Boiler Banter: Is Foul Trouble Actually Purdue's Biggest Concern Right Now?

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Playing defense without fouling has been a staple of Purdue basketball. Over the last two weeks, the Boilermakers have seemed to struggle with that concept, and it has me wondering if that's the biggest concern for this team as it chases a third consecutive Big Ten title.

Foul trouble was a concern again on Saturday, as seventh-ranked Purdue dropped a 94-84 contest to No. 16 Wisconsin inside Mackey Arena. Braden Smith picked up his third personal less than two minutes into the second half. Caleb Furst fouled out with 2:29 to play. Both had an impact on the game.

Was the foul situation the lone reason Purdue lost to Wisconsin in a pivotal Big Ten contest? Absolutely not. Wisconsin shot 61.5% from the floor — including a 72% performance in the second half. The Badgers made 20-of-22 attempts from inside the 3-point line, a number that hasn't been reached in the last 15 college basketball seasons.

And it just makes you wonder — are those foul issues giving Purdue a bit of a mental block on the defensive end?

Let me be clear, Purdue is still really good at playing defense without fouling. The Boilermakers are fouling an average of 15.7 times per game, which ranks 86th nationally (355 Division I teams). Only four times this season has a player fouled out.

The problem? Three of those disqualifications have come in the last two games — losses to Michigan and Wisconsin. Both Furst and Trey Kaufman-Renn fouled out in the 75-73 loss to the Wolverines. And, obviously, Furst fouled out for a second straight game on Saturday.

If I was thinking about it at the time, I would have asked Matt Painter about how much the whistles have affected Purdue's defensive tenacity in recent weeks, if at all. Instead, it wasn't until I drank my morning coffee on Sunday that the idea hit me upside the head.

Regardless of how the whistle blows, though, Painter wants his team to battle through. He said the team's mental toughness simply hasn't been good enough the last two games.

"You have to have a resolve about you when you miss shots. You have to have a resolve about you and a mental toughness about you when you don't get the calls that you like," Painter said after Purdue's loss to Wisconsin. "Whatever the adversity might be, you've got to push through that adversity and fight and then encourage other people."

Purdue's foul troubles date back further than the last two games. Kaufman-Renn's situation really hindered the Boilermakers in a Jan. 31 win over Indiana. The junior forward made some big plays late in the second half— which included the game-winning bucket — but he was sidelined for periods of time that allowed Indiana to make surges throughout the contest.

Kaufman-Renn had a similar issue in the first half against Iowa on Feb. 4. He battled early foul trouble and played just eight minutes. The Boilermakers were tied with the Hawkeyes after 20 minutes of action before pulling away late in the second half.

Over the last two games, those foul issues have been too steep of a hill to climb. And maybe it's not impacting the Boilers' approach defensively, but it's certainly affecting their mentality over the course of a game.

"I talked afterwards, I just said, 'You have to quit talking to officials, you have to quit showing body language, you have to quit being emotional,' Painter said. There ain't nothing wrong with being passionate, but don't be emotional."

Regardless of how the whistle impacts Purdue's defensive intensity, there's no question that the margin for error is significantly smaller than it has been in recent seasons. The Boilers don't have a true rim protector like they've had in the past with Zach Edey, Isaac Haas, Matt Haarms and AJ Hammons. The one shot-blocker on the roster, Daniel Jacobsen, was injured in the second game of the season.

Without question, the Boilermakers have proven they can be one of the Big Ten's best defensive teams. They're capable of turning teams over at a high rate, getting into transition and putting teams on their heels.

If Purdue can get back to that style of defense, it will be fine. The Boilers just have to do it without fouling.

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