Ad Disclosure
Nojel Eastern expected to be ready for Purdue’s matchup against Villanova
Published:
Purdue fans can breathe a sigh of relief.
Before tipoff between Purdue and Old Dominion in the first round on Thursday, Boilermakers guard Nojel Eastern rolled his ankle in pregame warmups, costing him his starting job for the evening. But it sounds like the B1G All-Defensive team selection will be ready to go on Saturday.
CBS Sports college basketball reporter Jon Rothstein said that Eastern is “expected to be fully ready for Saturday’s game against Villanova, per Matt Painter.”
Despite missing most of Thursday’s game with the tweaked ankle, Eastern played 10 minutes late in the game, grabbing one rebound. Purdue defeated Old Dominion 61-48.
Purdue's Nojel Eastern (ankle) is expected to be fully ready for Saturday's game against Villanova, per Matt Painter. Was limited in Thursday's win over Old Dominion.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 22, 2019
Eastern has been one of the B1G’s top defenders this season and is an excellent rebounder for a guard. This year, Eastern is averaging 7.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Purdue needs him to be healthy to try and move past Villanova and earn a spot in its third straight Sweet 16.
Purdue fans have dealt with their share of injuries that have spoiled deep tournament runs — Glenn Robinson, Robbie Hummel and Isaac Hass, most notably. But it sounds like Eastern should be in good shape for Saturday night’s contest.
Purdue and Villanova are scheduled to go head to head in Hartford at 8:40 p.m. ET.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB