Braden Smith Not Wasting Energy on 'Overreactions' Regarding Purdue's Season
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Braden Smith had heard some of the rumblings before No. 13 Purdue defeated No. 7 Nebraska 80-77 in overtime on Tuesday night. He's aware that some out there were questioning whether or not this team had a championship DNA.
After a three-game losing streak and a hard-fought win over a struggling Oregon squad, questions about the Boilermakers' Final Four chances began surfacing. Apparently, that's the price you pay when you're ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll, even if you have a 19-4 record.
Purdue secured its 20th win of the season on Tuesday, pulling out the thrilling win over the Huskers in Pinnacle Bank Arena. It was the biggest win of the season for the Boilers and a game that kept their Big Ten title hopes alive.
Despite Purdue's struggles in recent weeks, Smith said the team's confidence never wavered. Even though there was some outside noise, the guys inside the locker room blocked it out.
Smith, along with Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn, continues to rely on their skill and experience. They know they have what it takes to make a long postseason run.
"We've played in a national championship. I know a lot of people kind of forgot about that because we're having a 'not great year.' I mean, we've lost four games. It's a pretty good year," Smith said. "People are overreacting about it. I've played in [134] games. Like, I know what I'm doing. Everyone knows what they're doing. We have the talent and the experience. I think it's just overreaction from everybody."
Purdue looked like a championship contender on Tuesday night in Lincoln. The Boilermakers jumped out to an early 14-1 lead to start the game and led the Huskers by as many as 22 points in the second half. Nebraska made a run, forcing overtime, but Matt Painter's experienced squad made winning plays in critical moments.
For Smith, it was the latest example of Purdue proving it understands what it takes to live at a high level. Even when facing adversity, the Boilermakers found a way to pull through.
"For us, we know how to win games. Obviously, we've struggled recently, but nothing changes, whoever we play," Smith said. "We know how to execute and win games."
Purdue played with championship effort
Although Purdue got off to a hot start against Nebraska early in Tuesday's game, the Boilers ended the game shooting a modest percentage from the floor. They ended the contest shooting 37% from the field and making just 13-of-46 attempts from behind the three-point line.
The difference in the game was Purdue's effort on the glass, anchored by Kaufman-Renn and Oscar Cluff. The two combined for 33 of the Boilermakers' 54 rebounds. Nebraska finished the game with 37.
Painter said those extra possessions were key to Purdue's success.
"I thought our effort was great. I thought we did a pretty good job executing. We had a lot of really good looks that didn't go down, especially in that second half. Our guys kept playing hard," Painter said.
"Our guys played hard, they hung in there, kept getting rebounds. Trey and Oscar had more rebounds than them in the first half. They ended up with 33 rebounds and Nebraska has 37. When you have that many more possessions that somebody else, the odds are it's going to help you. Obviously, we almost got beat because we can't make a free throw. But, I thought the decisions and the effort was great."
Rebounding has been one of the biggest areas of improvement for Purdue from last year's team. It was the missing piece that should help the Boilers compete for a national title.
It's the No. 1 way Purdue can continue to win basketball games when the shots aren't falling.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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