Purdue basketball has a defining trait it must refine against Valpo and beyond

LAS VEGAS — Purdue men’s basketball lived up to Gonzaga coach Mark Few’s expectations in one aspect the numbers cannot always measure.

Sure, the Boilermakers brought a sophisticated offensive system full of shooters and a talented big man to T-Mobile Arena on Monday. Few, though, said he spent a lot of time leading up to the teams’ season opener stressing the importance of living up to their opponents’ hustle and intensity.

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“It’s not always about size of the dog in the fight, man, it’s the size of the fight in the dog − and they’ve got that,” Few said. “Even in that UConn game, they were so competitive on 50-50 balls, 30-70 balls, fighting, trying to come up with them.”

Purdue’s toughness quotient this season was not necessarily in question, nor was it guaranteed. Trey Kaufman-Renn’s departure left one of the bigger physical voids in the country. Oscar Cluff’s rugged presence in the lane also is not easily replicated. For that matter, Braden Smith took his share of beatings en route to the basket and usually bounced right back up.

Assuming that identity, like so much with most teams in early November, remains an ongoing process. Purdue does not seem to be a team which must find its toughness, though. It instead must refine the edge it already has. Maintaining defensive intensity without fouling. Working the boards harder for an extra few possessions per night.

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Purdue basketball season begins today with game vs Gonzaga in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 02: Antione West Jr. #1 of the Purdue Boilermakers is fouled by Isiah Harwell #1 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the first half of a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Series game at T-Mobile Arena on November 02, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

(Ethan Miller, Getty Images)

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Purdue basketball season begins today with game vs Gonzaga in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 02: Antione West Jr. #1 of the Purdue Boilermakers is fouled by Isiah Harwell #1 of the Gonzaga…

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Publish date : 2026-11-06 09:40:00

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