All eyes on Zach Edey: What to watch when Arkansas men's basketball faces Purdue
The Arkansas men's basketball team is all set for its final dress rehearsal of the fall, welcoming one of the best teams in the country to Bud Walton Arena.
The No. 14 Razorbacks will face No. 3 Purdue on Saturday afternoon (3 p.m. CT, SEC+), 10 days before their season-opener against Alcorn State.
This marks the second-straight season Arkansas will play in a preseason charity exhibition game that features two top 25 teams. Last year, the Razorbacks went on the road and lost to Texas.
Proceeds from this year's game will go to Arkansas 211, a program of the United Way, to assist with relief efforts from the tornadoes that affected Arkansas this past spring.
Here are four things to watch before Eric Musselman and company take on Matt Painter and Purdue.
All eyes on the big man
Arguably the best player in college basketball is coming to Fayetteville on Saturday.
Purdue's Zach Edey is back for his senior season after winning all six National Player of the Year awards last year, averaging 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. The 7-foot-3 center will provide a unique challenge for the Razorbacks.
"You’re talking about maybe the hardest player in college basketball to game plan against," Musselman said. "Because of his size, because of his skill level and because of his teammates that play surrounding him."
More: Trevon Brazile returns as Arkansas men's basketball routs UT-Tyler in exhibition
More: Why Eric Musselman sees a potential benchmark in Arkansas basketball's exhibition vs. Purdue
Arkansas won't face an opponent like Edey the rest of the season. Still, there are going to plenty of lessons from this matchup.
How does Arkansas handle Edey's physicality? Can the Razorbacks make enough jump shots and capitalize on his drop defense in pick-and-rolls? Who in the front court rises to the occasion and provides good minutes against an elite big man?
Those are the questions that motivate Musselman to play these high-profile exhibitions. Regardless of Saturday's result, Arkansas will be in a better position come March for this experience.
More game action for Trevon Brazile
Brazile played 20 minutes in Arkansas' first exhibition against UT-Tyler. His return to the floor after last year's ACL injury was a welcome sight for the Razorbacks faithful, but his rust was clear with four points scored on 2-for-7 shooting.
Saturday presents another opportunity for Brazile to dust off the cobwebs. It will be fun to watch how Brazile handles the imposing Purdue front court, and if Musselman plays any minutes with the Razorbacks' top NBA prospect at center, stretching the floor against Edey.
Who guards Braden Smith?
On Saturday, we might get a sneak peak as to which defender draws the assignment of the opposing team's best guard on a night-to-night basis.
The leading candidates are Davonte Davis and Houston transfer Tramon Mark. Together, they'll form one of the best defensive backcourt duos in the country, but who gets the most difficult assignment?
Against Purdue, that challenge will be Braden Smith, who averaged 9.7 points and 4.4 assists last season as a freshman. Smith is Purdue's offensive hub, with fellow sophomore guard Fletcher Loyer providing the shooting spark in the backcourt.
Any minutes with Purdue's duo sharing the court with Davis and Mark will be must-watch.
Khalif Battle's role
Battle quietly racked up 14 points to be Arkansas' leading scorer in the exhibition against UT-Tyler. The Temple transfer had zero turnovers, made all of his free throws and missed three shots in an efficient outing off the bench.
Will Battle be a sixth-man for Arkansas this season? Musselman has an interesting problem to solve in his backcourt rotation. It's hard to imagine Battle, Mark, Davis and Louisville transfer El Ellis all sharing the floor together, especially as a starting unit.
Whatever his role is, Battle figures to be an important cog in the Arkansas offense this season.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: What to watch when Arkansas men's basketball faces Purdue in exhibition
