BIRMINGHAM, AL — The nation’s No. 1 team was not the betting favorite to win its next game when Purdue basketball departed for Alabama.
Even after news broke of Trey Kaufman-Renn’s return, the Boilermakers remained about a 3-point underdog at most online books Wednesday night. You should read that as respect for the Crimson Tide’s weekend win over St. John’s in New York City as any skepticism toward Purdue.
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These nonconference highlights represent the best glimpse of how both teams might hold up against top seeds in the NCAA tournament.
The trick comes in viewing such games only as a weigh station on that journey.
Thursday’s game marks the Boilermakers’ third such experience with Alabama in as many years. It can only hope the third installment of the trilogy is as enlightening as the first two.
Purdue 92, Alabama 86 (2023, in Toronto)
What Purdue learned from a win over Alabama in Toronto in 2023?
This game took place in Toronto — a special moment for senior Zach Edey to play in his home country for the first and only time in college. He responded with a massive 35-point performance.
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Such outbursts were relatively commonplace for the defending national player of the year, though. That neutral court game laid out what would become the blueprint for a run to the national championship game.
The rebounding numbers ended up almost exactly even. Alabama put up 46 3-point attempts and made 41.3% of them — a certain precursor to victory on almost any given night. Mark Sears made 8 of 16 himself behind the arc while scoring 35 points.
However, Purdue committed only nine turnovers. This game helped establish an incontrovertible truth — if those Boilers protected possessions, they were nearly impossible to beat.
Also, that game helped establish a new level of Braden Smith’s growth into one of the elite lead guards in the country. He’d scored 20-plus points only twice as a freshman. He went for 27 that day in Toronto with an 8-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
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He scored 26 a week later against No. 1 Arizona, while Fletcher Loyer broke out for 27. The previous year, Purdue won the Big Ten and earned a No. 1 NCAA tournament seed despite its young starting guards’ development in real time. That win in Toronto helped epitomize a new winning profile — one which extended beyond Edey’s dominant baseline.
Purdue 87, Alabama 78 (2024, at Mackey Arena)
What Purdue learned from a home win over Alabama last season?
Painter had no choice but to rely heavily on freshmen guards Gicarri Harris and C.J. Cox from Day 1. How they would hold up on a high-intensity matchup — even at home — remained mostly theoretical as the season opened.
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When Smith took a short rest midway through the second half, Cox answered those questions. He hit three 3s in a 52-second span. He flipped a two-point deficit into a seven-point lead. The response inside Mackey likely ruptured a few eardrums, too.
He highlighted a 56.3% team 3-point shooting performance in conjunction with a three-turnover night. That night it did not matter if Alabama won the boards (37-35). It did not matter, in the absence of true rim protection after Daniel Jacobsen’s injury two games earlier, Purdue relied on the athleticism of Myles Colvin and Camden Heide for three of its four blocks.
That night represented the Boilers at their best, especially on their home court. It may also have reflected the ceiling through which they are attempting to break this season.
How can this Alabama team help Purdue keep evolving?
The exhibition game at Kentucky allowed coach Matt Painter to gather data, mix lineups and re-introduce his team to a hostile road atmosphere.
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It played that game to be in better position to win this one. These are the sort of nonconference wins upon which No. 1 NCAA tournament resumes are built.
Alabama already has one of those wins — a 103-06 victory over preseason No. 6 St. John’s at Madison Square Garden. Labaron Philon Jr. scored 25 points. He scored 18 with four assists in 27 minutes off the bench at Mackey last season.
“I thought he was really dynamic on our game,” Painter said. “He’s explosive, can drive the basketball, will make some intermediate shots. You can tell from watching him this year he really worked on his perimeter shooting.”
Guards Aden Holloway and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. scored 21 and 17, respectively, against St. John’s. A 6-foot-10 forward, Taylor Bol Bowen, also scored 17.
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The Crimson Tide bombed away at their usual pace, putting up 35 3-pointers and making only 11. However, they also outscored St. John’s in the paint, 54-40. Turning 14 offensive rebounds into 19 points helped the cause.
Alabama will challenge Purdue to get out on its shooters without being beaten with dribble penetration. With Kaufman-Renn’s return from a hip injury, the Boilers must also control the boards more than they did in either of the first two games.
These three seasons — the Final Four run, the transition out of the Edey era, the last dance for three important seniors — will be inextricably linked in Purdue history. Alabama has somewhat accidentally come along for the entire ride, and along the way, provided an important barometer of the Boilermakers’ progress toward the season they want to have.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue basketball game vs Alabama shows Boilers what to improve
