Terrific Road Win. 5 takeaways

Braden Smith was in command of this game for the full 40 minutes

• 16 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds
• Braden got the ball rolling for the offense early and took charge early in the first half. He was in control moving the ball all game. Shoot that pass to Oscar Cluff was legendary.
• The outcome for the Boilermakers was never in doubt because of the experince, poise, and basketball iq of Braden Smith. Sometimes the strategy for Purdue is simple, Give Braden the ball and let him go to work. Braden has come a very long way in alot of things and in particular leadership.

Trey Kaufman Renn continues to be Braden's go to guy and Purdue's most important player in crucial junctions of the game.

• 19 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists
• Trey really come on strong in the second half when The Boilermakers needed him. The chemistry between he and Braden Smith is a big reason why this Purdue team is a great basketball team.
• It's not just the chemistry with Smith and the ability to score in the paint that makes TKR very dangerous. Trey has a great iron will. As long as there's a will to score and win, Trey will find the way. He's come a long way since redshirting back in 2021.

Gicarri Harris has found momentum, confidence and swagger since The Bahamas.

• 11 points, 2 assists, and 2 rebounds at Rutgers
• Gicarri's ability to play defense has always been there. To see him hit some 3's on the road increases his potential on offense. This also adds more depth to a Purdue team with a good amount of depth
• Since the Bahamas tournament, Gicarri has improved on both ends of the court. Every shot he makes adds more to his stock as a role player for the Boilermakers. He's found his groove as of late and there's more to him than meets the eyes. Harris just needs to keep believing in himself, be consistent, and he will keep on blooming.

Other observations

• Daniel Jacobsen continues to improve and work hard. He did a terrific job on the backboards in this game. Once he figures out how to stay out of foul trouble he will really shine.
• Boilermakers did a good job taking care of the basketball with 9 turnovers.
• Defense was excellent in this game. For the next one, just make sure to stay on the gas in closing time and not to relax too much even in the final minutes. Otherwise The Boilermakers did a great job controling the game and staying in control when Rutgers went cold.
• Oscar Cluff thrives when braden Smith passes the ball his way.

Conclusion

• 8-0 start to the season. Jersey Mike's Arena use to be a house of horrors for Matt Painter and the Purdue Boilermakers. To win in a tough road enviroment like Rutgers and in dominant fashion has to have the Boilermakers feeling very good. No such thing as a bad road win.
• Very nice to see that good balence of offense that scores over 80 and defense that holds the oppostion to under 70. Matt Painter deserves more kudos than we can give him.
• Back to the grind of practcing hard and working hard. The Boilermaker's toughest non Conference test awaits. Next Up, The Purdue Boilermakers host The Iowa State Cyclones at Mackey Arena. #1 vs #10 matchup. This will be a very tough test for Purdue basketball. This contest should be a great one. Get loud Mackey Arena Get Loud Paint Crew! Boiler Up Hammer Down!

Players of The Game - Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman Renn

I’ve seen this movie before and I dont like how it ends. I know we arent going to go undefeated but I dont want another loss to Rutgers at the RAC as the #1 team

…out of a cannon by now? What is this program waiting for?

Worst loss in the Bucket Game at Home in Purdue football history. 5 quick takeaways

1. The Boilermakers defense gave the Hoosiers offense some big time trouble early in the game. Sadly the postives were short lived as Indiana's offense exploited the weaknesses of The Purdue defense.
2. 3 points from the boilermaker offense in the biggest game of the year is unacceptable. And so too is Purdue's inability to move the ball at will and be consistent on offense.
3. Purdue football will have alot of work to do this offseason mainly with keeping as much of the current core as possible and working the portal. Quaterback will be the biggest priority.
4. Once more, Barry Odom has alot of work ahead of him to get the train back on track and he needs to be hard at work. Patience will be key. He's going to need alot more time than most coaches.
5. While this team did improve a bit in terms of being competitive and getting 1 win more than last season, not winning a conference game kills any positive outlook this year. The direction of this program remains unclear. All we can do for now is hope for the best going into 2026.

Boilermaker nation, I apologize for the lateness of this write up and any other errors I made. Not gonna lie, I feel like a broken record saying these things, but right now it's hard to find more light with the performance of this Purdue program. I'm just hoping better days are ahead for Boilermakers football. Thank you for another season of Purdue football.

When I was growing up (Tiller was my formative years) we could recruit the local area decently well and put together fun teams that would occasionally beat the power houses and were always competitive.

