LAFAYETTE, IN --- The Howard University men's basketball team will face perhaps its stiffest test of the season when it takes on the No. 11 ranked Boilermakers of Purdue University on Wednesday at Mackey Arena at 7 pm.  The game will be broadcast on ESPNU with Jim Barbar & Sean Harrington calling the action.
    
The Bison (6-3) are coming off a dramatic, 71-69 come-from-behind win over North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC on Monday.  James "J-Byrd" Daniel, III scored the game-winning basket with a second remaining to give Howard its sixth win in the past seven games.
    
The win was especially significant because it snapped NC Central's 38-game home win streak, the second longest in the nation.
    
But Howard learned after the NCCU game that two of its starters may not be able to play due to injuries.  Daniel, the nation's leading scorer at 28 points per game, has been bothered by a sore toe and is listed as doubtful while Solomon "Solo" Mangham suffered a high ankle sprain.
    
"J-Byrd has been battling a foot issue the past couple of games and is less than 100 percent," said Howard head coach Kevin Nickelberry.  "We are playing our third game in six days, all on the road and it takes a toll.  We are going to give him some treatment and see if we can get him to 85 percent.  It will be a game time decision."
    
Nickelberry added that Mangham, who has played well the past four games in a starting role, especially on the boards, is out.
    
"We have been down this road before without starters and we have responded," he said.  "It will certainly be a challenge going into their place.  But it is a great opportunity for other players to step up and contribute."
    
The Boilermaker (9-0) are having one of their best seasons in recent history as they are undefeated at home and have held five of their six opponents to under 60 points.
    
Purdue features two 7 footers in Isaac Haas and A.J. Hammons who have given opponents problems on the offensive end.
    
The Bison, who have played without the services of their second leading scorer, James "JT" Miller (fractured hand), have found some other options to take up the slack of Miller's 16 points per game. Damon Collins came up big in the victory over NC Central and scored a career-high 24 points, 17 coming in the second stanza when his team trailed by 10.  He has almost tripled his scoring average from a year ago.
    
Other players have stepped up as well, including junior forwards Mangham and Tyler Stone, junior center Marcel Boyd junior guard Kofi Andoh, sophomore guard Dalique Mingo and freshman guard Jalen Jones.
    
They will all have to raise their games if the Bison are to be successful against the Boilermakers.
    
"Purdue knows how good they are," said Nickelberry.  "We just have to go out and play Howard basketball."

NEXT UP
The Bison return home for a matchup with the Highlanders of Radford University on Saturday at 4 pm in Burr Gymnasium.  It must be noted that Radford is coached by former Bison standout and assistant coach, Mike Jones.

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