While Ohio coach Bob Boldon watched film of Purdue’s 42-point blowout win over Ball State, an uneasy feeling came over him.
“It makes me uncomfortable,” Boldon said. “That makes me very uncomfortable.”
Boldon’s discomfort isn’t doubt though. His Bobcats defeated the Boilermakers in West Lafayette, Indiana, last season, 77-71, and that’ll give his team reassurance heading into its Wednesday night rematch in The Convo.
But these aren’t the same Boilermakers.
Purdue is on a hot start to its season. With wins over Ball State, Ole Miss and No. 25 Miami, the Boilermakers (6-2) are on the cusp of being ranked, and a win over the undefeated Bobcats (6-0) could be enough to sneak into the top 25.
And also get some revenge on the Bobcats.
“We beat them last year so I know they are gonna come out guns rolling against us,” senior forward Kendall Jessing said.
Ohio isn’t afraid of its Big Ten foe. The Bobcats boast one of the highest scoring offenses in the nation and have won every game by double digits. The Bobcats have a swagger about them and feel like they can compete with anyone.
“We have more confidence this year,” junior shooting guard Amani Burke said. “We just know what we have to do and we do it.”
What the Bobcats need to do is play a complete game.
This season, Ohio has struggled with playing its best for the entire game. Slow starts against Cleveland State and Lamar, or sluggish finishes against Walsh, have been a nuisance to Boldon all season, and he was blunt when asked what would happen if the Bobcats don’t come out ready Wednesday.
“It’s going to be over early,” Boldon said. “There’s going to be no halftime pep talk comeback win the game in the second half because we’re going to be losing by too many.”
Tip off is at 7 p.m.
