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Takeaways and Wrap Video: Purdue's win at Wisconsin

On3 imageby:Brian Neubert•02/05/24•

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Purdue's Braden Smith
Mark Hoffman | USA Today Sports

MADISON, Wis. — No. 2 Purdue won its biggest road game of the Big Ten season to date — and looked good doing it — on Sunday, taking down sixth-ranked Wisconsin 75-69 to slide into first place in the Big Ten.

Our post-game analysis from the Kohl Center.

PURDUE’S BACKCOURT IS BETTER THAN PEOPLE THINK

Braden Smith ought to be an All-American this season, but Lance Jones has played at an All-Big Ten level, at both ends of the floor, this season. Those two carried Purdue in the first and second half, respectively.

Smith’s ability to attack defenses’ weaknesses as a scorer has transformed Purdue this season, as has Jones’ transition punch. That Jones has been this level of shot-maker just doesn’t seem fair.

Don’t let those two distract from the fact that this was some of the best of Fletcher Loyer, too. On a night Wisconsin gave him no room behind the arc — keep in mind the trickle-down benefit for everyone else — Loyer weaponized the Badgers’ focus on him to get to the basket and the foul line. His 12 points came on limited usage, but also at opportune times. That jumper he made with two-and-a-half minutes left was huge.

Purdue is rightfully known as Zach Edey‘s team, but he is flanked by three All-Big Ten (at worst) guards.

PURDUE WON WITH D

Yeah, Purdue has some vulnerabilities, but showed you today it’s more than just a scoring-and-rebounding team. It won without making high-volume threes like it normally does.

Part of it was defense, holding Wisconsin to 42 percent shooting, 3-of-19 from three, and keep A.J. Storr in check. This is a bit of an easier Badger team to guard, because it takes bad shots, but Purdue got stops nonethless.

Be it intentional or not, it kind of gave Tyler Wahl (20 and five assists), but did make him make really tough shots over or around bigger people.

Otherwise no one else really hurt Purdue in an enduring manner.

The stretch of defense from Purdue’s bench in the first half moved it toward its eventual run.

PURDUE IS IN CONTROL NOW

Even when Purdue was two games down in the Big Ten standings, it felt inevitable given its superiority over a mediocre Big Ten that it would find its way to the top.

Today was the day, and with so many road games in the books, you’d have to think Purdue is positioned really well to go back-to-back with conference titles.

There is still a road trip to Illinois and a home game vs. this Wisconsin team, but those teams now have precious little margin for error.

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