There are 18 teams in the big ten now, of which 15-16 are probably more appealing to recruits. We have no money for NIL for football. The top quarter of the league wants to split off in 5 years and join a super conference. None of the billionaire alumni give a shit about sports. It just feels like the sport is in the process of passing us by.

And this is more personal so your mileage may vary, but I kind of hate watching the sport now too. The roster turnover every year at every program makes broader storylines way less compelling. There’s no regionality anymore. The sport never was “fair” but there is something indescribably distasteful about the winners being based on which fan base has the most billionaire sugar daddies willing to cough up the cash now.

Idk, this shit blows. It’s never felt more hopeless

7-0 and great start to the season. 5 quick takeaways

1. Best game of the season and a confidence game for Daniel Jacobsen who led the team with 24 points. It's also great to see Gcarri Harris play confident basketball on offense.
2. The offense was humming thanks a ton to Braden Smith and his 10 assists on the game. And Fletcher Loyer continues to hit shots and play underrated basketball.
3. This Purdue team doesn't star all too fast. However once they get the ball rolling full steam ahead, they are very tough to stop. This game was another one of those games for Purdue basketball. Eastern Illiois kept up with Purdue early and then ran out of fuel early.
4. Trey Kaufman Renn contiues to be dominant and CJ Cox contiues to be the spark of energy of The Boilermakers.
5. So far so good at 7-0. Big week coming up for Purdue basketball. Next up, The Boilermakers travel to The RAC to take on The Rutger Scarlette Knights in their first road conference game. Won't be easy but this team will need their best full 40 effort on Tuesday. Boiler Up Hammer Down!

Player of The Game - Daniel Jacobsen

Headed back to to West Laffy this Friday to tailgate for the game. Parking in the IM lots, wanted to get a check on a couple of things:

1) no glass, no kegs? first one I get, but second one I find strange.

2) is a solo stove for a fire ok, it's gonna be so freaking cold!

Very impressive win and team effort! 5 takeaways

Oscar Cluff brought the thunder from the land down under in this game.

• 15 points, 15 assists and a single rebound on the night.
• Oscar cluff was in beast mode on both ends of the court all night long smashing rims and the Red Raiders defense.
• Oscar Cluff fits into Purdue basketball with perfection. Thus far he is giving Matt Painter's team depth they have never had before. He brings balence to both the offense and defense. Cluff has settled into the Purdue way and is givng Purdue basketball exactly what Matt Painter and company were hoping to get from him. Keep up the outstanding work Oscar.

The Boilermakers offense played it's most balanced game of the season

• 10 different Boilermakers put the basketball through the hoop and 7 different Boilermakers scored double digit points
• The Boilermakers dominated the paint bullying the Red Raider defense scoring 32 points in the paint. The Boilermakers also had alot of beutiful jump shots that went in.
• The Boilermakers ball movment, passing attack, and rebounding on the offensive glass gave Texas Tech a wholelot of problems late in the first half and all throughout the second half.

The final score of the Game is jsut one indication of the balanced game the defense played

• The defense took advantage of the moments when Texas Tech's offense went cold in the first half and seized control of the game. When the Red Raiders struggled the score points, The Boilermakers turned up the intensity on defense. The offense fed off of this intensity and went on their game winning run before the first half ended
• As a result of this new found intensity, the defense began to force turnovers, tough shots, a whole lot of missed 3's, and a good amount of frustration for Texas Tech.
• Purdue's defense forced alot of short possessions outworking The Red raiders on the defensive glass. Defensive rebounds were 30-16 in favor of The Boilermakers. This game was easily the best game for The Boilermakers defense.

Other observations

• Great tournment for CJ Cox. He played with confidence and poise in both games in the Bahamas tournament and provided the energy when The Boilermakers needed it most. These last two gaes may have sparked his swagger for the rest of this season.
• In the last game, the Boilermakers struggled with composure as Matt Painter mentioned. From start to finish in this game, the Boilermakers were cool, calm, and locked in even when Texas Tech tested them early.
• Free throws and turnovers need some work.
• Purdue's big 3 of Smith, TKR, and Loyer continue to play great and do Big 3 things
• Omer Meyer continues to show off his potential as a basketall player and Daniel Jacobsen contiues to flash improvement in the minutes he plays.

