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Purdue basketball head coach Matt Painter was unhappy with his team's effort in the 81-70 loss to Penn State. The Boilermakers played their first Big Ten game in the post-Zach Edey era, coming into it ranked No. 8 in the country. Despite speculation that the program would take a step back after losing the two-time National College Player of the Year, Purdue basketball has had a stellar start to the season. Matt Painter's team was 7-1 going into last night and racked up a very impressive victory over No. 2 Alabama.
The honeymoon phase of the season ended on Thursday night, as the Boilermakers started conference play on the wrong foot. Painter did not hold back his frustration with Sports Illustrated writer Dustin Schutte.
“Good plays can lead to other good plays, bad plays are the same way — contagious. More than anything, I talked to our team about just now: you've got to work through your first seven, eight, nine, ten games. But it just has to be about winning. The sooner you can get over yourself, the more you're going to win. We have a lot of really good dudes. They care about Purdue and work hard, but if we're on the front line of a war like we were just now, we'd all be dead. Our fight wasn't even close to Penn State's fight.”
Purdue basketball can realistically win its third straight Big Ten title
2024 will be a thrilling year in the Big Ten conference, as no clear favorite exists. The predictions for the regular season champions are already all over the place, with some familiar faces at the top. However, there are some surprising teams in contention like 9-0 Oregon and 7-1 Michigan. The now-No.12 Ducks came into the season unranked and already have two impressive wins over Alabama and Texas A&M.
For the Boilermakers, several players are filling the void Zach Edey left behind, specifically junior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn. The Sellersburg, Indiana native has taken a considerable step up in his development, leading Purdue basketball with 18.7 points per game along with 6.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He is shooting an astounding 60.6% from the field and 60% from three.
The guard tandem of Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer are once again among the best in the Big Ten. Smith is currently ranked third in the nation in assists at 8.7. Loyer, on the other hand, is averaging career highs in scoring and efficiency. The Boilermakers' Big Ten and NCAA Tournament hopes will rely heavily upon the two juniors. They are among the most experienced guards in the country and have already gotten the program to the brink of a national championship.
Looking ahead, Purdue basketball has a mixture of nonconference and Big Ten games over the next few weeks. The Boilermakers will host the Maryland Terrapins before back-to-back matchups against elite SEC competition in Auburn and Texas A&M. The No. 2 ranked Tigers have started the year on fire and are now one of the favorites to cut down the nets in April.
Overall, if Purdue basketball wants to continue to be considered among the best in the country, it will need to show more fight than it did on Friday. The Nittany Lions were in control for most of the game, leading 40-24 after the first half. Matt Painter understands this performance did not meet the high standards he's established in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers should only get better from here on out.
