Purdue finally without a giant as No. 2 Alabama comes to town
Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey was a two-time National Player of the Year at Purdue. Before he arrived, head coach Matt Painter made four Sweet 16 appearances and an Elite Eight. With Edey, the Boilermakers made the national championship for the second time ever.
Edey isn't in West Lafayette anymore, though, and Purdue will finally be tested on how they look without the seven-foot, four-inch behemoth when No. 2 Alabama comes to town on Friday.
The Crimson Tide are coming off a tough win against Will Wade's McNeese State team that went 30-4 last season and made its third-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. As usual, Alabama is high-scoring, averaging 90 points per game. However, Nate Oates's squad hasn't found its coveted three-point shot yet, shooting just 30.1% from beyond the arc.
While Alabama hasn't figured itself out yet, Purdue could earn a statement win and a confidence boost on a busy Friday night in college basketball.
Painter found another 7-4 center to replace Edey in Daniel Jacobsen. The freshman from Chicago scored 13 points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked three shots in his debut against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. However, he fractured his right tibia early in Purdue's win against Northern Kentucky.
Now, for the first time after four seasons, the country gets to see what Purdue looks like without a giant in the middle. From now until March, the backcourt of Fletcher Loyer and Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year Braden Smith will have to carry the load for the Boilermakers, who were picked to win the Big Ten by 13 first-place votes in the preseason poll.
Against the SEC-favorite Crimson Tide that features Preseason All-American point guard Mark Sears, Loyer and Smith have a benchmark game in front of them.
MORE TOP STORIES From the Big Lead
NFL: Would the Bears really bench Caleb Williams?
NBA: Lakers struggling to find partners in trade market