The path to No. 1 didn't come easily for No. 2 Purdue Friday night, as the Boilermakers earned a hard-fought 77-70 win over Iowa after being up as many as 19 in the second half.
Below, our GoldandBlack.com post-game analysis and Wrap Video.
PURDUE HAS TO BE BETTER
That was the case even when the Boilermakers rolled through the first seven games of the season, but the final 10 minutes — and select parts of the first 30 — reflect the reality that Purdue's far from a finished product and, yes, beatable, regardless of the number that'll appear next to its name come Monday.
The backcourt-trapping thing, chances are that was a one-off deal and not some fundamentally broken systemic issue that'll show up regularly, if at all ever again. Everyone on the floor has to be better than they were against Iowa's pressure and that fact has now seen the light of day for all to learn from.
But it was also just part of the issue that could have cost the Boilermakers this game, an issue that hasn't just been a one-off. Give Iowa and Florida State credit for some of Purdue's turnovers the past two games, but to a point.
There have been plenty of unforced giveaways of different varieties.
Purdue's too good an offensive team to deny itself at-bats, and not nearly a good enough defensive team to help its opponents score. Tonight, there were live-ball giveaways that too often led straight to Hawkeye points. Had this one gotten away, the reason — the only reason worth dissecting — would have been ball security on Purdue's part, especially when playing with a robust lead.
This is a golden opportunity now for Purdue to course correct and become that much better because of tonight's struggles. If it doesn't, it will continue to ask for trouble. It got some against Iowa.
