Purdue struggled in the first half and coming out for the second half but a flip seemed to switch for Purdue with about 15 minutes left. Suddenly, Smith was getting what he wanted and flashed his ability to take over a game on both sides on his way to 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists. Just another phenomenal game from the player that is likely to become a two time B1G Player of the Year and Unanimous 1st Team All American.
Let’s see some unique things about this game ‘By the Numbers’:
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8
8 assists for Braden Smith and that moved him into sole possession of 15th in the history of the NCAA with 922. Who are some of the big time names that Smith will pass in the next several games on his way to catching Bobby Hurley’s 1,076? Gary Payton with 938, Doug Gottlieb with 947, and Steven Blake with 972.
1
Purdue did not play well in the first half against Iowa and didn’t start the second half well either as they have four really poor turnovers in the first four minutes. That’s when it appeared the flip switched for Braden Smith and Purdue. In that final 14:35, give or take a few seconds, Purdue had only 1 turnover. When Purdue doesn’t turn the ball over, it simply becomes a team many opponents aren’t built to beat. When you add in the offensive outburst that occurred over that same time span you get….
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39 & 40
… a big time second half that won Purdue the game. In that same time span where Purdue was turning the ball over, they weren’t playing well on the offensive end. That first 26 minutes of game action, Purdue only scored 39 minutes. In that final 14:35, Purdue’s offensive exploded with 40 points and they were able to frustrate Iowa into mistakes they couldn’t overcome. That was led largely by Braden Smith taking over the game in ways that not many around the country are able to do in college basketball.
6
Purdue has started 6-0 in the B1G for the first time since they set a program record 12 straight wins to start the season during the 2017/2018 season. That 6-0 start is tied for the seventh best start to the B1G season in program history.
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0
Smith really struggled in the first half against Iowa and the leading B1G Player of the Year said as much in post game interviews. In fact, Smith attempted 0 shots from behind the arc in the first half of a game for the first time since December 21, 2023. That’s a span of 80 games.
20.9
With another strong performance that showcased Purdue’s ability to share the basketball, the Boilers went for 20 assists. Purdue has gone for 20 or more assists in a game for the twelfth time in seventeen games and that pushed their per game average to 20.9. That is now 356 on the season in total and puts them 364 away from a program season record (720).
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130.1
It wasn’t a particularly beautiful offensive game for Purdue for most of the game but that last 14:35 was spectacular. With that as the driving force, Purdue improved their adjusted offensive efficiency to 130.1 on Kenpom. That is a full 1.1 point better than the second place Alabama Crimson Tide and 1.8 points better than the Illini at 128.3, the next best B1G team. The worst B1G team? Rutgers at 108.5. That pales to the worst team in the NCAA this season, Mississippi Valley State, who sit at 88.6.
48%
It was pretty evident from the first several minutes that Purdue was going to struggle against an Iowa team that came out shooting. For the most part, Purdue has done a very good job defending the three point arc and allowing opponents to shoot just 31.3% per game from behind the arc. That is good for a top-75 ranking in that regard.
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The Hawkeyes, however, were able to to shoot a blistering 48% from behind the arc and that is a high water mark for an opponent this season. It didn’t come from their typical players though as Stirtz went just 2-9 and while Banks and Combs combined to go 7/8 after hitting just 11 between the two players all season before the game. Some times opponents just have really good shooting nights and you have to tip your cap. The difference between what happened against Iowa versus Iowa State is that Purdue continued to play detailed oriented basketball and gave great effort in the final 14 minutes of the game.
