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Four things that matter for Purdue’s trip out west

On3 imageby: Brian Neubert03/24/26brianneubert

As Purdue heads to the West Regional in San Jose, here are four items to consider as the Boilermakers look to continue advancing in the NCAA Tournament.

CJ COX STATUS


Is CJ Cox OK? His knee injury suffered against Miami was only a hyperextension, which obviously represents the worst-case scenario being averted, but nevertheless, there’s no such thing as an insignificant health matter this time of year. Cox has been a difference-maker at times for Purdue this season, and he is an important part of what they do defensively and from a floor-spacing perspective. Purdue has great options otherwise with Gicarri Harris and Omer Mayer, but at this stage of the NCAA Tournament, you want to be as close to full strength as possible, and Cox is a really important player.

FLETCHER LOYER’S INFLUENCE

Purdue had better be ready to see Fletcher Loyer denied the ball in any way possible. The way he’s playing and shooting right now, people are bound to start viewing him as the hot button for Purdue’s offense. The possibilities of what that could open up for Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn, etc., are endless.

TRAVEL

It’s less than optimal having to go all the way to California to play a round of NCAA Tournament games, but this is the penalty for Purdue’s up-and-down regular season. That said, Purdue’s presence out West is normally pretty good, so there is a bit of a silver lining here.

What will Purdue’s following out West look like? Purdue has a ton of alums and fans on the West Coast, as the turnouts at USC and Washington in particular the past two years have illustrated. This might be the West Regional lining up well for Arizona, but Purdue is not going to feel alone in San Jose.

BRADEN SMITH’S JUMPER

Braden Smith’s jump shot: After a great shooting game against Queens, the point guard’s jumper didn’t fall against Miami, and with a long prep, Texas is going to have a comprehensive plan for how to handle him and Trey Kaufman-Renn in ball screens. He may need his pull-up jumper, whether against drop coverage or when attacking a big in a switch.

When people have to defend Smith as a scorer, he is a much better player.

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