3 Key Questions That May Decide Indiana Basketball vs Purdue

Indiana (13-7, 4-5 Big Ten) snapped its four-game skid with a 23-point win at Rutgers and is now set to return home for a huge rivalry clash. On Tuesday, the Hoosiers will face Purdue (17-3, 7-2 Big Ten) – which is currently riding a two-game losing streak. Here are three key questions that may decide the contest:

3 burning questions ahead of Indiana basketball vs. Purdue

Jan 23, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Lamar Wilkerson (3) reacts after a theree point basket during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Can Indiana get hot from deep?

In all three of Purdue’s losses this year (Iowa State, UCLA and Illinois), its opponents have connected on at least 45 percent of their triples. Finding a rhythm from deep is the key to taking down the Boilermakers, and, fortunately for the Hoosiers, that’s their bread and butter. During Big Ten play, Indiana has connected on 37.0 percent of its triples – a digit that ranks second in the league (Nebraska leads at 38.5 percent).

The Hoosiers have two of the purest shooters in the conference in Lamar Wilkerson and Tucker DeVries, along with fellow sniper Nick Dorn, who is shooting 45.1 percent from long range on the season and just canned six triples against Rutgers in his first start at Indiana. (The trio combined for 15 total three-pointers against the Scarlet Knights.)

That said, it can’t just be Wilkerson, DeVries and Dorn carrying the load, as Purdue is too well-coached to get beat by three players. Indiana needs a team effort to knock off the Boilermakers – meaning Conor Enright and Tayton Conerway, among others, need to have a big night.

What’s the answer for Purdue’s Braden Smith?

That’s the question every coach asks themselves before facing Purdue. Through four seasons, evident by Braden Smith’s personal hardware – which includes a Big Ten Player of the Year award – no answer has been found.

Still, there are ways to slow him – and the Boilermakers offense, in turn. Indiana is well-connected on defense and Darian DeVries has multiple agile bigs in Sam Alexis and Reed Bailey, each of whom must be locked in defensively in pick-and-roll coverage vs. Smith.

Keep Smith out of the paint, force tough midrange jumpers – which he hit at a shockingly high rate against Illinois – and live with the results. But even if the Hoosiers can do that, it’s all for naught if they can’t rebound the basketball.

Can Indiana survive on the glass?

Jan 7, 2026; College Park, Maryland, USA; Indiana Hoosiers forward Sam Alexis (4) looks on during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

In two of Indiana’s losses during the four-game skid – at Michigan State and at Michigan – the Hoosiers were obliterated on the glass. In that pair of outings, DeVries’ unit was a combined minus-34 on the boards.

Indiana is undersized, but has a relatively solid mix of athletes, physical players and individuals who play with all out effort. Aside from Sam Alexis, no Hoosier is exactly elite on the glass – but they’re all more than capable of holding their own.

Rebounding is often considered a task that requires minimal skill, which isn’t entirely true, but being an exceptional rebounder mostly does come down to sheer want and desire. Indiana needs maximum effort across the board on the glass, or it’ll find itself yielding a detrimental number of second-chance points to a superb offensive rebounding unit in Purdue.