In a wee bit of a slump.
Matt Painter’s Boilermakers are hitting a bit of a wall heading into the end of the season. A third Big Ten Title in a row is all but of reaching, as we now have three more losses than Michigan in the final stretch of the season.
Purdue’s lack of rim protection with 7-4 Daniel Jacobsen has been exposed in recent games, with Wisconsin and Michigan State getting to the rim easily, mostly off of lob passes toward that general area.
The room for error is so small with this team and if Braden Smith and TKR are the only ones scoring, it will be hard for the Boilermakers to win games late in the season. Purdue needs Fletcher Loyer to be the sharpshooter that he is, and to take open shots when he has them.
41
The amount of points that TKR and Smith Combined for last night. Renn, per usual, led the way with 24 points, his over on points each game is automatic. Smith added 17. Aside from those two, no one was in double figures last night. Loyer had a late three to finish with 8.
6
The amount of turnovers Braden Smith had last night, which is very unlike him. Smith, also added 8 assists in the game, but some of the turnovers looked like he and his teammates were not on the same page. Often times he was caught in the air.
3
Three straight losses for Purdue as well as three games in a row with one of the Boilermakers fouling out. Both are anomalies with Matt Painter coached teams. Some fouls are questionable, some are not, regardless it is strange to see so many players fouling out for a defense that is a low risk defense.