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Thursday, Feb. 20
The Indiana Daily Student

sports men's basketball

Indiana men’s basketball travels to West Lafayette on Friday to face No. 10 Purdue

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With under seven minutes remaining, former Purdue center Zach Edey banked in a 3-pointer that sent fans inside Mackey Arena into a frenzy. It was the only 3-pointer Edey made in 3,439 minutes on the floor with the Boilermakers. 

The shot also marked the low point of Indiana men’s basketball’s 79-59 loss to then-No. 2 Purdue on Feb. 10, 2024 — the last time the two in-state rivals faced one another. 

Plenty has changed since that matchup. Edey currently starts for the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies. Only five of the nine Hoosiers’ that played in the loss last season still suit up for head coach Mike Woodson. 

Regardless, a similar scenario looms when Indiana (14-7, 5-5 Big Ten) travels to face No. 10 Purdue (16-5, 8-2 Big Ten) at 8 p.m. Friday at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana. Once more, an underperforming Woodson roster will attempt to stop a train of Boilermaker momentum. 

Indiana enters having lost four of its previous five games while Purdue is looking to build off a 91-64 dismantling of then-No. 21 Michigan on Jan. 24. 

Meet the Boilermakers 

For most programs, losing a two-time Naismith College Player of the Year would be cause for significant regression. That hasn’t been the case with Purdue since Edey’s departure. 

“Edey was a big part of what they’ve done in the past,” Woodson said on the Inside Indiana Basketball radio show Monday, “but they haven’t really missed a major beat.” 

Junior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn has picked up a significant portion of the scoring output Edey left behind. After averaging just 6.4 points per game last season, the Sellersburg, Indiana, native now scores a team-high 18.1 points per contest. 

Even with Kaufman-Renn’s scoring jump, junior guard Braden Smith is the Boilermakers’ leader. Smith is the only Division I player in the country averaging more than 15 points and over eight assists per game. Additionally, the 6-foot guard brings down 4.8 rebounds per matchup. 

“Make no mistake about it, Smith is the key to their ball club,” Woodson said. 

Part of what makes Smith dynamic is his ability to create off the dribble paired with consistency from beyond the arc — a consistency that’s matched by his supporting cast. Purdue has four players that shoot over 40% from the 3-point line. Smith sits just below that mark with a 38.8% conversion rate from deep. 

Three-point shooting has become a staple of the Boilermakers’ offense in recent years. Purdue was the only team in the Big Ten to shoot over 40% from deep last season and currently ranks second in the conference with its 38.4% clip from beyond the arc. 

The Boilermakers’ perimeter shooting success is reason for concern for an Indiana team that has allowed 25 made 3-pointers over its last two games.  

“We haven’t been the defensive team that I thought we should be,” Woodson said. “The last two games, we just have not guarded the 3-point shot very well, and that’s mind boggling to me.” 

Purdue has dominated the Hoosier state rivalry, winning 15 of its 19 matchups against Indiana since 2014. Under the direction of head coach Matt Painter, the Boilermakers' success as a program has towered above their in-state counterparts.  

In the past seven years, Painter has led Purdue to five Sweet 16 appearances. Indiana hasn’t reached the Sweet 16 since 2016. Regardless, since Woodson took over for the Hoosiers in 2021, the series between the two rivals is knotted at 3-3. 

The Hoosiers look to “figure it out” 

Indiana’s once promising season has quickly become an avalanche of uncertainty. At one point, the Hoosiers were 4-1 in Big Ten play and second overall in the conference. Now, after four losses in five matchups, Woodson’s team is once again slipping away from an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. 

Most recently, Indiana let a 4-point lead with 38 seconds remaining go to waste in a disaster 79-78 loss to Maryland on Jan. 26.  

While difficulties guarding the perimeter have played a crucial role in the Hoosiers’ recent struggles, failure to execute in “critical times” has been an equally significant hurdle. 

Fortunately for Indiana, an opportunity to knock off an Associated Press Top 10 ranked rival on the road is one that could quickly put an end, or at the very least a pause, to the barrage of scrutiny from fans targeted at Woodson and his roster. 

“The morale is a little low,” Woodson said. “You lose some games; you’ve got to figure it out. We’ve got a big game coming up on Friday, so we gotta get them ready to go.” 

Last season, Indiana was met with similar circumstances in its two matchups against Purdue. The Hoosiers lost both by 20+ points and missed the NCAA Tournament. For Indiana’s aspirations of a return to March Madness to be fulfilled, a win on the biggest stage against its biggest rival might be the perfect place to start. 

Broadcast information 

The 220th matchup between Indiana and Purdue will be televised on Fox, with Jason Benetti on play-by-play alongside former Boilermaker Robbie Hummel. 

Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa) and columnist Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.

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