- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,266,535
- Reaction score
- 59
CHICAGO — Purdue men's basketball came to the Big Ten Tournament looking for consistency and momentum, and left with a championship.
The 7-seed Boilermakers beat 1-seed Michigan 80-72 at United Center. Big games from Oscar Cluff and Braden Smith gave Purdue its second Big Ten Tournament championship in four years.
Here's what I liked and disliked, and what the Boilers' win means.
Smith turned in nothing short of an epic performance while leading Purdue’s surge out of halftime. He recorded four points and five assists without a turnover during a 20-8 advantage to begin the second half. In addition to his pocket pass exchanges with Trey Kaufman-Renn, his shots began falling for the first time all week.
Smith said after the UCLA win he felt more comfortable handling the ball than he had in weeks. If the 35 assists he piled up in the first three games weren’t enough indication, he added 11 on Sunday. That left him one shy of tying Bobby Hurley for the all-time record.
A tear in his usual No. 3 jersey during the first half forced Smith to don No. 41 for the remainder of the game. After the way he played, maybe he'll think about which one to wear in the NCAA Tournament.
∎ Cluff was a beast all week, and he finished with 21 points despite foul trouble. Michigan had no answer for him underneath, and Smith's recognition and ability to get him the ball created the separation needed to take control.
∎ Purdue endured another game of inconsistent perimeter shooting – sort of a theme this week in Chicago. However, its defense provided the missing counter-measure from the teams’ regular-season meeting.
Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg, who had seven assists in that first game, went into halftime with none. Purdue did a better job of making he and others beat them from the perimeter, and Michigan shot 30.8% from the field and turned it over four times before half.
The Boilers went into halftime tied 38-38 largely on the strength of not giving away possessions (one turnover) and holding Michigan to no runs longer than 5-0.
∎ When Kaufman-Renn injured his left shoulder late, it pushed Jack Benter — playing through his own injured right shoulder — into the game. He was immediately fouled and made both free throws to push the lead back to 74-65. After a stop at the other end, his outlet pass to Cluff for a dunk and an 11-point lead with 1:15 to play. Benter added two more free throws later to help seal the win.
Cluff played only nine first-half minutes in the first Michigan game due to picking up three fouls. He had averaged 16 points, 11 rebounds and a block during the first three games in Chicago. Keeping him and Kaufman-Renn out of foul trouble had to be a priority Sunday, since either sitting out limited Purdue’s options defensively and cut into their rebounding significantly.
Once he and Kaufman-Renn both picked up two fouls Sunday, Michigan began attacking the basket with more urgency. They either went after backup Daniel Jacobsen or tried to force the starting bigs into another foul. That worked when Cluff picked up his third with 3:14 to go before halftime.
Cluff picked up his fourth with Purdue leading 64-54 and 7:29 to play.
∎ Kaufman-Renn suffered some sort of left shoulder injury with 1:39 to play - he told CBS he couldn't catch a pass postgame, but said it felt fine after winning. Benter replaced him, though that also gave Purdue another guard to handle Michigan's pressure and hit free throws. The bigger concern would be long-term effects for the starting forward.
Purdue came to Chicago as a team trying to find a more consistent version of its best basketball. Sunday, it proved it can beat the best teams in the country — something its late-season results had cast doubt on.
This team will take a lot of confidence into whichever location the selection committee gives them later today.
Nathan Baird and Sam King have the best Purdue sports coverage, and sign up for IndyStar's Boilermakers newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue vs Michigan basketball score today, Braden Smith assists, game stats
Continue reading...
The 7-seed Boilermakers beat 1-seed Michigan 80-72 at United Center. Big games from Oscar Cluff and Braden Smith gave Purdue its second Big Ten Tournament championship in four years.
Here's what I liked and disliked, and what the Boilers' win means.
What I liked in Purdue basketball's win vs Michigan in 2026 Big Ten Tournament championship game
Smith turned in nothing short of an epic performance while leading Purdue’s surge out of halftime. He recorded four points and five assists without a turnover during a 20-8 advantage to begin the second half. In addition to his pocket pass exchanges with Trey Kaufman-Renn, his shots began falling for the first time all week.
Smith said after the UCLA win he felt more comfortable handling the ball than he had in weeks. If the 35 assists he piled up in the first three games weren’t enough indication, he added 11 on Sunday. That left him one shy of tying Bobby Hurley for the all-time record.
A tear in his usual No. 3 jersey during the first half forced Smith to don No. 41 for the remainder of the game. After the way he played, maybe he'll think about which one to wear in the NCAA Tournament.
∎ Cluff was a beast all week, and he finished with 21 points despite foul trouble. Michigan had no answer for him underneath, and Smith's recognition and ability to get him the ball created the separation needed to take control.
∎ Purdue endured another game of inconsistent perimeter shooting – sort of a theme this week in Chicago. However, its defense provided the missing counter-measure from the teams’ regular-season meeting.
Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg, who had seven assists in that first game, went into halftime with none. Purdue did a better job of making he and others beat them from the perimeter, and Michigan shot 30.8% from the field and turned it over four times before half.
The Boilers went into halftime tied 38-38 largely on the strength of not giving away possessions (one turnover) and holding Michigan to no runs longer than 5-0.
∎ When Kaufman-Renn injured his left shoulder late, it pushed Jack Benter — playing through his own injured right shoulder — into the game. He was immediately fouled and made both free throws to push the lead back to 74-65. After a stop at the other end, his outlet pass to Cluff for a dunk and an 11-point lead with 1:15 to play. Benter added two more free throws later to help seal the win.
What I disliked in Purdue basketball's win vs Michigan in 2026 Big Ten Tournament championship game
Cluff played only nine first-half minutes in the first Michigan game due to picking up three fouls. He had averaged 16 points, 11 rebounds and a block during the first three games in Chicago. Keeping him and Kaufman-Renn out of foul trouble had to be a priority Sunday, since either sitting out limited Purdue’s options defensively and cut into their rebounding significantly.
Once he and Kaufman-Renn both picked up two fouls Sunday, Michigan began attacking the basket with more urgency. They either went after backup Daniel Jacobsen or tried to force the starting bigs into another foul. That worked when Cluff picked up his third with 3:14 to go before halftime.
Cluff picked up his fourth with Purdue leading 64-54 and 7:29 to play.
∎ Kaufman-Renn suffered some sort of left shoulder injury with 1:39 to play - he told CBS he couldn't catch a pass postgame, but said it felt fine after winning. Benter replaced him, though that also gave Purdue another guard to handle Michigan's pressure and hit free throws. The bigger concern would be long-term effects for the starting forward.
What Purdue basketball's win vs Michigan in 2026 Big Ten Tournament championship game means
Purdue came to Chicago as a team trying to find a more consistent version of its best basketball. Sunday, it proved it can beat the best teams in the country — something its late-season results had cast doubt on.
This team will take a lot of confidence into whichever location the selection committee gives them later today.
Nathan Baird and Sam King have the best Purdue sports coverage, and sign up for IndyStar's Boilermakers newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue vs Michigan basketball score today, Braden Smith assists, game stats
Continue reading...
