In case anybody wants a reminder, Purdue guard Braden Smith is joyful to supply one.
“I nonetheless can rating,” Smith mentioned, “though I cross so much.”
Smith’s subsequent choose-your-own-adventure task — cross or shoot? — will come when No. 5 Purdue (15-1, 5-0 Large Ten) ideas off in opposition to Iowa (12-4, 2-3) on Wednesday night in West Lafayette, Ind.
The Boilermakers will go for his or her eighth win in a row. They’re coming off a 93-85 residence victory in opposition to Penn State on Saturday in a recreation that preserved their undefeated Large Ten document.
Smith will look to remain sizzling after scoring 26 factors vs. the Nittany Lions. He has led Purdue in every of his previous two video games, averaging 24.5 factors in that span.
For the season, Smith is averaging 14.1 factors and a team-high 9.8 assists per recreation. He is also averaging 3.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals.
Smith credited his teammates for his success.
“I’ve a crew round me that helps me and has the boldness in me to exit and make performs and rating the basketball or cross them the ball,” he mentioned.
The Boilermakers will should be sharp in opposition to an Iowa squad determined for a win.
The Hawkeyes have dropped back-to-back convention video games in opposition to Minnesota and Illinois. They misplaced by three factors in Minneapolis on Jan. 6 earlier than returning residence to Iowa Metropolis, Iowa, and falling 75-69 to then-No. 16 Combating Illini on Sunday.
The back-to-back losses mark the primary adversity within the tenure of first-year Iowa coach Ben McCollum.
“After we first took this over, it is like, man, ‘How can they get to a sure level that rapidly?'” McCollum mentioned. “Individuals in all probability nonetheless assume I am loopy, however I see it. It is coming.
“We’re getting there. You see the gang coming. You see us successful video games. Clearly, we dropped two that we in all probability should not have. However it’s constructing, and we’ll preserve combating for that.”
Bennett Stirtz leads Iowa with a median of 17.6 factors per recreation on 48.2% capturing from the sphere and 39.4% from 3-point vary. He’s averaging 5.1 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals to go along with his scoring totals.
Tavion Banks ranks second on Iowa with 9.7 ppg on 55.1% capturing from the sphere. Alvaro Folgueiras rounds out the highest three with 9.0 ppg on 53.2% capturing.
McCollum mentioned Iowa wants a balanced scoring assault as defenses goal Stirtz.
“We do not have a variety of leverage on the bottom of our ball screens proper now, in order that they’re in a position to load like loopy,” McCollum mentioned. “So it is actually tough for (Stirtz) to get a top quality shot.”
As for Purdue, three gamers except for Smith are averaging in double digits in scoring.
Fletcher Loyer is at 14.0 factors per recreation, and Trey Kaufman-Renn is averaging a double-double with 13.3 factors and 10.0 rebounds a recreation.
Oscar Cluff will not be far behind for the Boilermakers with 11.9 factors and eight.6 rebounds per recreation.
“My principle is nobody needs to bash their physique for 40 minutes,” Cluff mentioned. “So (by) going within the recreation sturdy and simply doing that from the start, clearly over time, your physique will get sore. Individuals do not need to guard you anymore. That is the idea.”
–Area Degree Media
