Freshman guards star as Purdue routs Milwaukee to open 2022-2023 season

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Behind strong debuts from Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer, Purdue opened its season with a convincing 84-53 win over Milwaukee Tuesday night in Mackey Arena. The two rookie guards, on whom the Boilermakers will be so dependent this season, both made outstanding first impressions.

Smith finished with just seven points, four rebounds and three assists but set a Purdue freshman record with seven steals and was the game’s best player during the first half; Loyer led Purdue with 17 points, making five threes.

Brandon Newman scored 16 points as the Boilermaker perimeter group carried the offense on a night when Zach Edey was just 4-of-13 from the floor, though he did total 17 rebounds, six blocks and a slew of fouls drawn.

Purdue contributed to Milwaukee — a team with 13 new players playing on back-to-back nights — committing 20 turnovers. The Boilermakers scored 26 points off turnovers.

Here’s what you need to know.

FRESHMAN GUARDS MAKE A BIG IMPRESSION

Braden Smith came to his first Purdue post-game press conference with an open wound gushing from his right bicep area. He always seems to be bleeding, whether it’s from his knee during practice or from his arm after whatever it was that happened against Milwaukee.

That sort of sums up the feisty freshman guard and emerging Mackey Arena favorite. It certainly did in the first half, as he was the game’s most influential player for a stretch. It started with a moment that might sum up well the player Smith becomes at Purdue.

Milwaukee forward Jalen Johnson was working to back down Caleb Furst when Smith dropped down to help, smacked the ball away from Johnson as he dribbled, picked it up and took off up the floor, slowing down at one point to allow Trey Kaufman-Renn a favorable angle to catch and finish the pass Smith squeezed into him.

It was one of those energy plays that the arena fed off.

Beyond that, Smith was part of another Purdue effort that made the Boilermakers, on this night at least, look relatively press-proof. Milwaukee pressured Purdue full court and trapped in the halfcourt and the Boilermakers wound up with an acceptable total of 11 turnovers, while the Panthers committed 21.

“That’s my job,” Smith said. “I have to get people in the right places and get them the ball and I have to handle the ball. I had three turnovers tonight and that’s frustrating for me, because I wanted to keep it to one or zero. But that’s my job, knowing the right plays and getting people the ball.”

Loyer’s time came later.

After a slow start shooting from the perimeter, he clearly settled in after halftime, making three threes before the first media timeout as Purdue extended its 10-0 run to end the first half to 15-0, on its way to a lead that topped out at 36.

“Right away, a few were going in and out,” Loyer said. “My teammates were in my ear telling me to keep shooting the ball. When you see a few miss like that, you can be a little but wary, but you have to keep shooting. I know they trust me to, so I have to knock it down when they get it to me.”

PURDUE’S BALL MOVEMENT WAS STRONG

Not only did Purdue handle Milwaukee’s press but exploit it, but the Boilermakers’ offensive chemistry showed up in the halfcourt, too.

With a little more than seven minutes to go in the first half, Zach Edey posted up. As a Panther defender crept in behind him from the baseline to sneak in for a double team and another help defender rotated to the rim to take away cutters, Edey threw a picture-perfect far-side dime to Brandon Newman for his first three of the game.

“He’s spent a lot of time on that post action,” Newman said. “Having chairs set up in practice and being able to hit guys in the corner and on the wing.”

Purdue finished with 18 assists on 27 field goals, but that number was weighed down by an inordinately middling evening shooting the ball around the rim.

Edey was dominant — dominant — on defense, with six blocked shots and 17 rebounds, but was just 4-of-13 from the floor. Caleb Furst was 1-for-3 on two-point field goals and Trey Kaufman-Renn 3-for-7.

Purdue shot just under 40 percent on two-point shots.

“He’ll get that worked out,” Painter said of Edey. “He hurries sometimes and did a couple times in the first half. He just has to collect himself, use his shot-fakes, use his freeze-fakes at the rim, keep his angles, then be aggressive. He missed the one dunk, but the other ones, he’s right there at the rim.”

PURDUE PLAYED HARD

As if he knew the fastest way to Purdue fans’ hearts, Trey Kaufman-Renn dove in the second half for an improbable tie-up that drew a roar of appreciation from the Mackey Arena audience. Moments after having a three rim out on him, Loyer dove to force a turnover. Smith was all over the place all night, as was Mason Gillis, per usual.

“You should see our practices,” said Smith, still bleeding from his arm. “Everybody’s diving on the floor. Zach’s diving on the floor. He’s 7-4, diving on the floor.

“It’s really cool having everybody on the same page doing that.”

NOTEBOOK

• David Jenkins Jr. sat out due to a facial injury he suffered in practice this weekend.

• Painter said freshman Camden Heide will take a few games to weigh whether or not to redshirt this season. He did not play against Milwaukee, nor can he play while preserving his ability to redshirt. This is similar to how Aaron Wheeler handled the same situation when he was a freshman.