Deadspin | Braden Smith, No. 5 Purdue bid to add to Iowa's woes

[ad_1] Jan 10, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) dribbles the ball down court docket throughout the second half towards the Penn State Nittany Lions at Mackey Area. Obligatory Credit score: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Pictures In case anybody wants a reminder, Purdue guard Braden Smith is comfortable to supply one.

"I nonetheless can rating," Smith stated, "regardless that I cross so much."

Smith's subsequent choose-your-own-adventure project -- cross or shoot? -- will come when No. 5 Purdue (15-1, 5-0 Huge Ten) ideas off towards 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 house victory towards Penn State on Saturday in a sport that preserved their undefeated Huge Ten file.

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 sport. He is also averaging 3.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals.

Smith credited his teammates for his success.

"I've a staff 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 stated.

The Boilermakers will should be sharp towards an Iowa squad determined for a win.

The Hawkeyes have dropped back-to-back convention video games towards Minnesota and Illinois. They misplaced by three factors in Minneapolis on Jan. 6 earlier than returning house 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 stated. "Folks in all probability nonetheless assume I am loopy, however I see it. It is coming.

"We're getting there. You see the group coming. You see us successful video games. Clearly, we dropped two that we in all probability should not have. Nevertheless it's constructing, and we will maintain combating for that."

Bennett Stirtz leads Iowa with a mean of 17.6 factors per sport on 48.2% taking pictures from the sector 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% taking pictures from the sector. Alvaro Folgueiras rounds out the highest three with 9.0 ppg on 53.2% taking pictures.

McCollum stated Iowa wants a balanced scoring assault as defenses goal Stirtz.

"We do not have plenty of leverage on the bottom of our ball screens proper now, in order that they're in a position to load like loopy," McCollum stated. "So it is actually difficult for (Stirtz) to get a high quality shot."

As for Purdue, three gamers apart from Smith are averaging in double digits in scoring.

Fletcher Loyer is at 14.0 factors per sport, and Trey Kaufman-Renn is averaging a double-double with 13.3 factors and 10.0 rebounds a sport.

Oscar Cluff shouldn't be far behind for the Boilermakers with 11.9 factors and eight.6 rebounds per sport.

"My idea is nobody needs to bash their physique for 40 minutes," Cluff stated. "So (by) going within the sport sturdy and simply doing that from the start, clearly over time, your physique will get sore. Folks do not wish to guard you anymore. That is the speculation."