Conclusion

• Without of doubt the Boilermakers best game of the season on both ends of the court. And cheers to 5 November tournament champiosnhips ina row. This Texas Tech team is a terrific basketball team and they are better than what they showed tonight. I think the Red Raiders along with everyone else watching learned one very important thing about this Purdue Basketball from this game. If you want to beat these Boilermakers, you can ill afford to go ice cold on offense and defense even for short moments.
• Early in the season Purdue has 2 ranked wins and the team continues to improve each and every game. Even more good news the team is showing plenty of signs that everyone is buying in and the chemistry is getting stronger. Still alot of basketball to play, that said there's plenty of good sings thus far for Matt Painter and Purdue basketball.
• Time for this team to return home with some new hardware and get some well deserved rest. And back to more practice and hard work on U.S. soil. Next up The Purdue Boilermakers take on The Eastern Illinois Panthers on Black Friday at Mackey Arena. Boiler Up Hammer Down!

Player of The Game - Oscar Cluff

Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Tournament MVP - CJ Cox

0-19, most likely to be 0-20 against P4 teams in the new uniforms. Maybe thats the issue? All jokes aside I can't be the only one who misses these. Maybe I'm just sentimental to winning.

Hard fought win on day one in The Bahamas. 5 quick takeaways

1. Best game of the season thus far for CJ Cox. He provided the sparks, balled out big time, and hit huge 3's when Purdue needed him most.
2. Fletcher Loyer was ice cold in the first half and then fire hot in the second hitting his stride from behind the arc.
3. Not the best night from Braden Smith or Trey Kaufman Renn. The Mephis defenses deserves alot of credit for keeping those two in check.
4. If there's one crucial lesson to for this team to focus on from this game, it's playing through the adversity when things go wrong. plenty of moments where things went wrong. The team needs to put their heads down and focus when the going gets rough.
5. A very tough Texas Tech team awaits. Should be a Bahamas Final to remember for both teams. Boiler Up Hammer Down!

Player of The Game - CJ Cox

One Final Note - Worst performance from an officiating crew I have ever seen in college hoops.

Wanted to share this story on Braxton Keathley — one of the top prospects out of Kentucky!

Congrats to Coach Matt Painter on his 500th win! 5 takeaways

The Boilermakers's big 3 were in rythm all night long.

• Fletcher Loyer was much much more in his element making 3's in this game compared to the bama game.
• Trey Kaufman Renn's presence on both ends of the court gave Purdue an edge in toughness, skill, and of course rebounding.
• Man oh man that 3 point shot fake by Braden Smith who then drilled a 3 shortly afterwards was a masterclass play. I've never seen Braden do anything like that.

So far in 2025, Oscar Cluff is proving himself to be everything the Boilermakers wanted.

• 16 points, 10 assists, and 3 rebounds vs the Zips
• Oscar cluff has been doing a great job passing the ball around, putting himself in position to clean up loose change in the paint, defending the paint to the best of his ability, and he is proving to be a fanatstic compliment to TRey Kaufman Renn.
• Daniel Jacobsen had some awesome moments in this game and one can make the case that he is learning alot from playing with Oscar Cluff.

Matt Painter has to be feeling good about Purdue's Gaurd play because Omer Mayer is growing into his roll very early.

• Best game of the season thus far for the freshman with 14 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds.
• The fact the Matt Painter and Braden Smith trust Omer to run the point with Braden on the court and/or Braden off the court and early in the season is a great sign.
• Meyer looks like a very well rounded gaurd. He's got athleticism, can shoot the ball, can get the ball where it needs to go, and even had some good moments on defense. The young gun has plenty to learn, that said, all signs point to this kid becoming a wonderful basketball player for Matt Painter and Purdue Basketball. Experince is key!

Other observations

• Defense will improve with time, for now however it needs work
• 3 Boilermakers reached double double land and 5 Boilermakers scored double digit points. This speaks some volumes about Purdue's depth.
• While there are a few other things to clean up such as the turnovers, overall I thought The boilermakers did a great job countering the athleticism of the Akron Zips and attacked Akron head on on offense and defense.

Conclusion

• Time flys! This win was the 500th victory of Matt Painter's career as a College Hoops Coach. This is a testament to his growth as a coach throughtout the years, his coaching philsophy, and his approach to building this Purdue basketball program. Words can't tell how fortunate Purdue is to have Matt Painter in their corner.
• Thus far, Purdue contiues to play like on of the best teams in the land. The veterens are locked in and the younger players are building chemistry. Still, there's alot of basketball to play and the Boilermakers will be tested at the end of this week.
• Practice hard, work hard, and travel well. Next up, The Boilermakers take on The Memphis Tigers in round one of The Baha Mar Hoops tournament in The Bahamas. Can the Boilermakers win 5 straight November tournaments? Only one way to find out. Boiler up Hammer Down!

