Braden Smith and the Purdue Boilermakers are impenetrable this season as they sit atop the Big Ten charts. Having won all but two of their conference games thus far, Purdue has proven that it can compete even without Zach Edey. They have been elite from the perimeter, and Smith has done a great job at facilitating this offense. However, Purdue isn’t without competition in the Big Ten.

On the Mark Titus Show, hosts Mark Titus and Tate Moore discussed the Big Ten and its shifting status quo. After Purdue’s incredible conference recovery, they talk about their changed opinions on the Big Ten. “I think I’m back on Purdue because you realise bad the Big Ten actually is,” Titus says. The two analysts talked about how the conference isn’t too strong, something they hadn’t expected going into the season.

However, there was a team that drew their interest in the conference. Michigan with its two 7-footers. Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf who have been nicknamed Aliens, are bringing new energy into a team that recorded an 8-24 last season. Tituts agrees they are terrifying at their best, but in terms of being consistently elite, there’s another team ahead of them that Purdue could keep an eye on.

“Maybe I don’t think they [Michigan State] have the top, top-end talent, but there’s a ton of buy-in and they’re winning all their games. What else do you want from Michigan State?” 

The Spartans certainly look like they have put in the hard yards this season! Having lost only two games thus far, they aren’t far behind the Boilers in Big Ten standings. With how disappointing their last few years have gone, Tom Izzo’s bunch will definitely look to get out and ahead this year. Their investment into this sport is amazing as well. In a 2019 Forbes analysis, Michigan State came back as the twelfth most valuable team in college basketball. Their revenue totalled out to be around $23.9 million, giving them plenty of resources to develop and improve. And they certainly have!

The Spartans with an 18-4 record were on a 13-game win streak until recently. A trip to LA, however, would prove costly, resulting in two back-to-back losses for the first time this season. But they aren’t going to sit back. Junior center Carson Cooper admits they will continue to be as aggressive as they come. If things haven’t gone right, we can’t just fall back when adversity hits… we really have to self-evaluate and look at ourselves and see what we can do,” he says.

Titus and Tate Moore note that they learned Purdue is in for a challenge after their 73-70 loss to Ohio State. “You are like, ‘oh s—, this is about to get real for them in Big Ten in a way it hasn’t in the last few years,'” was their reaction. While the Boilermakers still top the conference standings, they have lost twice and more recent against lower-ranked Ohio. So Purdue isn’t invincible in the conference and they have quite the schedule ahead. One against the highly charged Spartans.

Mark your calendars, because the two Big Ten monarchs will be clashing on the 18th of February. Braden Smith will be key for Purdue in this important challenge. It will be interesting to see which way this matchup swings!

Braden Smith, first team All-American?

Braden Smith has definitely stepped up after the departure of Zach Edey. The junior guard at Purdue has been having a career year, facilitating the Boilers offense with ease. His averages of 16pts, 8ast, and 4reb on efficient shooting from three have contributed heavily to Purdue’s success this year. But is he deserving of higher honors?

Mark Titus and Tate Moore certainly think so! “Braden Smith? I think he’s first team All-American.” Titus said on the most recent episode of the Mark Titus Show. “The way he’s been playing lately, he didn’t have a great game against Ohio State lately, but basically since then he has turned it on.”

In one of Purdue’s only losses this season, Smith struggled badly. He scored 12pts on an abysmal efficiency of 21.4%, shooting 3-14 from the field. Since then, he has not taken his foot off the gas. Braden Smith, in Purdue’s most recent matchup against the Hawkeyes, dropped 31pts on an absurd 73% from the field! He put on an absolute three-point shooting clinic at the Carver-Hawkeye stadium, draining 5 out of 7 attempts from deep.

With how he is playing, there is a definite chance that Braden Smith ends up earning first team honors. Mark Titus took it a step further, putting Smith just one tier below Cooper Flagg and Johni Broome. It will be up to Smith to facilitate Purdue’s post-season fortunes this year. Can he pull it off? Will Purdue make another Final Four appearance? Only time will tell.