Purdue’s guard duo delivers as No

• Jeff Borzello, ESPN

  • Personnel WriterDec 16, 2023, 07:21 PM ET Close Basketball recruiting insider.
  • Signed up with ESPN in 2014.
  • Graduate of University of Delaware.INDIANAPOLIS– It was hard not

to flashback to Purdue’s stunning NCAA competition loss to Fairleigh Dickinson throughout Arizona’s second-half operate on Saturday afternoon. All the signs existed. Zach Edey being the only one regularly getting tidy shots, the role players turning the ball over, outside shots not falling.But after Fletcher Loyer’s basket with 1:29 left pushed the Boilermakers’ lead back to nine and essentially clinched the win, it ended up being abundantly clear: This is a totally various Purdue team compared to last season.The No. 3 Boilermakers weathered Arizona’s second-half surge en route to a 92-84 win, handing the top-ranked Wildcats their first loss of the season. It’s Purdue’s 3rd triumph over a No. 1 group in the AP poll, with the last one likewise coming versus a top-ranked Arizona team on Nov. 25, 2000. Editor’s Picks 1 Associated And this win, Purdue’s greatest of the 2023-24 project, wasn’t about Edey, the ruling Wood Award winner and the runaway favorite to

repeat. It

had to do with the Boilermakers’backcourt, the sophomore duo of Loyer and Braden Smith, who integrated for 53 points and nine 3-pointers.”What they do well is they win. They win,”Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said of Purdue’s backcourt.”Those kids are truly good basketball players.

“Smith and Loyer have actually taken some flak given that the end of last season, when Smith had a hard time down the stretch, topped off by 7 turnovers and a 2-for-10 shooting performance in the NCAA competition loss, and Loyer similarly struck the freshman wall, scoring four or less points in 4 of his final five games.But Smith has actually been one of the very best point player in the country this season and Loyer has actually had huge performances in a few of Purdue’s biggest games.The 2 were wonderful in the first half,

totaling 32 points and six 3-pointers. Loyer hit back-to-back 3s to put Purdue up 6 late in the period, then Smith scored 8 straight indicate extend the result in 13.

“I believe just being aggressive, “Loyer said. “Sharing the various mindset that we’re going to need a little bit more this evening, no matter who it originated from, not necessarily me. Simply going in, getting more heated up, getting more all set to go. Then simply being aggressive. Missed my first one, not hesitating and shooting the next one like that, understanding it’s going in. “Loyer and Smith’s efficiency in the first half and the very first 5 minutes of the second forced Lloyd to do something Arizona hasn’t done all season defensively: play a zone.The Wildcats went to a 3-2 zone, and it triggered a resurgence

, cutting a 15-point lead to 4 within minutes. Loyer and Smith weren’t getting the clean looks they were getting in the first half and Purdue started to struggle taking care of the ball.

After not devoting a turnover in the first 7:50 of the second half, the Boilermakers coughed up three in 90 seconds and seven times in less than 6 minutes.”We have actually been dealing with that zone defense for a while, simply have not had to use it,”Lloyd said.”You have it ready for situations like this. They’re undoubtedly extremely efficient and very good players, and they were sort of torching our man-to-man defense a bit.

So I wished to see if we might make a change and for the many part, it worked out. They missed out on a few shots and we kind of got them out of their rhythm a little bit.” And that’s when the concerns began again. Can Purdue’s guards manage late-game pressure? Can somebody besides Edey make plays down the stretch of huge games?For more than 10 minutes, Edey was the only one to score any points for Purdue. The 7-foot-4 big male was single-handedly keeping the Boilermakers in front, but he needed help– and that’s when the Purdue guards came back to life and answered.Arizona had the lead to four and five points on multiple celebrations, but a Smith 3-pointer with 4:21 left and a set

of complimentary tosses 90 seconds later gave Purdue a 12-point cushion. The Wildcats wouldn’t get closer than five, which came with 15 seconds left.Loyer finished with 27 points on 11-for-18 shooting, while Smith had 26 points on 9-for-15 from the field. Edey had 22 points, nine rebounds

and 5 assists. According to ESPN Stats & Details research study, Loyer and Smith are the 4th pair of colleagues in AP survey history– and the very first backcourt duo– to each have at least 25 points in a win over a No. 1 group.”I believe just both our desires to win has just truly sparked [the group],”Loyer said of his connection with Smith.”That’s all we wish to do when we go out there. Whether Braden has 26 points, whether he has 10, whether he has 2. He just wants to win the game. Same with me. Exact same with the other guys. … Specifically with the loss last year, it’s something you don’t want to feel again, something you had to sit with all summertime. It’s simply something we wish to push along

.” “Me and Fletch simply hold each other responsible,”Smith added.”We type of had a little minute in the game previously, vs. Alabama, where I got on him and I sort of yelled at him and snapped. And he simply took a look at me and said like, I comprehend why you resemble that, because you wish to win. And he’s the same way. Being able to have that, when 2 guys are very competitive– when it’s just coming from me and him, it goes a long way. “Painter has actually heard the skeptics and detractors given that completion of last season, with the blame mostly falling on the shoulders of his sophomore guard duo when Purdue loses games. However it’s not a talking point within his program.”I think they most likely see it and it most likely encourages them, so in an amusing method, it probably assists us,” he told ESPN. “I like good basketball players. I like guys that can dribble, pass and shoot. I like guys that are competitive.”Arizona, which was led by Caleb Love’s 29 points and Keshad Johnson’s 24 points, will drop from the No. 1 spot in the AP poll when the new rankings are released on Monday afternoon. Purdue and No. 2 Kansas are likely to contend for top billing.”I’m not attempting to

be the No. 1-ranked group in December,”Lloyd stated.”This is going to go a long way to truly assisting our program. “