NCAA Basketball Power Rankings: Butler surges, North Carolina drops

A true analytics darling, Purdue started this season a bit shaky with a 4-3 record but the team is starting to find its rhythm. During this past week, the Boilermakers put together arguably the most impressive performance by any team in the country – knocking off Virginia by 29 points. That game was seemingly never close as the Boilermakers jumped on the Cavaliers early while turning it into a 3-point shootout. Behind the stellar play of sophomore wing Sasha Stefanovic, Purdue shot 13-for-25 (52.0%) from deep while limiting Virginia to 4-for-24 (16.7%). It was a dominant performance by the Boilermakers, who hold the No. 6 spot in KenPom at the moment.

Purdue is a very good basketball team and there should be no doubt about that. Even in the absence of Carsen Edwards, they look the part of a top-5 squad in the Big Ten thanks to a sensational defense. Additionally, they dominate the glass on both ends of the floor to create a possession advantage. With that said, though, their lack of a proven go-to scorer down the stretch of games remains my biggest concern. The blowout win over Virginia did not provide an opportunity for anyone to stand out.

Looking forward, Purdue’s next three games will come away from Mackey. First, they will play back-to-back true road games against mediocre competition in Nebraska and Ohio before being tasked with their last difficult non-conference test. On Dec. 21st, Purdue will take the short drive to Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis to compete at a neutral site against nationally-ranked Butler. That should be a fun one.