13. Purdue (19-4)
Some recent defensive struggles have really hampered the Boilermakers, though it’s far from the sinking of their season. After a great run of success, Purdue lost three straight games at the tail end of January, falling to a far less comfortable position in the Big Ten standings. Obviously, Matt Painter doesn’t want to rehash or have a repeat of those performances but it was important for the Boilermakers to show something as they bounced back this week.
That was certainly the case back on Sunday, as Purdue really soared in a 93-63 road at Maryland. Fletcher Loyer led the charge with 29 points while Braden Smith added 19 points as they downed one of the Big Ten’s worst teams. The weekend was a closer call once again, but the Boilermakers did just enough down the stretch to survive Oregon 68-64 at home. Loyer again stood out with 18 points against the Ducks.
A brutal defensive stretch not only has plagued the Boilermakers but made us wonder just how far this team could go when playing like that. However, we have to remember that they boast one of the best offenses in the nation and when Smith and Loyer are on their game Purdue is a real threat. We’ll have to see how the narrative continues to unfold because there are two big road games coming up at Nebraska and Iowa, with many eyes on their trip to Lincoln.
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