The Big Ten has five games on Monday night, as the league continues to roll into the season. The most significant features Purdue matching up against an underrated Yale squad.
Let's take a look at the schedule.
Through the first week of the season, Purdue has performed as expected. The Boilermakers are 2-0 and took care of business against two overmatched opponents. Likewise, the offense looks solid and the backcourt duo of Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer look the part. It's hard to feel too down about anything for the Boilermakers.
With that said, Purdue has still yet to face any real tests. Last week's opponents were well outside the top 150 on KenPom and looked completely overwhelmed. If the Boilermakers are going to meet their goals and finish near the top of the Big Ten, the group is going to have to prove it against stiffer competition.
The good news is the team will get one of those opportunities on Monday at home against Yale. And while the Bulldogs are far from elite, the group is good enough to compete for a postseason bid in March and will likely finish around the bottom tier of this year's Big Ten. In short, fans will get some real data from this one.
The players to watch for the Bulldogs are guard Ben Mbeng and big man Samson Aletan. Yale runs through Mbeng, so he's going to be most of the focus. However, Aletan has enough size to bang down low and should be a good test for Purdue's new frontcourt. If Sith and Gicarri Harris can hold their own against Mbeng, it should be a win.
The Buckeyes had a phenomenal opening to the season last week, beating Texas in a thriller on Monday night. The team will now return home to face in-state foe Youngstown State. The Penguins are hoping wing EJ Farmer can give the Buckeyes some problems and keep it close. All general signs point to a blowout, as long as Ohio State can avoid a letdown. This should be a good opportunity for freshman John Mobley to get extended playing time.
The Scarlet Knights had a great showing in the team's opener, blasting Wagner in a 23-point win. Freshman guard Dylan Harper was as advertised, looking every bit like the top five Draft prospect he's projected to be next spring. The only notable piece of the game was the absence of Ace Bailey, who Scarlet Knight fans are hoping to see soon. Bailey is considered "day to day", so fans will hope he can show up in this one.
Saint Peter's will enter as a significant underdog. The Peacocks are 216th on KenPom and have dropped considerably since Shaheen Holloway left town. Guard Bryce Eaton and forward Marcus Randolph are the players to watch. It's hard to see this group holding up against Rutgers' athleticism.
The Terps will get the team's third straight tune up game on Monday against a genuinely horrendous Florida A&M squad. The group was blown out by TCU and SMU last week and should be again on Monday. If this one is even remotely competitive, Terp fans should be disappointing. Look for another big one from Derik Queen.
After dropping last Friday's matchup against New Mexico, UCLA returns home to face off against a struggling Boston University squad. The Bruins should be big favorites in this one. The question is whether UCLA can work out some of its offensive kinks, which plagued the group in Friday's loss. A lot of the focus should be on Dylan Andrews and Skyy Clark, who need to play better if UCLA's going to do anything big this season.
A player to keep an eye on for Boston University is Michael McNair. He went 3-for-10 from three in the team's loss to San Diego on Friday after a decent showing in the team's opener. McNair is more of a role player for the team, but should be an x-factor if the Terriers are going to keep it close.