No. 4 Purdue aiming for improved shooting, rebounding against Indiana
Fourth-ranked Purdue is making 3-pointers at an excellent 38.3% clip, good for 21st in Division I.
But in the last four games, the Boilermakers have hit just 33.3% (27 of 81). That's not bad but isn't good enough when weighed against how they normally hit it.
As Purdue prepares for a Tuesday night trip to rival Indiana in Bloomington, it will zero in on establishing its normal efficiency from beyond the arc.
"We've got guys who shoot 45, 50% not making shots right now," point guard Braden Smith said after a 69-67 loss at UCLA on Jan. 20. "It is what it is. We're shooting wide-open shots; they're just not going in."
After bricking away at a 7-of-27 clip at UCLA, the Boilermakers (17-3, 7-2 Big Ten) sank an acceptable 7 of 19 on Saturday at home against then-No. 11 Illinois. But the Fighting Illini strafed them for an 18-of-38 showing (47%) from the arc, with freshman Keaton Wagler drilling 9 of 11 from deep on the way to scoring 46 points on just 17 shot attempts in an 88-82 victory.
"He was fabulous," Purdue coach Matt Painter said of Wagler. "He hit a lot of tough shots over us, obviously. That's probably the most impressive performance we've had in Mackey Arena from an opponent."
Painter said his team lost the game when it was stomped on the boards 33-19. Illinois grabbed 13 offensive rebounds off 29 available misses and converted those into 18 back-breaking points.
Smith continues to lead the Boilermakers in scoring (15.2) and assists (9.3). The senior is coming off 27 and 12 against Illinois. Fletcher Loyer (12.7 points per game), Trey Kaufman-Renn (12.5) and Oscar Cluff (11.8) also score in double figures.
Indiana (13-7, 4-5) snapped a four-game losing streak Friday by thumping host Rutgers 82-59. Lamar Wilkerson pumped in 27 points, while Nick Dorn added 23 and Tucker DeVries stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.
Also importantly, the Hoosiers corrected some weaknesses in defense and rebounding. After allowing an average of 81 points during their skid, they limited Rutgers to 36.2% shooting from the floor (21 of 58) and earned a 40-27 advantage on the boards.
"I love the team mentality these guys have," said first-year Indiana coach Darian DeVries. "They continue to give us great effort. We have so many opportunities in the Big Ten. This was one. Now we have to get ready for another one at one. It will be a big game for us."
This one could depend on who controls the 3-point line. Indiana canned 15 from long distance at Rutgers, getting six from Dorn in his first start to tie a career high. Meanwhile, Purdue has permitted a total of 27 3-pointers in its consecutive defeats.
Wilkerson paces the Hoosiers in scoring at 19.4 points per game, canning 40.6% from the 3-point line. Tucker DeVries adds 14.6 despite making a career-low 39.8% from the field. Tayton Conerway, who played against Rutgers despite an ankle injury, chips in 11.2 points per game and is tied for the team lead at 4.1 assists per game.
This is the first of two meetings between these programs. The other one is a home game for Purdue on Feb. 20 in West Lafayette, Ind.