Purdue Basketball: Why a ‘Mad’ Braden Smith Is Bad News For Auburn
The No. 6 Purdue Boilermakers are heading down I-65 to Indianapolis for a date with Auburn. If you’re a Boilers fan, hearing the word “Auburn” probably triggers a mild form of PTSD. We all remember last year, right? The Tigers didn’t just beat Purdue in Birmingham; they absolutely dismantled them. It was the kind of loss that makes you stare into your refrigerator at 2 a.m., wondering if your team is actually a contender or just a really tall pretender.
But this isn’t last year. And if the last two games are any indication, this isn’t the same Purdue team that got physically bullied by Iowa State earlier this month. Why? Because the Boilermakers have found their edge.
The Art Of Being “Controlled Mad”
Let’s talk about Braden Smith. Since that rough outing against Iowa State, Smith has been playing like someone stole his lunch money, and he knows exactly who did it. The input from the beat writers suggests Smith is playing “mad.” I’d argue it’s something scarier: he’s playing with controlled rage.
There is a difference. “Mad” is a technical foul when a call doesn’t go your way. “Controlled rage” is locking down your defender for 40 minutes because you took the previous loss personally. Smith has been a defensive menace against Minnesota and Marquette. He isn’t gambling for steals or making hero-ball mistakes; he’s just suffocating the opposition.
It is the kind of infectious energy that transforms a team. When your All-American point guard decides to get his knuckles dragged on the defensive end, the rest of the roster has no choice but to fall in line. That’s leadership 101. You don’t ask your soldiers to dig a ditch you wouldn’t dig yourself. Smith is currently digging the ditch, paving the road, and directing traffic all at once.
The Frontcourt Bully Ball
While Smith is handling the psychological warfare, Trey Kaufman-Renn has decided to handle the physical eviction notices in the paint.
The narrative after the Iowa State loss was that Purdue was soft on the glass. Enter the new and improved TKR. We aren’t just seeing points; we are seeing what insiders are calling a “Swanigan-esque” effort. For those of you who don’t speak Boilermaker history, that means relentless, borderline cruel physicality against guys who just aren’t strong enough to stop him.
Pair him with Oscar Cluff, who has been an absolute revelation as a rebounder, and suddenly, that gaping void in the paint looks a lot more like a brick wall. Cluff has been the guy doing the dirty work, filling a role that this team was desperate for. He’s the guy at the YMCA who never calls a foul and grabs every missed shot. You hate playing against him, but you pray he’s on your team.
Auburn Is the Ultimate Checkpoint
This is a “show me” game. Beating Minnesota and Marquette is nice, but those teams aren’t the ’86 Celtics. Auburn is fast, athletic, and physical. They are built to exploit the very things Purdue struggles with.
If the Boilers want to prove that the Iowa State game was just a bad day at the office rather than a fatal flaw, they have to match Auburn’s intensity. They need Smith to stay angry. They need Kaufman-Renn to be a bully. Purdue has spent the last week hitting the books. Now, we get to see if they did their homework.
