With Purdue basketball set to kick off the Big Ten Tournament Friday at noon, head coach Matt Painter says the goal is simple — stay process based.
The Boilermakers will play the winner of Michigan State and Minnesota, who were set to play today at noon. Purdue defeated Minnesota, 84-76, in February and knocked off the Spartans, 80-74, on March 2.
“We will watch the game with Minnesota and Michigan State. It’s a little different in that we played both once and at home. We will get prepared for both teams, practice and get locked in,” Painter said.
Against Minnesota, Purdue basketball (28-3, 17-3) overcame a 10 point deficit early in the second half before turning to Zach Edey. Edey, who started 3-of-9 from the field, finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds. Braden Smith poured in 16 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Mason Gillis added 14 points and hit four three pointers, while Lance Jones chipped in with a dozen points.
The Golden Gophers opened the game 9-of-16 from behind the three point arc, but went cold from three point distance in the second half.
When it comes to Michigan State, Purdue basketball got 32 points and 11 rebounds from Edey, who helped guide the Boilermakers to a then-share of the Big Ten regular season title. Braden Smith added 23 points, while Fletcher Loyer added 15. Purdue’s defense held Michigan State to 39 percent shooting. Tyson Walker had 14 points and seven rebounds, Jaden Akins finished with 13, Malik Hall added 12 and Xavier Booker 11 points.
Painter said what has helped this year’s installment of the Boilermakers is their ability to shoot the basketball.
“You have to have good players to start with. Sometimes you have to go through a little adversity, but more than anything, our skill level was much better than we showed last year. Ability to shoot the basketball and amount of time we put in. The work all those guys have put in to be a more skilled team is one of the biggest differences,” Painter said.
And, while the Boilermakers have shot better, Painter is optimistic prior experience will play a role in Purdue basketball cutting down the nets in Minneapolis.
“There’s a lot of variables. You hope the experiences we had will definitely help us this year. You never know. It’s tough. You are going to face a quality team in every game you play if you can get past the first game,” Painter said.
Thank you for reading Boiler Wire, the market’s new Purdue sports outlet. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Purdue athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at sportswriterpg@gmail.com or direct message us on our social media. Boiler Up!
