GoldandBlack.com Analysis and Wrap Video: Purdue's win at Iowa

IOWA CITY — Purdue played what was probably its best and most complete road game of the season Thursday night, beating Iowa 83-73.

Our post-game analysis and Wrap Video.

What this was in Iowa City was another flexing of Purdue's offensive muscles, another glimpse at how elite this Boilermaker team can be when it just doesn't turn the ball over and it's physical.

Purdue obviously has outstanding pieces offensively, with great big men, effective shooters and a special guard to bridge the two, but what you saw in Iowa City was a mentality, too — an attacking mindset.

It started with the Boilermakers getting the sort of start they hope for every time out from the post, as Zach Edey went 2-for-2 to start the game. That led to a shooting barrage that never let up. Funny how those two things tend to correlate.

When Iowa pressed and trapped, Purdue didn't respond with mere advancement in mind, but rather scoring. You could see players spread out ready to shoot as soon as that ball crossed the timeline. That aggressiveness siphoned from Iowa's defense into Purdue's offense may very well have contributed to this shooting display.

Purdue never really got casual with a robust lead, as it's been prone to do at times. It did turn the ball over for a stretch in the second half, but it wasn't because they were screwing around.

No one should be surprised Purdue had some offensive success at Iowa. The Boilermakers are generally fine in these high-scoring, free-flowing games, especially against teams for which defense isn't exactly a bedrock of culture. Iowa would fit that description, though this team's not as negligent at that end of the floor as some of its predecessors.

It's the low-scoring, traditional Big Ten rockfights that Purdue still has to show it can thrive in.

But this was a positive step, because as the pressure ratcheted up on Thursday night, Purdue's offensive execution did, too.

That was a really good sign. If only that momentum could have translated to the foul line.