Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery Praises Purdue Basketball's Unselfishness
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue freshman point guard Braden Smith had a career night against Iowa, scoring 24 points to go along with five assists and four rebounds in an 87-73 win on Thursday night at Mackey Arena.
For most of the game, he sliced through the Hawkeyes' full-court press to set himself and his teammates up for scoring opportunities on the offensive end of the floor. He was one of five players to finish with double-digit points, and that depth was ultimately too much for Iowa to overcome.
"He's terrific, but everybody else is," Iowa basketball coach Fran McCaffery said during his postgame press conference. "It's not just him. Everybody on the team is really good. Everybody they bring in is really good. That's why they're ranked No. 1."
Smith took the reigns as star center Zach Edey garnered extra attention underneath the basket, withstanding double and triple teams throughout the contest. Entering the game, Edey stood atop the Big Ten in average scoring but could only muster four points in the first half on 2-of-5 shooting.
But as the Hawkeyes crowded the paint to shut down the 7-foot-4 big man, it left the perimeter exposed for open shots. Smith drilled back-to-back 3-pointers in the opening minutes before driving to the bucket and finding fellow freshman Fletcher Loyer for another wide-open shot from deep.
Purdue started 4-of-6 on its shots from beyond the arc and went on to tally 10 made 3-pointers by the end of the game.
"They're a team that's very unselfish," McCaffery said. "They move it, they share it, there's no selfishness at all with this team. So you've got a lot of ground to cover when you're doubling because now you've got three guarding four."
The Boilermakers led by as many as 21 points thanks to a strong start to the second half, but the Hawkeyes cut their deficit to just six points with less than six minutes to go.
Edey, who scored 10 points in the second half, propelled the lead back to double digits by making consecutive baskets and sparking a deciding 8-0 run. Iowa forced 12 turnovers during its second-half surge, but Purdue's scoring efficiency put the game out of reach.
The Boilermakers hold a commanding lead in the Big Ten standings, owning a 23-2 overall record that includes a 12-2 mark in conference play. They have a four-game lead over the likes of Indiana, Northwestern, Rutgers and Michigan, which all sit tied for second place.
Purdue, with just six games left to go in the regular season, is in the driver's seat to claim a Big Ten title, leaving the rest of the pack to fight for position in the rear-view mirror.
"I think we always say it's the best league top to bottom, but I don't think it's ever been this difficult top to bottom, McCaffery said. "Every game is really hard. Every team has a really good coach, every team has really good players. And seemingly every team has some veteran guys.
"So you have to play really well to win, especially on the road. It puts a lot more pressure on those teams that are playing at home, you feel like you have to win. But I don't know if there's another league where you look at the number of games that come down to two possessions like our league."
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- Purdue, Iowa Live Blog: No. 1 Purdue basketball welcomed Iowa to Mackey Arena on Thursday night and came away with an 87-73 victory. Relive some of the action from our live blog. CLICK HERE
- Zach Edey Named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week: Purdue junior center Zach Edey earned his sixth Big Ten Player of the Week honor, tying Caleb Swanigan for the most in a single season in program history. He averaged 25.5 points and 15.5 rebounds per game for the Boilermakers across two contests. CLICK HERE
- Purdue Remains No. 1 in Latest AP Top 25 Poll: Purdue retained the No. 1 spot atop the Associated Press Top 25 college basketball poll despite losing to rival Indiana 79-74 on the road. The Boilermakers were among four teams receiving first-place votes. CLICK HERE
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