No. 18 Purdue is hoping its current troubles have come to an finish and that it may possibly look forward towards postseason play.
With a four-game slide within the rearview mirror, the Boilermakers look to win a second straight sport once they face Rutgers on Tuesday evening in Huge Ten play in West Lafayette, Ind.
Purdue (20-9, 12-6 Huge Ten) dropped 4 straight video games — three to ranked groups — earlier than ending the slide with Friday’s 76-66 house victory over UCLA.
That leaves the Boilermakers in a three-way tie for third place with Wisconsin and Maryland as they hunt for positioning for the upcoming Huge Ten match.
“I do not care who you might be as a coach, I do not care who you might be as a participant, you will have self-doubt,” Purdue coach Matt Painter mentioned.
“While you lose video games, now you begin to look into it, however you have to stick with what you are doing.
“In case you stick with what you are doing and also you keep related and also you combat, you are going to develop and you are going to get out of some issues. So, hopefully we will construct and simply get higher.”
Boilermakers star junior level guard Braden Smith turned the varsity’s all-time chief in profession assists when he had eight in opposition to the Bruins. It raised his complete to 696 in 103 video games, passing Bruce Parkinson (690 from 1972-77).
“Bruce Parkinson was an ideal participant right here and a really profitable participant,” Painter mentioned. “To carry honors or data or something that lengthy is fairly cool, as a result of data are made to be damaged. However for somebody to do it of their junior 12 months (like Smith) is fairly cool.
“He is received a knack, he works exhausting, he is a very good participant. Numerous occasions, folks need to offer you credit score, however like, he walked in right here passing. He is received a really feel and he is received a learn, comes from a basketball household. Simply completely happy for him.”
Smith leads Purdue in assists (8.7 common), 3-pointers (66) and steals (69) and stands second in scoring at 16 factors per sport. Trey Kaufman-Renn averages a team-best 19.6 factors.
Rutgers (14-15, 7-11) is in a four-way for eleventh place and will probably be making an attempt to bounce again from a painful 84-82 street loss at then-No. 15 Michigan.
The Scarlet Knights appeared destined to be house owners of a three-game profitable streak once they led 74-62 with eleven-plus minutes remaining.
Rutgers later fell behind, however was again in entrance by some extent because the clock wound down earlier than Michigan escaped when Nimari Burnett drilled a protracted 3-pointer as time expired.
Regardless that the Scarlet Knights blew the large lead, coach Steve Pikiell pointed on the officiating, and never solely as a result of the Wolverines tried 14 extra free throws (32 to 18) than Rutgers.
“Simply (expletive) devastated for our (expletive) guys,” Pikiell mentioned on the Rutgers postgame radio interview. “Performed so exhausting (expletive) the entire time. Excuse my language.
“A few (down the) stretch calls, I assumed there have been travels (on Michigan). We could not get a cease, however I could not be extra pleased with these guys. Coming into this place and enjoying toe-to-toe with them the entire time, and also you lose on that play?”
Lathan Sommerville scored a career-high 17 factors and Dylan Harper additionally scored 17 for the Scarlet Knights. Tyson Acuff added 16 factors.
Harper averages a team-best 19.3 factors whereas Ace Bailey chips in with 18.2 per sport for Rutgers, which has misplaced the final 4 conferences with the Boilermakers.
Purdue posted a 68-50 win over host Rutgers on Jan. 9. Smith stood out with 16 factors, 14 assists and three steals. Bailey had 17 factors and 7 rebounds for Rutgers, which established a season low for factors.
–Discipline Degree Media
