Alabama Crimson Tide and made an instant impact in the interior with 19 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. The senior followed up with another double-double performance against the Akron Zips on Nov. 16, with 17 points and 15 rebounds.
Guards Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer are the other main pieces in Purdue’s vaunted offense. Smith has stirred the drink for Purdue’s offense in the early season as the senior comes into Thursday’s game third in Division I with 8.5 assists per game.
Loyer’s near-flawless mark from the charity stripe at 14-of-15 (93.3 percent), coupled with 14 of 27 makes (51.9 percent) from three-point range have made the senior an invaluable dual threat for the Boilermakers.
The Tigers come into the meeting against the Boilermakers with back-to-back losses to the Ole Miss Rebels and the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels and have struggled on offense in more ways than one.
Memphis has shot 42.7 percent from the field, 68.4 percent from the free-throw line, 32.3 percent from long distance and have averaged 13.0 turnovers per game – as those numbers will need improvement if they aim to pull off the upset over Purdue.
Sincere Parker leads Memphis in scoring with 11.3 per game. The McNeese transfer finished with 15 points and six rebounds a 78-70 win over the San Francisco Dons on Nov. 8.
The winner of the Boilermakers and Tigers game advances to the championship on Nov. 21 against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons or the No. 15 Texas Tech Red Raiders in the second semifinal matchup – which tips approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first contest.