Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - The fourth-ranked Purdue Boilermakers are in Indianapolis for this afternoon's non-conference clash with the Ball State Cardinals as part of the John R. Wooden Tradition.

Ball State opened the season with a pair of wins, but has fallen on hard times since, losing four of its last five. The Cardinals, who are playing their first neutral-site affair of the campaign, are coming off a disappointing 86-81 overtime loss at Tennessee Tech, but they hope to get back on track following this contest as they return home to face the likes of NC Central, Maryland-Eastern Shore and Manchester. BSU begins Mid-American Conference play against Northern Illinois on January 9th.

Purdue is a perfect 9-0, winning by an average of nearly 20 ppg. A 73-72 win over Tennessee serves as the team's toughest to date, and the Boilermakers were last in action one week ago when they knocked off Alabama on the road in a 73-65 final. Coach Matt Painter's club is 3-0 in neutral-site games, and will host SIU-Edwardsville on Tuesday before kicking off Big Ten Conference action at Iowa on December 29th.

Purdue whipped Ball State, 68-39, on December 9, 2008 in the most recent meeting between the two teams, and owns a 7-2 advantage in the all-time series as a result.

Offensive production has been Ball State's Achilles' heel through the first seven games, as the team is averaging just 62.3 ppg. Jarrod Jones is one of only two Cardinals turning in double figures on a consistent basis, checking in with 14.6 ppg on the strength of his 53.3 percent accuracy from the field. Jauwan Scaife is the team's top three-point threat, hitting 12-of-27 attempts (.444) to this point in netting 11.4 ppg. Jones and Terrence Watson head BSU's rebounding effort, which comes in ahead of the competition by 3.3 rpg, with 6.6 rpg apiece. Jones logged a double-double consisting of 18 points and 10 rebounds in the recent loss to Tennessee Tech, while three others finished in double digits in scoring as well. The Cards shot 50.9 percent from the floor, but allowed the Golden Eagles to convert 53.2 percent. The TTU bench outscored BSU's by a 58-24 margin.

Purdue is getting the job done at both ends of the floor, scoring 79.3 ppg on 45.4 percent field goal efficiency, while allowing just 60.8 ppg in holding the opposition to 38.4 percent shooting. The Boilermakers have three double- digit scorers in the lineup, led by E'Twaun Moore and his 16.6 ppg. Robbie Hummel is next with 14.6 ppg and he leads the club with 7.1 rpg, while JaJuan Johnson adds 14.1 points and 6.6 caroms per contest, and he is the team's leading shot blocker with 17. Foes are guilty of more than 19 turnovers per game against the Boilermakers, who got 23 points and nine rebounds from Hummel in last week's win at Alabama. Three others hit for double figures as well, with Johnson nearly completing a double-double with 10 points and nine boards. Moore dropped in 15 points despite going just 1-of-6 from beyond the arc, the team as a whole missing 13 of its 19 three-point attempts.