A statement victory is on the line in Tuscaloosa as Purdue visits Alabama in this week’s men’s college basketball NCAA headliner.
Most eyes in Tuscaloosa linger on the football field at this time of year, but no one would fault those watchers for turning away from the gridiron for two-plus hours.
An opportunity for a major statement win lingers on the court of Coleman Coliseum on Thursday, as Alabama’s men’s basketball team, currently ranked eighth in the nation, takes on No. 2 Purdue.
Alabama had one of the more productive opening weeks on the men’s circuit: placing 15th in the opening poll, the Crimson Tide handily handled business against North Dakota at home before downing No. 5 St. John’s by a 103-96 final at Madison Square Garden. Labaron Philon Jr. led the way with 25 points for the Tide, which broke the half-century mark in scoring in both halves.
Aden Holloway had 21 as he and Philon united to shoot 19-of-35 from the field while Latrell Wrightsell scored 17 in relief, most of that tally coming on four three-pointers.
Playing Purdue is part of a dangerous non-conference gauntlet for Alabama, which is working through its seventh season under head coach Nate Oats. Following the Boilermakers’ visit, the Crimson Tide will face No. 14 Illinois in Chicago before opening up Las Vegas’ Players Era Festival against No. 19 Gonzaga during Thanksgiving weekend.
Purdue Loses No.1 Ranking Ahead of Alabama Matchup
Help is on the way for Purdue, which lost its No. 1 ranking after surviving the opening week of the season without All-Big Ten power forward Trey Kaufman-Renn. The Boilermakers busted Evansville in their opener before withstanding a hefty challenge from Oakland by an 87-77 final last Friday night in West Lafayette. All-American point guard Braden Smith led all Boilermakers with 20 points while he and four other teammates sank at least two 3-pointers.
Oakland, repping the Horizon League, had mustered a halftime tie and trailed by only three with less than eight minutes remaining before Purdue sanity prevailed to the tune of a 19-8 run.
We have a top-10 matchup today!
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) November 13, 2025
No. 2 Purdue at No. 8 Alabama
• Trey Kaufman Renn’s first game of the year
• Braden Smith vs LaBaron Philon
• Matt Painter vs Nate Oats
Primetime Hoops. pic.twitter.com/BOfYmV9yfu
The good news for the Boilermakers, led by Matt Painter in his 21st season, is that Kaufman-Renn is expected back in the lineup on Thursday. The two-year starter averaged 20.1 points on over 59 percent from the field last season and now gets to work the interior with Oscar Cluff, who averaged a double-double with South Dakota State last season.
This will mark the third consecutive non-conference slate with an Alabama-Purdue game on the docket. The Boilermakers prevailed in each of the first two showings, taking last year’s edition by an 87-78 final in West Lafayette. Kaufman-Renn had an early statement game with 26 points while Smith had a 17-point, 10-assist game off the bench, matching the output of fellow returnee Fletcher Loyer, who united with CJ Cox to shoot 6-of-8 from 3-point range.
What: No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers (2-0) at No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0)
Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, AL
When/Watch: Thursday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Who’s Favored: BAMA -4.5 (O/U: 174.5)
Boilermaker to Watch: Braden Smith
Even with Kaufman-Renn back, the Boilermakers go where Braden Smith takes them: the four-year starter in West Lafayette has no doubt left an offensive mark on recent action, as he has posted 26 points and 20 assists through the first couple of games. Since his arrival in 2022, Purdue has posted a sterling 20-4 mark when Smith dishes out at least 10 assists, and he had 175 helpers alone last season to set a new Big Ten record.
But the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year and newly-crowned Bob Cousy Award winner (following in the footsteps of other backcourt legends like Jameer Nelson, Kemba Walker, Jalen Brunson, and Ja Morant) has sought to leave a larger defensive impact. He struggled in what stands as his biggest test so far this season, an exhibition loss to Kentucky back on Oct. 24.
It’s great that Smith is willing to shoot the three and serves as a sterling facilitator, but if he’s going to take his talents to the Association, defense is where the 6-0, 170-lb. backcourt man is going to make a difference. To his credit, Smith showed what he could do on the ball during Purdue’s most recent Sweet 16 run, as he placed second in the B1G in steals per game at 2.2.
When freshman CJ Cox scored 9 points in one minute and completely changed the game for Purdue vs Alabama last year pic.twitter.com/A7ocJpt4Cq
— Christian Odjakjian (@OdjHoops) November 12, 2025
Alabaman to Watch: Aiden Sherrell
Oats has spent this week challenging his returning men to use what they learned against Purdue in each of the last two seasons. The retained firepower of Holloway, Philon, and Wrightsell speaks for itself, but one of the most vital returnees may be one who didn’t register a minute in last year’s brawl with the Boilermakers. Relying on the backcourt worked against St. John’s, but when Purdue can counter with Smith, Cox, and more, post work will be key in defending Tuscaloosa.
The 6-10 Aiden Sherrell arrived in Tuscaloosa as a five-star recruit out of Prolific Prep but got stuck behind fellow post threats Clifford Omoruyi and Mouhamed Dioubate. Omoruyi’s graduation and Dioubate’s move to Kentucky opened the door for Sherrell, but the spotlight looms even larger now. The Tide will be missing incoming freshman Collins Onyejiaka indefinitely due to a medical condition, while reigning WAC Freshman of the Year Keitenn Bristow, a portal pickup from Tarleton State, missed the first two games with ankle woes and likely won’t play on Thursday.
Alabama got by playing small against St. John’s, but the return of Kaufman-Renn and the addition of Cluff could make interior work an x-factor. It provides a sterling breakout opportunity for Sherrell, whose quest to build momentum was somewhat derailed by foul trouble against St. John’s. It’ll also be on Sherrell and pure power forward Taylor Bol Bowen (acquired from Florida State in the portal) to raise the Tide’s scoring chances in the paint, which helped keep the Red Storm at bay in New York last weekend.
They Said It
“Trey is an All-American, so that obviously helps when you have a guy like that on your team that comes back into the lineup. Obviously, we’ve played with him the last three years and know what he’s capable of doing. Nothing’s really going to change other than he’s back to the normal and ready to go compete.”-Smith on the return of Kaufman-Renn (h/t Sam King, Journal & Courier)
“[St. John’s] is kind of a pointless win if we don’t come in and play well tomorrow night against Purdue. We have not played great against Purdue the last two years. They’re good. They’re tough. They’re smart … “Braden Smith is arguably the best point guard in the country. He’s looked really good against us. They’ve got elite shooting. Cox killed us last year. Loyer is one of the best shooters in the country, and they’ve got really good post play … We’ve got our hands full tomorrow night. This is a great opportunity for us.”-Oats (h/t Nick Kelly, Alabama.com)
Prediction
With so many offensive talents back from the past two additions, the men’s college world could be in for another high-scoring treat down south. Ultimately, it comes down to who embraces the grittiness that gets buried in offensive finesse, and it would appear that Alabama has that advantage, at least in the early going. Fueled by the swagger of their early top-five victory and the fury of the past two seasons, Alabama is Ballislife’s pick in a close one.
Alabama 94, Purdue 90
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