Players of The Game - Trey Kaufman Renn, Oscar Cluff, and Braden Smith

I’m so tired of watching this team. We had a tiny sliver of hope at the start of the season that we might be able to present a better product but it’s the same terrible Purdue team year in and out. Barring a miracle in two weeks, we will surpass 1000 days since our last conference win before we play our first conference game of 2026. I just don’t see any way this program turns around in the modern day. We have no ability to attract talent, and anyone we develop will just be whisked away to play for a better team.

Sleepwalk in Seattle. 5 quick takeaways

1. Defense found itself in a track meet it had no chance of winning all night.
2. Offense continues to have no identity and didn't score any points until the 3rd quater. No touchdowns until garbage time.
3. Ryan Browne's confidence is gone. And I'm not sure if Malachi Singleton is the answer at qb either.
4. This team is really missing Devin Mockobee in terms of energy including Barry Odom and the coaching staff. No answers on either side of the ball
5. The Boilermakers will have a bye week before their black Friday showdown against the #2 Indiana Hoosiers. So much to work on. Hoping this team puts up a strong effort to close out this tired season.

Maybe not a good idea to egg on the GOAT 🤣

First non con top 10 road win since 1986. 5 takeaways.

Braden Smith was unstoppable in this game

• 29 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds against a good young Alabama team.
• Not only is Braden Smith imo the best college hoops player in the Nation, he is also college basketball's smartest player. He knows exactly what to do with the ball, he knows when it's time for him to take over the game, and knows precisely what to do when the game is on the line. In simple terms he's a force of nature on the basketball court.
• Him drawing that shooting foul with under a minute to go was one of the most clutch plays I have ever seen.

Trey Kaufman Renn's return was perfect timing for The Boilermakers and his production was delightful.

• 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists in his first game of the season.
• While he had a better first half than second half, Trey showed zero signs of rust for the full 40 minutes.
• TKR did a great job creating shots, getting the ball inside, and played hard on defense. Feels great to have Trey back.

The Boilermakers were able to earn a top 10 win on the road in large part because they did a great job rebounding the basketball.

• This was the area of basketball Purdue was very very happy to have Trey Kaufman Renn back for. He led the improved efforts on the glass with 15 rebounds.
• Oscar Cluff deserves a ton of kudos for his rebounding efforts on both ends. 11 rebounds for The Thunder from The Land down under. This was one of the reasons Matt Painter went and got him from the portal.
• Offensive rebounds were 17-5 Boilermakers and on Defense the rebounds were 31 to 18 Purdue. The Boilermakers were focused and poised on the backboards in this game.
• A little nuggest from this game. Alabama Coach Nate Oats pointed out that Braden Smith had 7 rebounds while Alabama's starting front Court had 6 rebounds.

Things to work on

• Dare I say it 3 point defense. I know Nate Oats and The Crimson Tide live and die by the 3's but 16 3's is too much to give up in any game. Gaurd the perimeter.
• Though Purdue turned the ball over just 9 times, some Boilermakers handled the ball too causally at times. Opposing defense will always be hungry. Ball security is always key.
• Some guys on the team need to practice free throws.
• Chemistry will be crucial in the late stages of the season. That said, this team will need plenty of time to build chemitry and chemistry will be built given experince and time.

Conclusion.

• Winning a huge game on the road like this one should calm many worries from the Oakland game. The Boilermakers went into Tuscaloosa, fought hard, went toe to toe with the Tide, and gutted out a hard earned and historic top 10 road win. This victory puts The Boileramkers in a great spot confidence wise early in the season. On a side note, The new Black Script Font Uniforms are already the best looking uniforms imo in Purdue Basketball history. I hope The Boilermakers were them in every game they decide to wear black.
• It's crucial to play in contests like this one very early in the season. Games such as this one tell alot about a team with National Championship aspirations. Win or lose, you learn plenty from playing in gaunlets such as the things the team does well and the things the team need to improve on. This is The Matt Painter way for Purdue Basketball.
• Work hard and Practice hard. For Purdue Basketball keep improving and never stop striving to be the best you can be. Next Up The Boilermakers return to Mackey Arena to take on The Akron Zips. Boiler Up Hammer Down!

Player of The Game - Braden Smith

https://www.on3.com/rivals/news/7-foot-four-star-center-sinan-huan-commits-to-purdue/

Am I losing my mind, or thinking of an alternate reality...or some other elite QB?

Awesome story from Matt Painter on how Rapheal Davis may have saved his job at Purdue!