Will no. 13 Oregon men’s basketball be able to slow Braden Smith, no. 17 Purdue?

EUGENE — By far Oregon’s biggest remaining home game this season, a Top 20 showdown with two-time reigning Big Ten champion Purdue has significant stakes.

No. 13 Ducks (15-2, 4-2 Big Ten) are ahead of the no. 17 Boilermakers in the polls, but behind them in the conference standings and NET entering Saturday’s game (12 p.m., NBC) at Matthew Knight Arena.

Both teams could use the Quadrant 1 win to improve their respective resumes on Selection Sunday, with Purdue (14-4, 6-1) arguably in greater need of the road win with all its road losses. But as jockeying at the top of the Big Ten intensifies, these are the matchups that will go a long way toward determining the top four seeds in the conference tournament, all of which receive double byes.