In our first preview against Purdue, I surmised that Indiana might find itself in a bit of a trap game.

I outlined the various strengths and weaknesses of this Boilermakers team and speculated that our Hoosiers might need to exercise a bit of caution, especially in the hostile environment of your biggest rival.

But my cause for concern was somewhat over-exaggerated, as we proceeded to walk into Mackey Arena and blow them out in historic fashion, 97-60.

It wasn’t a perfect game, but there certainly wasn’t much to critique or criticize.

Purdue freshman A.J. Hammons did record a career-high with 30 points, but he was only one of two Boilers who scored in double figures that night.

Unfortunately for Hammons, he’s not likely to have a repeat performance on Saturday at Assembly Hall.

When we first looked at our Four Factors, Purdue came out on top in two out of the four categories: turnover rate and offensive rebounding percentage.

FOUR FACTORS: JAN 30

eFG% TO% OR% FTR INDIANA (away) 50.97% 19.20% 36.84% 41.29% PURDUE (home) 46.84% 17.72% 39.04% 21.21%

But because we looked at Indiana’s season averages on the road and Purdue’s season averages at home the first time around, the comparison wasn’t as effective at highlighting the discrepancy between each team’s talent and ability (as well as chances of winning).

Now that Indiana is at home and Purdue is on the road, the updated season averages should illustrate how much of a stronger team the Hoosiers really are:

FOUR FACTORS: FEB 16

eFG% TO% OR% FTR INDIANA (home) 58.68% 19.91% 41.31% 36.04% PURDUE (away) 43.00% 19.94% 35.94% 19.75%

In our second table, our Four Factors look very similar to what we saw in the preview against Nebraska; Indiana simply dominates offensively with a much higher effective field goal percentage and free throw rate.

Purdue’s eFG% and FTR of 43% and 19.75% translate into 61.8 PPG and roughly 19 free throw attempts per game, whereas Indiana averages 86.2 PPG and 27 free throw attempts per game. Looking at these margins, it’s easier to understand why we went into West Lafayette and won by 37, and not by the 12 point margin I had predicted or the 7.5 point spread that Vegas had forecast.

After seeing the unranked Tar Heels push #2 Duke nearly to the final whistle at Cameron on Thursday, and knowing how badly Purdue wants another shot at Indiana after the embarrassment they suffered in West Lafayette, one might think the Boilers would do everything possible to make this rivalry game a close one.

But they just don’t quite match up this year.

While Indiana probably won’t win by nearly 40 again, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Hoosiers put this one away early. Look for the Hoosiers to cruise in this one.

Prediction: Indiana 78, Purdue 59