4. Purdue (15-1)
Once again, the Boilermakers look like a conference favorite and a national contender thanks to Braden Smith and the rest of this talented roster in West Lafayette. They’ve stockpiled impressive wins and look the part as a dominant force already in Big Ten play, including that great win at Wisconsin last weekend. Even so, let’s not act like it’s just easy street from here on out for the Boilermakers.
Purdue built a big halftime lead on Wednesday night before hanging onto an 81-73 win over Washington. Braden Smith had 23 points and 7 assists while Trey Kaufman-Renn went for 14 points and 14 rebounds in the home win. This team did just enough on Saturday as well, notching a 93-85 win against Penn State. Smith starred with 26 points and 14 rebounds while Oscar Cluff added 23 points himself.
You might have expected larger margins from Purdue against two weaker foes at home, but the important thing is that the Boilermakers keep winning. They’ve now notched seven wins in a row and are 5-0 in league play, even after a tough defensive showing this weekend. With a slew of competitive games coming up, we’ll get to see just how for real this team is, beginning with Iowa this upcoming Wednesday.