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With their Feb. 15 loss to Wisconsin, Purdue is now on its first losing streak of Big 10 conference play. Following the result, head coach Matt Painter admitted he was frustrated with his team's “emotional” behavior during the game.
After the loss, Painter expressed his disappointment to his team, he told reporters. Painter said he wishes his team would “stick to their rules,” saying he did not like seeing his players complaining to referees.
“I talked afterward, I just said, ‘You have to quit talking to officials, you have to quit showing body language, you have to quit being emotional,'” Painter said. “There ain't nothing wrong with being passionate, but don't be emotional. Stay with it, keep fighting, stick to our rules. We just didn't have the same discipline that they had.”
Purdue saw its four-game win streak come to an end on the road against Michigan in a narrow 75-73 loss. They returned home on Saturday, where Wisconsin delivered a 94-84 upset. The defeat dropped the Boilermakers to 19-7 and 11-4 in the Big 10.
In terms of the gameplay, Painter was upset at his team's inability to force turnovers. Both Purdue and Wisconsin played a disciplined game, committing just four and three turnovers, respectively, in the game.
“I think when you look at it, we've been able to force turnovers. [We were successful] when you get turnovers and get into transition and turn those into points. And then when you can't, now you've got to play the whole possession out and get a stop.”
Purdue falls to third in Big 10 with Wisconsin loss
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Despite entering the week leading the Big 10, Purdue is now third in the conference following its consecutive losses. Michigan, with their win over the Boilermakers, now sits in first, with Michigan State in second.
The loss to Wisconsin leaves Purdue just a half-game ahead of the Badgers in the conference. The Boilermakers also entered the week with a No. 7 ranking in the AP poll, a number that is soon to drop.
Regardless of the recent skid, Purdue still owns quality wins over Alabama, Oregon, Michigan, Ole Miss and Indiana. However, they are now just 4-5 against ranked opponents on the year.
Purdue has five regular-season games remaining, beginning with a marquee clash with Michigan State on Feb. 18. The game will potentially be a two-game swing in the conference standings. The Boilermakers will rise to second in the Big 10 with a win and potentially fall down to fourth with another loss.
