Braden Smith Reflects on Purdue's Loss to Iowa State, Moving Ahead to Minnesota

For Braden Smith, there was no mystery as to what went wrong for Purdue in Saturday's 81-58 loss to Iowa State. A flurry of issues could be discussed, but the senior guard it all boiled down to one thing, which led to a blowout loss on the Boilermakers' home court.

"We didn't make a single shot," Smith said matter-of-factly. "I think that's a lot of it. I think that changes the course of the game, that's the biggest thing."

To Smith's point, Purdue had one of its worst shooting performances in recent memory. The Boilermakers struggled from every level, posting a 41% field goal rate, and making only 22% of its three-point attempts. They also shot a paltry 6-of-14 from the free-throw line.

Two of Purdue's most reliable scorers, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer, combined to shoot 3-of-16 from the floor and totaled just nine points. Omer Mayer and Gicarri Harris were a combined 2-of-12, adding to the team's woes.

Smith said Purdue's poor shooting day was the catalyst behind the poor performance. It then snowballed into frustrating turnovers and poor effort on the defensive end and the glass.

"Frustration offensively, getting the shots that we want and shots that normally go in, and then they don't," Smith said. "I think that's what happened."

Purdue ready to move forward

Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) reacts after a three-point basket | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Suffering a 23-point loss on your home court can certainly sting, but Smith said the team quickly turned the page after Saturday's game. The Boilermakers have turned their attention to Minnesota, with a chance to start Big Ten play with a 2-0 record.

"We're all moved on," Smith said. "It's a basketball game, it's going to happen. [Iowa State is] a good team ... It's just one loss, and it was against a good team that will be in the top five for the rest of the year. It's not anything we're going to hang our heads about ... we have other games to worry about now."

In many ways, Wednesday's game against the Golden Gophers carries more weight than Saturday's against Iowa State. Yes, the Boilers would have liked to add another top-10 victory to their resumé, but a loss to one of the best teams in the country doesn't hurt their potential seeding for the NCAA Tournament much.

Purdue does want to win a third Big Ten title in the past four years, and getting a win over Minnesota is another step towards that goal. It's hardly the biggest test the Boilers will face in the conference, but it's important to rack up the wins when you can get them, especially in a league loaded with talent.

So the page has been turned to Minnesota and the Gophers have Purdue's full attention. As Smith said, there are other games to worry about moving forward.

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Purdue ready to move forward

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