Purdue Freshman Guard Braden Smith Ready to Bounce Back From Loss Against Rutgers
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — It was going to come eventually. For as effective Purdue freshman guard Braden Smith has been in his first year of college basketball, he was going to have an off game, and the team wasn't going to stay undefeated forever.
Monday night's 65-64 loss to Rutgers at Mackey Arena was a wake-up call that epitomized the competitiveness and physicality of Big Ten play. It also provided a learning experience for Smith as he continues to get over the hump in his first year of college basketball.
"I was just frustrated with how I played," Smith said. "I feel like I could have handled it a little bit better, I feel like I could have made better decisions. Other than that, it's just another game. Obviously, we wish we could have it back.
"If we could, we'd do a lot of things different, and I would do a lot of things different. We don't have it back though, so we just have to move on and go to the next one."
Smith saw team-high 30 minutes on the floor against the Scarlet Knights, logging all seven of his points in the first half on 1-of-3 shooting while going 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.
His 3-pointer in the opening period gave the No. 1-ranked Boilermakers an 18-15 advantage with 9:10 to play before halftime. However, it was their largest lead of the contest and preceded a disastrous end to the first half.
Switching to a press defense that morphed into a zone scheme past halfcourt, Rutgers forced five Purdue turnovers in the span of four minutes and went on a 10-0 run before eventually taking a double-digit lead into the locker room.
Smith was responsible for two of the turnovers in that stretch, making a pair of poor passes that played right into the length of the Scarlet Knights' experienced backcourt.
"I thought it was Braden's worst game," Purdue coach Matt Painter said after the loss. "Braden didn't have a good game. It's one of those things that you don't want to be too harsh with a young guy. What he has in front of him, he's earned. ... But we need more from him from a competitive standpoint."
The Boilermakers climbed back from a 13-point deficit to make it a one-possession game for the majority of the final minutes, but Smith was rendered ineffective as a scorer in the second half.
Smith recorded three of his team-high four assists after halftime, all of which resulted in huge 3-pointers for Purdue in its comeback attempt. But he missed his only shot in the period and finished with just a single rebound.
"Just making shots, anything I could have done better," Smith said. "Not turning the ball over. I think that was huge, just run the offense and be more patient with it would have helped a lot more."
This season, Painter has touted Smith's willingness to accept blame for shortcomings on the court and handle criticism with a level head that is reminiscent of a player well beyond his years.
Purdue won't have time to dwell on its loss, and the team will look for Smith to help orchestrate a bounce-back performance when it takes on No. 24 Ohio State on Thursday night at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
"Guys that are competitive and guys that are intelligent respond," Painter said. "Sometimes guys that don't have the wherewithal or the capacity to know what's going on around them, they don't respond because they don't take it all in. You gotta take it all in, it's OK. Whether you're a player or a coach, take it all in and allow losing to be a great learning example."
The Boilermakers already dissected their loss through film study, highlighting their mistakes ahead of an upcoming stretch that includes four road games. But with every disappointing result, there will always be positives to take away that can be used going forward.
Purdue displayed tenacity by fighting back from its largest deficit of the season, and in critical moments, the team knocked down perimeter shots that have otherwise eluded it in previous matchups.
"I think we have really smart guys, they pay attention to the film," Purdue junior forward Mason Gillis said. "You'll be able to see it in the next game. We were able to see it yesterday in practice."
Tuesday was the first chance for the team to regroup and come to practice with newfound motivation and resolve. With hopes of another Big Ten Championship in 2022-23, responding to setbacks is imperative, and it starts with taking down the Buckeyes on their home court.
"We were ready to compete," Smith said. "We're ready for it. We're ready for the next challenge, getting Ohio State and getting after it."
Related stories on Purdue basketball
- Rutgers Hands No. 1 Purdue First Loss of the Season: Purdue lost to Rutgers 65-64 on Monday night at Mackey Arena, falling to 13-1 on the season and 2-1 in Big Ten play. The Scarlet Knights led by as many as 13 points, and a late 3-pointer by senior guard Cam Spencer ended up as the game-winning shot. CLICK HERE
- What Purdue Coach Matt Painter Said: Purdue men's basketball head coach Matt Painter addressed the media following the team's first loss of the season to Rutgers on Monday night. Here's the complete transcript of his postgame press conference, including video. CLICK HERE
- Purdue, Rutgers Photo Gallery: Jumping right back into Big Ten play to start 2023, No. 1 Purdue basketball suffered its first loss of the season, falling to Rutgers 65-64 on Monday night. Here's our photo gallery from the game in Mackey Arena. CLICK HERE
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.