Keeping Iowa Out of Transition a Big Key for Purdue, Coach Matt Painter Says

Purdue coach Matt Painter said the biggest key for the Boilermakers Tuesday is limiting turnovers and keeping Iowa out of transition.

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter leads a timeout huddle | Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Following a three-game homestand over the last two weeks, No. 7 Purdue is back on the road Tuesday, traveling to Iowa City for a Big Ten showdown with Iowa. Although the Hawkeyes have struggled at times this season, coach Matt Painter knows how potent they can be offensively.

Iowa enters Tuesday's game with a 13-8 record and sits at 12th in the Big Ten. But the Hawkeyes can potentially pose some problems for Purdue, especially if they're able to push the tempo.

Painter says taking care of the basketball is an important aspect to this week's matchup at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

"You can't turn the ball over, take bad shots and let them play in transition. When they get in transition, they are very dangerous," Painter said in a video posted by Boiler Upload. "Anytime they have lulls, you'll see Fran really encourage them to get the ball moving, get up the floor and be more aggressive.

"They're at their best when they're aggressive shooting threes, driving the ball, making the right plays. They have so many different weapons, so many different guys that can shoot threes."

Over the last month, Purdue has done an excellent job of protecting the basketball and not allowing teams to get into a rhythm. The Boilermakers have also stepped up defensively, forcing teams into turnovers and getting easy buckets on fastbreaks.

Purdue's defensive improvements over the last month makes Tuesday night's matchup much more favorable for the Boilers.

Additionally, Iowa was dealt some bad news on Monday. Leading scorer and rebounder Owen Freeman will miss the remainder of the season because of a hand injury. The sophomore will have surgery, ending his year.

Freeman was averaging 16.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. He was the co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year last season, sharing the honor with Indiana's Mackenzie Mgbako.

Painter said that, even though Freeman is out, Purdue will go about its gameplan the same way.

"You prepare the same way, because their style doesn't change," Painter said. "Obviously, he puts a burden on things because of the way he runs the floor, the way he plays out of ball screens — he can put the ball on the floor, he can do a lot of different things."

Tipoff between Purdue and Iowa is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and the game will air on Peacock.

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