Preview: Hofstra faces toughest test this season against No. 4 Purdue

The Hofstra Pride men’s basketball team will travel to face the No. 4 Purdue University Boilermakers on Wednesday night at 7 pm, in what will be the Pride’s seventh straight road game. 

The Boilermakers have had continued success this year with an 8-0 record this season and are coming off an 89-70 victory over the University of Minnesota on Sunday. The Boilermakers are currently on a 20-game regular season non-conference win streak, with 17 of those games being at home. This season, Purdue has already beaten two ranked teams in No. 15 Duke University and No. 18 Gonzaga University.

Junior Zach Edey is having his best season as a Boilermaker averaging 23 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks per game in eight games this year. Along with Edey are freshman guards Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith, who have both won Big Ten Freshman of the Week and are averaging a combined 20 points to help Edey. Edey is fourth in the nation in scoring this season, five spots ahead of Hofstra’s leading scorer Aaron Estrada.

However, it remains unclear if Estrada will be able to play against Purdue after suffering an apparent injury last time out against George Mason University. In that game, Estrada had 31 points as the Pride lost in overtime 81-77.

Even if Estrada is healthy, the Pride will face a tough challenge offensively, as Purdue is only surrendering 62 points per game this year.

This game will be the toughest test for the Pride. They haven’t played a team ranked this high since they played the number one-ranked Villanova in December 2017. With three games left on the road trip, the Pride will hope to return home touting a winning record.

Tip-off from Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana, is at 7 p.m.

Photo Courtesy of Art Pittman/Hofstra Athletics