One Common Theme Stands Out When Indiana Beats Purdue

Tuesday's Indiana-Purdue rivalry game ended in a fitting way.

Indiana guard Conor Enright finished his full 40-minute effort by hounding Purdue point guard Braden Smith down the court and forcing a last-second 3-point attempt that clanged off the side rim. That cemented the Hoosiers' 72-67 win over No. 12 Purdue and gave first-year Darian DeVries his first Quad 1 win at a crucial time.

It also continued a theme from the past four seasons. When Indiana beats Purdue, a big reason is the Hoosiers' defense on Smith, one of the nation's top point guards. Smith fell to 3-4 against Indiana in an otherwise successful career as a four-year starter with All-American and Big Ten player of the year honors, a Final Four run and two regular season conference titles.

But DeVries and former head coach Mike Woodson have seemingly found a recipe for limiting Smith, who has averaged just eight points per game on 26.8% shooting in four career losses to Indiana.

Smith still managed 14 points on Tuesday, but it came with four turnovers and inefficient 6-for-14 shooting from the field and 2-for-8 from 3-point range. He entered the game averaging 18.5 points per game in Big Ten play, including four games with 23-plus points in the last six contests.

In the past, it's been Indiana defenders like Trey Galloway, Anthony Leal, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Xavier Johnson defending Smith. On Tuesday, it started with Enright's tenacity.

"40 minutes of chasing Smith around, that's not an easy deal," DeVries said. "Because that's if not the best guard in the country right there, and he creates a lot of their stuff for them. I thought he gave incredible effort the whole night, and cramping and everything and he continued to fight through it."

Enright, a senior transfer from DePaul who previously played for DeVries at Drake, knew he'd only have one shot against Purdue at Assembly Hall. And from his defense on Smith to his clutch 3-pointer and free throws in the final seconds, he certainly made the most of it.

"He's definitely the best point guard I've gone against," Enright said. "I've been watching him play for a while. So in the last couple of games, I think I fouled a little more. So I had to work on my discipline this game because he's great with the shot fakes and being super crafty."

"But, you know, the rivalry kind of just brought out the great defense, and it was everybody. The bigs hedging, the guys pulling over, tagging. It was five guys guarding the ball every single time, so not just me but everybody out there."

Smith has had his way against Indiana in a few wins over the course of seven matchups. But for the most part, the Hoosiers have kept him in check, especially under the bright lights of Assembly Hall.

Braden Smith's stats against Indiana

Braden Smith Purdue Basketball — Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) drives against Indiana Hoosiers guard Trey Galloway (32) at Mackey Arena on Feb. 25, 2023. | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

L, 79-74 on Feb. 4, 2023 at Assembly Hall: 4 pts, 2 reb, 6 ast, 3 stl, 1 TO, 1-8 FG, 0-1 3pt FG, 2-4 FT
L, 79-71 on Feb. 25, 2023 at Mackey Arena: 6 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl, 2 TO, 2-11 FG, 0-3 3pt FG, 2-2 FT
W, 87-66 on Jan. 16, 2024 at Assembly Hall: 5 pts, 6 reb, 9 ast, 2 stl, 2 TO, 2-14 FG, 0-6 3pt FG, 1-2 FT
W, 79-59 on Feb. 10, 2024 at Mackey Arena: 19 pts, 9 reb, 4 ast, 4 stl, 2 TO, 8-13 FG, 1-2 3pt FG, 2-2 FT
W, 81-76 on Jan. 31, 2025 at Mackey Arena: 24 pts, 1 reb, 7 ast, 6 stl, 6 TO, 11-21 FG, 0-2 3pt FG, 2-4 FT
L, 73-58 on Feb. 23, 2025 at Assembly Hall: 8 pts, 2 reb, 5 ast, 1 stl, 6 TO, 2-8 FG, 1-3 3pt FG, 3-4 FT
L, 72-67 on Jan. 27, 2026 at Assembly Hall: 14 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl, 4 TO, 6-14 FG, 2-8 3pt FG, 0-0 FT

Averages vs. Indiana: 11.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 6.0 apg, 2.8 spg, 3.2 tpg, 35.9 FG%, 16.0 3pt FG%, 66.7 FT%

Averages in losses to Indiana: 8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 5.5 apg, 2.0 spg, 3.2 tpg, 26.8 FG%, 20.0 3pt FG%, 70.0 FT%

Career averages: 12.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 7.2 apg, 1.7 spg, 2.6 tpg, 44.5 FG%, 39.8 3pt FG%, 82.5 FT%

Make no mistake, Smith is arguably the nation's best point guard this season. He'll lift Purdue out of this rut of a three-game losing streak, and could still lead a deep NCAA Tournament run.

Smith already passed Cassius Winston as the Big Ten's all-time assists leader, and he has a chance to break Bobby Hurley's all-time NCAA assist record. He cemented himself as a program legend in 2024, when he helped Purdue reach its first Final Four since 1980.

But if there's something to critique about his career, his performances against Indiana have left a lot to be desired. As a result of Tuesday's loss, he can only go 4-4 or 3-5 against his in-state rival over the course of an otherwise outstanding career.

The next matchup comes Feb. 20 at 8 p.m. ET at Mackey Arena. And if the Hoosiers are going to pull off another crucial victory, it starts with making things difficult for Smith.

Curt Cignetti Let His National Championship Trophy Do The Talking This Time

Nick Dorn Raises Indiana's Ceiling After Big Game Against Purdue

Fernando Mendoza Joins Elite Company In College Football History

Curt Cignetti Contract Bonuses Triggered Amid Historic Season