BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – This story is part of a series that will continue through October. Is Indiana better than each of its Big Ten opponents?
Nine categories were chosen. There will be no ties in individual categories. Think of it like you would the Supreme Court.
The categories: Point guard play, free throw shooting, inside scoring, perimeter shooting, rebounding, perimeter defense, rim protection, how much proven Power Five talent is on the roster, and intangibles.
The daily series will cover both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, and it will alternate between the teams.
Here’s the one you’ve all been waiting for. The Is Indiana Better Than series concludes with archrival Purdue. The men go first.
There’s been zero argument over which team has been better in the 2020s. Purdue has finished higher than Indiana in every year of the decade save 2020, when they tied for 10th.
Purdue had its best two seasons in its modern history in 2023 and 2024 with back-to-back top seeds in the NCAA Tournament. The Boilermakers were also ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press poll in each of the last three seasons.
Indiana fans have been champing at the bit to see dominant Purdue center Zach Edey in their rear view mirror. So dominant was Edey in the past three seasons that it led to a perception that the Boilermakers were a one-man team.
That’s an insult to the rest of the Boilermakers who were also responsible for Purdue’s success. Opposing Big Ten fans got a bit of a wake-up call when point guard Braden Smith was named Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year and when the Boilermakers were voted No. 1 in the preseason media poll. The message sent is that Purdue is not likely going to surrender its Big Ten supremacy without a fight.
The question here is whether the Boilermakers dropped off enough and whether the Hoosiers improved to a point where Indiana can finish ahead of Purdue for the first time since 2016? Let’s find out.
Here’s how the battle between the Hoosiers and Boilermakers shakes out.
• Point guard play – Smith grew his game in almost every conceivable way in 2024. He scored more, he shot six percentage points better from 3-point range, and he led the Big Ten in assists at 7.5 per game. Most of all, Smith became very comfortable as the floor leader for the Boilermakers. He defends with tenacity and leads with the kind of spit and vinegar vibe that toughens teammates.
Myles Rice is going to give Smith a heckuva battle when the two teams hold their annual grudge match. But right now, Smith has to get the nod here based on what he’s already accomplished in this conference. Edge: Purdue.
• Free throw shooting – Purdue was a below-average free throw shooting team in Big Ten games in 2024. Indiana was worse. Mackenzie Mgbako (82.1%), Rice (81.1%) and Kanaan Carlyle (77.6%) are the only Hoosiers who shot better than 70% for their teams in 2024 who played regular minutes for their teams.
Fletcher Loyer (86%) and Smith (79.5%) are the only Boilermakers who did the same. Cam Heide has potential to join them, but he didn’t play enough in 2024 to tip the balance in Purdue’s favor. A rare win for the Hoosiers here. Edge: Indiana.
• Inside scoring – In the last three years, you’d simply type “Zach Edey” and not waste too many words on awarding this category to the Boilermakers. Purdue isn’t going to fall off a cliff in paint production, but nothing completely replaces what Edey contributed.
Trey Kaufman-Renn (6.4 ppg) will have a much larger scoring role. Caleb Furst (2.2 ppg), who largely faded into the background in 2024 with Edey so dominant but has 33 career starts, also should see his numbers rise. Sophomore Will Berg, who played sparingly in 2024, could be Purdue’s next big thing.
Having said all of that, Indiana will be a handful in the paint for Purdue this season. Malik Reneau (15.4 ppg) and Oumar Ballo (12.9 ppg) are more proven and more productive than the Boilermakers’ crew. Edge: Indiana.
• Perimeter shooting – In different ways, both teams are depending on an infusion of new players to bolster their perimeter shooting. Loyer (44.4%) and Smith (43.1%) are a tough duo to beat on the 3-point line. Heide and Myles Colvin could be similarly deadly – as they showed in limited minutes.
Luke Goode (38.9% at Illinois), Mgbako (32.7%) and Carlyle (32%) might all make the Hoosiers’ perimeter attack stout. But right now, Purdue has more proof of positive production here. Edge: Purdue.
