Keys To Purdue’s Mens Basketball Hot Start At 10-1
Let’s be honest: being a college basketball fan is mostly just managing your own anxiety until March rolls around. But if you’re rooting for the Purdue Boilermakers, that anxiety is currently being replaced by something dangerous optimism.
We are one-third of the way through the 2025-26 campaign, and Matt Painter’s squad is sitting pretty at 10-1. Sure, that ugly performance against Iowa State on December 6th left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. We’ll get to the shooting woes later, but sitting 2-0 in the Big Ten is the kind of cushion that helps you sleep at night.
This isn’t just about the record, though. It’s about how they are winning. The eye test tells us this team feels different than last year, and the numbers back it up. Let’s break down the five biggest takeaways from the first month of hoops in West Lafayette.
The Two-Headed Monster at Center
If you’re an opposing coach, scouting Purdue’s “five” spot must be a nightmare. It’s not just that Purdue is getting production; it’s that they are throwing two completely different problems at you.
Painter has been splitting the workload between Oscar Cluff and Daniel Jacobsen, and the results are frankly ridiculous. Through 11 games, this duo is combining for 21.5 points, 13.8 boards, and 3.3 blocks every night. That is All-American level production spread across two guys.
The beauty is the contrast. Cluff is your classic, bruised-knuckle post player. He’s got the footwork, the back-to-the-basket game, and he cleans the glass like his life depends on it. Then you sub him out, and in walks Jacobsen—a literal skyscraper who acts as a lob threat on offense and a human eraser on defense. You can’t game plan for both efficiently because they break the game in different ways. It’s the perfect “thunder and lightning” combo, just with a lot more height.
Purdue’s Perimeter Shooting is Lethal!
Despite the occasional cold night, this team is absolutely torching the nets. We aren’t just talking about one guy getting hot; Purdue has a legitimate firing squad.Fletcher Loyer, Braden Smith, Gicarri Harris, C.J Cox, Omar Mayer, Jack Benter, Liam Murphy. It feels like half the roster has the green light, and for good reason.
As a unit, the Boilers are shooting 39.5% from deep, which ranks 20th in the nation. When you have five guys (Loyer, Murphy, Benter, Smith, and Cox) all hitting at a 40% clip or better, it stretches the defense to the breaking point.
This spacing is crucial. When defenses have to stay glued to perimeter shooters, it leaves Cluff and Kaufman-Renn with acres of space to operate inside. Yes, the Iowa State (4-of-18) and Marquette (7-of-23) games were rough watches from behind the arc, but water finds its level. This is a shooting team, plain and simple.
Owning the Glass: A Total Reversal
If you watched Purdue last season, you remember the frustration of watching rebounds slip away. It was a glaring weakness. Fast forward to now, and it’s become a legitimate strength.The numbers are staggering. Last year, the team averaged 32.4 rebounds per contest. This year? They’ve jumped to 40.4. That is an absurd year-over-year improvement.
Much of that credit goes to Cluff, whose motor doesn’t stop. Let’s give Trey Kaufman-Renn his flowers. He’s transformed from a guy who grabbed 6.5 boards a game into a double-double machine, averaging 10.4 rebounds through his first nine outings. With the centers battling the giants, TKR is feasting on the weak-side boards against smaller forwards. It’s tough, gritty, winning basketball.
Ball Security and The Braden Smith Show
Matt Painter hates turnovers. It’s practically written in the program’s DNA. While there have been a few sloppy moments looking at you, Akron and Iowa State games, the Boilers are generally taking great care of the rock.
They are averaging just 10.4 turnovers per game, well below the “magic number” of 12 that usually determines whether this program wins or loses. When they stay under 12 turnovers, they are nearly impossible to beat.
But it’s not just about playing it safe; it’s about sharing the wealth. Purdue is averaging 20.4 assists per game, tied for fifth-best in the entire country. Braden Smith is dealing like a blackjack pro in Vegas, averaging 9.2 assists on his own. When the ball moves like this, the offense looks like a symphony.
Finally, Some Real Rim Protection
This is the piece of the puzzle that has been missing. Last year, the rim protection was… let’s call it “optional” at times. That has changed drastically with the arrival of Cluff and the return of Jacobsen.
Between the two of them, they are sending back 3.3 shots per game. Jacobsen is responsible for the bulk of that (2.4 blocks per game), using his 7-foot-4 frame to alter shots even when he doesn’t block them. Cluff brings the physicality that prevents easy post positioning in the first place.
Final Thoughts
Is the defense perfect? No. They still get caught on backdoor cuts, and rotation errors happen. But having a last line of defense that actually strikes fear into the hearts of driving guards makes everyone else’s job easier. For the first time in a while, the paint is a no-fly zone in West Lafayette.
