It was a battle of two top 10 teams inside the Mackey Complex for a Big Ten showdown that certainly lived up to the hype, as the Purdue Boilermakers knocked off the Fighting Illini, 83-78.
Illinois did everything it could to contain Zach Edey in the post, but Trey Kaufman-Renn’s 23 points told the story. Edey resorted to success on the glass with a game-leading 15 rebounds as Illinois spent much of the first half locking him down. In turn, the Boilermakers relied on Braden Smith and Lance Jones to carry the load offensively in addition to Kaufman-Renn. Once the game started to open up, Purdue was able to use its main offensive target more frequently as well as kicking it out for shots behind the arc.
Takeaway #1: Purdue’s top six players might be the best group in the country
Purdue’s non-conference schedule wasn’t easy, and there’s no way of knowing which player in the lineup is going to make you struggle defensively. If it’s not Edey working down low and grabbing offensive boards, it’s Kaufman-Renn who is staying hot in the perimeter. If the opposing team goes to a zone, the guard trio of Fletcher Loyer, Smith and Jones lead the way. While Illinois opted to try and eliminate Edey, the defense was very questionable at times.
Edey was one of four Boilermakers to be in double-digit points, but he was the one who scored the fewest. While part of that was due to limited minutes from being in foul trouble, Illinois dared Purdue to find other ways to score outside of its center. The Boilermakers had no problem doing just that.
Matt Painter’s group shot 47% from behind the arc as the Fighting Illini had no answer for shots from deep. Going into this game, opponents were shooting 31% from three against Illinois, but the Purdue Boilermakers found a way to get hot and stay hot.
Takeaway #2: Illinois’ resiliency is going to carry the team through March
With just under 13 minutes to go in the second half, Purdue was ahead by as many as 21 points and in complete domination of the game. Many coaches would have panicked and tried to change multiple elements of the game, but Brad Underwood stayed calm and collected as he trusted his players to take care of things one possession at a time.
The Fighting Illini continued to chip away at the Boilermakers’ lead as a result of strong offensive games from Marcus Domask, Luke Goode and Quincy Guerrier. All three players for Illinois scored 15+ points with Domask netting 26. Guerrier also added 10 boards to keep this group in the game. Most teams would have folded in that situation against a team like Purdue.
While the comeback fell a little short and Illinois suffered its first conference loss of the season, this group continued to fight. They bought in when it looked bleak against the top team in the country and got the game to within three points inside 30 seconds to go. The Fighting Illini had the Boilermakers hanging on for dear life. Doing it all without Terrence Shannon Jr. is certainly something that Illinois should hang their heads high about. Expect to see this matchup not once, but twice more this season.
Takeaway #3: The Big 10 has two programs that could get to the Final Four
If you didn’t get to watch this game, mark your calendars now for when they square off again on Mar. 5 at State Farm Center, because you missed out. This game could arguably be the game of the season unless the reverse matchup finds a way to be even better. Both teams showed they deserve their top 10 rankings, and I would expect Illinois to stay in the top 10 for another week even with this loss.
Illinois suffered from not being able to control the glass as they were outrebounded by Purdue 43-28, but this group didn’t let that statistic dictate the outcome of the game. The Fighting Illini had just as many chances in the perimeter and from behind the arc, forced slightly more turnovers and went toe-to-toe with the Boilermakers on steals. The visitors also did not get as many contributions from the bench as Purdue did with the hosts leading 14-5 in that category. Assuming these teams don’t end up in the same region of the bracket in March, these teams could both be well on their way to Final Four runs this year.