March 21, 2026, 7:43 p.m. ET
ST. LOUIS − Purdue basketball’s offense can score with anybody.
And the Boilermakers knew it.
But the nation’s No. 1 team in adjusted offensive efficiency wasn’t going to make a March Madness run on elite offensive play alone.
If it wasn’t a 97-93 loss to Wisconsin that concluded the regular season, Northwestern’s 47 second-half points in the Boilermakers’ Big Ten Tournament opener certainly was an eye opener.
“The good Lord humbles you. You feel like you’re a really good team and then you play teams and they beat you,” fifth-year senior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn said. “It’s like, hey, we’re scoring the ball really well. We just can’t guard anybody.
“At some point, whether it’s in the middle of the season, which you wish it was, or the Big Ten Conference tournament, you realize if you don’t fix those issues, you’re going to go home. When that hits you, it hits different.”
Purdue’s offense did enough to beat an average Northwestern team, but the same defensive performance against Nebraska in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal likely would’ve resulted in a different outcome and altered the Boilers’ NCAA Tournament path.
Instead, Purdue played perhaps its best defensive game of the season.
Nebraska scored just 58 points on 39.3% shooting. It became the second of a four-day Big Ten Tournament championship run sparked, not by Purdue’s offense, but a suddenly surging defense. The signature performance would come in the title game in a win over Michigan.
“That was promising, but now it’s a matter of continuing it, no matter who we’re playing and no matter if we’re up or down, just continuing it for 40 minutes,” Purdue senior guard Fletcher Loyer said.
What changed defensively for Purdue in March Madness?
Freshman Antione West has added tremendous value while redshirting this season. On an offensive juggernaut, he’s one of Purdue’s best offensive players.
That’s a good thing for the Boilermaker defensive practices.
West’s athleticism and offensive creativity is given freedom and West uses that liberty to be creative, more simulating an actual tendency Purdue might see in a game rather than a robotic run through of the opponent’s offensive sets.
When Purdue is straying from its defensive principles, West can take over as a scout team guard. But when the Boilers stick to their rules, scoring becomes a challenge.
“Communication makes our defense,” West said. “Without it, you see what happens. We have lulls every now and then. When our communication is there, we’re locked in.”
Purdue currently ranks 35th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. Games like Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois, which averaged 92 points in wins over Purdue in Mackey Arena, weigh the metrics down, but also indicate the Boilermakers had defensive flaws.
“We didn’t make teams work for their buckets sometimes,” sophomore guard Gicarri Harris said. “Teams are going to hit tough shots against us, but (they’re) getting a lot of easy looks. We were letting people get downhill, get to the paint, and now, a lot of rotations and a lot of kickout 3s.”
Like West noted, communication changed the success of opposing offenses.
Even with Northwestern’s big second half, and including Friday’s first-round NCAA Tournament win over Queens, Purdue is allowing 67 points per game over its current five-game winning streak. That marked Purdue’s best five-game stretch since allowing 61.8 points during a five-game winning streak from Dec. 10-Jan. 3.
“You don’t have to do everything perfectly, but you do have to have resistance and fight,” said Purdue assistant coach Terry Johnson, who does defensive scouts. “At the end of the season, we didn’t have the fight. Last week we had major fight.”
Senior trio leads Purdue defensive turnaround
Paul Lusk, Purdue’s defensive coordinator, claims there was no magical formula relayed from the coaching staff that got the Boilermakers on board defensively.
“We’re never going to be the best defensive team in the country, but we have to be the best version of ourselves that we can be,” Lusk said. “I think it’s a matter of our guys probably turning it up a little, understanding what’s at stake.”
One thing at stake is the legacies of three of Purdue’s all-time best players.
Loyer, Kaufman-Renn and Braden Smith are who many point to when asked why Purdue is suddenly a better defensive team.
“At some point, they have to recognize the coaches are saying the right thing but we’re out on the court doing it,” Johnson said. “It’s a long season, right? Our seniors were like, we can’t go out like this. They were more intentional about every step of the way as far as being detailed defensively.”
Coaches continued to harp on defensive rules. Players continued lacking in that area.
Purdue’s longest-tenured players then took initiative.
“What coaches say sometimes gets a little repetitive,” redshirt freshman Jack Benter said. “That shouldn’t be the case, but I feel like when it comes from your leading guards or big guys, it really means something.”
Now Purdue enters a round of 32 matchup with Miami, needing one more complementary defensive outing to get to a third consecutive Sweet 16.
We already know the Boilermakers will be fine on offense.
“It’s a two-way sport for a reason. Both sides are complementary to each others,” Purdue offensive coordinator PJ Thompson said. “Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve been extremely stingy. Obviously not perfect, but extremely stingy.
“We’ve consistently over the course of the season been the No. 1 or No. 2 offense in the country. Now that defense is kind of ramping up and it’s making our offense look even better.”
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.