The Big Ten only had two games on Thursday, but one of them was a monster, with Purdue going on the road to face Alabama in a top 10 battle. Michigan State also hosted San Jose State.
Let’s take a look
at what happened.
Game of the Night:
–No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers 87, No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide 80
After a decent opening week, Purdue headed south for its first meaningful game of the season against an Alabama squad ranked in the top 10. Given some of the team’s road struggles over the last few years, fans were unsure of what might transgress in Tuscaloosa. After all, beating top 10 teams is hard enough on its own, let alone in that kind of environment.
Fortunately for Purdue, it passed the test.
The Boilers not only won the game, but thoroughly outplayed Alabama from start to finish. While Purdue didn’t run away from Alabama, the team was in firm control for much of the second half and absolutely deserved the win. Braden Smith was particularly impressive in the win, finishing with 29 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Trey Kaufman-Renn also had 19 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists. Purdue finished with 1.26 points per possession and shot 42.9 percent from three-point range.
This is a huge one for Purdue, for a variety of reasons. To start, Alabama will certainly be in the picture for a high seed in March, meaning this will be a valuable one as Purdue pursues a one seed. Additionally, it also injects a ton of momentum and energy into this year’s team. Beating a team like Alabama is going to give the Boilers a ton of confidence, even in challenging environments, and that’s a crucial thing to have as the calendar rolls on.
Purdue now sits at 3-0 after the win and will prepare for Akron at home on Sunday. The Zips are quietly one of the better mid-major teams this year, so the Boilers will need to be ready to play that one.
The Rest:
–No. 17 Michigan State Spartans 79, San Jose State Spartans 60
Michigan State won the battle of the Spartans on Thursday, besting San Jose State at home by 19 points. Carson Cooper led the way with 17 points and seven rebounds. Jaxon Kohler also had 17 points and 18 rebounds in the win. Michigan State held San Jose State to just 0.91 points per possession. It was a nice win for Tom Izzo against former Big Ten coach Tim Miles.
The (Michigan State) Spartans improved to 3-0 with the win. The team will now prepare for a showdown with Kentucky in New York on Tuesday. The Wildcats are coming off a tough loss to rival Louisville, so expect both sides to have plenty of motivation.
