Braden Smith got in early foul trouble, giving Purdue basketball a chance to showcase its depth. The Boilermakers had no trouble doing so.

The Hoosiers have won four of their last five outings and are relatively well-respected by CBB's top experts. But are they even better than the pundits say?

Smith set the all-time Big Ten career assists record in his last game and is currently on pace to set the overall NCAA mark if he keeps up on this pace and Purdue has moderate success in the NCAA tournament.

Purdue basketball was the overwhelming choice to win the Big Ten in the preseason. As league play resumes, where do the Boilers stack up now?

Neveah Caffey (7.5 PPG) and Maya Makalusky (6.8 PPG) have both brought positive returns in their true freshman season off the bench. They join Virginia transfer Edessa Noyan (5.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG) as the primary reserves for IU, who lost an All-Big Ten Second Teamer and two honorable mentions.

The Purdue Boilermakers host the Iowa State Cyclones, and both teams bring a 'big three': Start times, TV, streaming, radio, notes.

Riding a 3-0 Big Ten record, fifth-ranked Purdue hosts Washington Wednesday night for the first time since the Huskies joined the Big Ten. DETAILS: Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026 | 8:30 p.m. ET | TV: BTN (Kevin Kugler,

Follow along as No. 5 Purdue hosts Washington at Mackey Arena Wednesday night. We'll provide live updates, news, and analysis.