West Lafayette, IN (My Sportsbook) - The Purdue Boilermakers go in search of their fifth straight season-opening victory under head coach Matt Painter when they kick things off tonight against the visiting Matadors of Cal State Northridge.

The Matadors went into last season amid big expectations, and they came through by winning the Big West Conference regular-season title and followed that up with the program's first conference tournament crown. It marked the second straight year Northridge had captured at least a share of the league title. The Matadors were bounced out of the NCAA Tournament by No. 2 seed Memphis in the first round, though they battled hard against one of the elite teams in the country.

Purdue won 25 games in 2007-08, and followed that with a 27-win campaign last season. Despite falling short of their goal of winning the Big Ten, the Boilermakers are hoping to change their fortunes this time around and will rely heavily on three ultra-talented juniors to lead the way. Purdue's average margin of victory in their last four season openers is 24.3 points, and the team will use this clash as a tune-up for its trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands next week.

This bout marks the first-ever meeting between Cal State Northridge and Purdue in men's basketball.

This year's Northridge squad isn't quite the same as last as five of the top six scorers have left the next, leaving questions as to who will carry the scoring load in 2009-10. At the top of the list is senior Willie Galick, the team's top returning scorer (9.3 ppg) and rebounder (5.5 rpg). He started 25 game last season and shot 57.7 percent from the field. Senior Mark Hill took over the starting point guard job late last year and averaged 8.2 ppg. His progression and overall grasp of the offense will be key to any success the Matadors achieve this year. Northridge filled out its backcourt by bringing in guards Gerald Fulton and Dathan Lyles, as well as Sacramento State transfer Vinnie McGhee, who was the 2007-08 Big Sky Freshman of the Year.

Guard E'Twaun Moore (13.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.0 apg), center JaJuan Johnson (13.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg) and forward Robbie Hummell (12.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg) each have the talent to carry the Boilermakers from night to night, but it will take a total team effort to get Purdue to the top of the Big Ten heap this season. Hummell is a well-rounded player who has been hampered by injuries in the past, so his health will go a long way in determining how far coach Painter's team goes. The overall play of the PU backcourt will be key, but Johnson needs to play with purpose down low if the Boilermakers are going to stave off the upset bids of their enemies this year.