Purdue basketball’s fatal flaw that will cost it in Big Ten conference title race

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Two years after its National Championship runner-up season, Purdue is still seeking its first men’s basketball NCAA Tournament title. The experienced Boilermakers were considered preseason frontrunners with Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn returning, but their volatile season is destined to end in disappointment.

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While neither Smith nor Kaufman-Renn was considered an elite NBA prospect, their simultaneous return announcements were big victories for Purdue in the 2025 offseason. The returns have just not been what anyone expected.

Purdue has still done enough to keep itself in title contention, posting a 20-4 record through 24 games. The Boilermakers recovered from a three-game skid at the end of January with a three-game win streak to begin February, including a big win over No. 7 Nebraska on Feb. 10. The victory was their third over a top-15 opponent, having previously beaten No. 8 Alabama and No. 15 Texas Tech.

The responding win streak is a positive sign for Purdue while also highlighting the team’s inconsistencies. The Boilermakers have yet to take a bad loss, but they are just 7-4 against Quad 1 opponents, according to the NET Rankings. Matt Painter’s team is undeniably one of the best in the Big Ten, but it lacks the firepower to maintain the level of consistency required to win a conference title.

With games against Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan State and a rematch with Indiana remaining on its regular season schedule, Purdue still has time to flip the narrative before the Big Ten Tournament. But barring a complete turnaround, this team is not as deep as Boilermakers fans are used to and will fall short in the postseason yet again.

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Braden Smith has carried Purdue all year

Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Any postseason success Purdue has will be directly attributed to…

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Publish date : 2026-02-14 00:08:00

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