Word out of Iowa City ahead of Iowa hosting #7 Purdue on Tuesday night wasn't what an Iowa team that had lost four of its last five games needed to hear.

Owen Freeman, Iowa's lead scorer and rebounder will miss the remainder of the season after it was deemed he would need finger surgery.

That leaves an Iowa team in a rough spot as it sets to host the back to back B10 champs who have been the Big Ten's best team since the calendar flipped to 2025.

Purdue on the other hand, has won 9 of its last 10 games including back to back wins over in-state rival Indiana and Michigan at home. Now Purdue will head on the road to try and take advantage of what happened over the weekend in Big Ten play.

With Michigan State taking its first conference loss of the season on Saturday against USC on the road, Purdue has pulled within one of being back on top of the Big Ten. Michigan State's tough week west hasn't ended either with it set to play UCLA on Tuesday.

By the end of Tuesday night, there's a chance Spartans two game lead they carried for most the season could vanish into a two or three team tie with Purdue and Michigan.

Which is probably bad news for a reeling Iowa team. A very motivated Purdue will try to extend its road win streak to five games and retake claim of its conference on Tuesday night against the Hawkeyes.

Purdue played just once last week, a last second win against rival Indiana, but that win, some losses around the country, and winning 9 of its last 10 games has Purdue continuuing to move up the AP poll.

Purdue's season has turned around after a rough stretch in December where it lost three of four games. That stretch almost had Purdue pushed out of the top-25, but Purdue has responded by finding an identity on defense that's revolved around turning teams over.

That's not been Purdue's MO under Matt Painter, but Kraig Bowers of Boilers in the Stands does a great job breaking down how much Purdue's defense has started to force teams into turnovers. That includes Purdue forcing teams to turn the ball over nearly five times more than its season average in games.

At the lead of this charge, Braden Smith, who has been averaging over three steals a game since January 1st.

Iowa is comfortably outside the top-100 in defensive efficiency according to Kenpom. Iowa is ranked 155th in the nation on that end of the floor and its 26th best offense hasn't been enough to make up for a defense that gave up 116 points to Wisconsin, 97 to Nebraska, 99 to USC, and 94 points to UCLA.

Iowa is the only Big Ten team outside of the top-100 on defense in fact, and bad news for Iowa is that Purdue has the second best offense in the conference and 10th best in the country.

Iowa's defensive issues start in the paint where it struggles to contain the dribble, rotate, or defend at the rim. That looks particularly alarming when the conference's best pick and roll comes strolling into town.

Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn have tormented the Big Ten this season and Kaufman-Renn in particular has really gotten it going the last three games.

In the last three games, TKR has averaged 21 points a game on almost 70% shooting from the field.

Smith is also finding his shot and scoring, going for 24 in each of the last two games despite going 0-6 from three in the two games.

Iowa's is giving up 56.5% shooting inside the arc on the season, the 342nd worst mark in the country. That's near dead last in college basketball.

Iowa will now have to try and keep up with the best two-man duo in the country without its own best scorer.

IU got into Purdue's defense. It caused foul trouble, got open looks from three, and finished at the rim.

But IU turned the ball over 20 times and it was just enough for Purdue to hold off at home. IU's offense in general has been hit or miss all season.

Iowa on the other hand, shoots the ball well, wants to play with pace, and doesn't turn the ball over. It'll be a great test for a Purdue defense that's been great to start 2025, but struggled against elite offenses early in the season.

Will Purdue continue to play solid defense, on the road, against an offense that will have to lean even more on its ball handlers and shot makers on the perimeter?

Payton Sandfort is still around. Brock Harding has been an elite play maker for Iowa. Josh Dix is shooting 45% from three and doesn't turn the ball over.

IU challenged Purdue with size. It caused problems in rotation and on the glass. Iowa will try to cause Purdue problems with skill, elite ball movement, and shooting.

This will be the first look at a Freeman-less Iowa team.

But that doesn't mean Purdue will be overlooking the Hawkeyes.

"If it would happen to you, next man up," Painter said about Freeman's injury. "You've gotta be prepared for another team's best. You've gotta be prepared for someone to step up."

The pressure is on Purdue. It has two straight games against the bottom of the Big Ten with Iowa and USC at home before it turns to a ending season gauntlet that will help decide the conference.

Purdue is the better team, but Iowa's at home. It should be a good one in Iowa City.