• Rebounding – Clearly, this is an area where Edey’s loss will be acutely felt by the Boilermakers. It was rare for opponents to get more than one bite of the apple on offensive possessions, given Edey’s glass dominance as he averaged 12.2 boards per game. Furst, Kaufman-Renn and Berg will likely see their numbers go up by getting more rebounding opportunities, but can they match Ballo (10.1 rpg) and Reneau (6 rpg)? That’s a tough ask. Edge: Indiana.
• Perimeter defense – Purdue’s perimeter defense was opportunistic in 2024. In Big Ten games, Purdue led the way with 8.1 steals per game, with Smith (1.6 spg) being a huge influence on that.
However, Purdue also lost Lance Jones, who was a dual threat in backcourt defense. Also, Purdue only ranked ninth in 3-point defense in Big Ten games at 35.8%, while Indiana was third at 32.6%.
Indiana got more athletic on the perimeter and Rice is a plus-defender. Spiritually, this one is a draw, but one team has to be picked. The Hoosiers get the nod based on the fact that their better perimeter defenders (Galloway and Gabe Cupps) return to the fold. Edge: Indiana.
• Defense at the rim – With Edey (2.2 bpg), it was as if Purdue had a five-foot-wide force field around the rim. Many teams altered their game plan to take dribble penetration completely out of their mix. To ask any of Purdue’s bigs to have the same influence on opposing offenses as Edey did is asking way too much.
While Ballo (1.2 bpg) is not as disruptive as Edey was in the lane, he is a big, wide problem for opposing bigs in a way Kaufman-Renn and Furst haven’t proven yet. He also has better per-40 numbers in blocked shots. Edge: Indiana.
• Proven Power 5 ability on roster – The standard here is whether a player averaged 25 minutes or more at the Power Five level at their current or former school.
The loss of Edey and Jones, plus an emphasis on a gifted freshman class, hurts Purdue in this category. Smith and Loyer are the only qualifying players for Purdue. That falls short of the six-pack of Hoosiers (Ballo, Carlyle, Galloway, Mgbako, Reneau and Rice) who qualify. Edge: Indiana.
• Intangibles – It’s harder to be the hunter than the hunted. Purdue has proven its quality, and Matt Painter has a rock-solid track record of keeping Purdue near the top of the Big Ten when a drop-off is predicted. Indiana hasn’t proven any of that, so until the Hoosiers prove they can surpass the Boilermakers, Purdue has the psychological edge. Edge: Purdue.
• Verdict – Going into writing this, I thought it would be very close, so I’m surprised by the 6-3 Indiana edge.
This format does not account very well for potential production. Purdue could very well get breakout seasons from any one of talented freshmen Gicarri Harris, Raleigh Burgess, Daniel Jacobsen, CJ Cox or Jack Benter to maintain their excellence. By the same token, this format also doesn’t account for what Bryson Tucker might mean to Indiana in much the same way.
Proven production is what carries the day in the Is Indiana Better Than series. In that regard, Indiana has more proven pieces than Purdue going into the season. Can the Hoosiers make their mix work in the same way Purdue has in recent seasons? That’s why they play the games.
As for the series overall, Indiana only came out behind against UCLA. The Hoosiers edged four other matchups by a 5-4 count. This series shouldn’t be used as a determiner of Big Ten pecking order, but rather, as a reflection of how Indiana matches up against each Big Ten team. Still, it’s encouraging for the Hoosiers that they come out on top in 16 of 17 comparisons. We’ll see how it happens for real sooner than you think.
Previous Is Indiana Better Than Men’s Basketball Results
Oregon – Indiana 7-2.
Rutgers – Indiana 7-2.
Maryland – Indiana 6-3.
USC – Indiana 6-3.
Penn State – Indiana 5-4.
Minnesota – Indiana 6-3.
Michigan – Indiana 6-3.
UCLA – UCLA 5-4.
Ohio State – Indiana 7-2.
Iowa – Indiana 5-4.
Michigan State – Indiana 5-4.
Washington – Indiana 8-1.
Wisconsin – Indiana 7-2.
Northwestern – Indiana 5-4.
Nebraska – Indiana 6-3.
Illinois – Indiana 7-2.
