Marquette coach Shaka Smart gave a lot of credit to Purdue, saying it’s one of the best programs in college basketball right now, behind only UConn.
Marquette coach Shaka Smart recognized the significance of his team’s victory on Tuesday night in Milwaukee, where they defeated No. 6 Purdue 76-58. In his postgame press conference, he expressed high praise for the Boilermakers.
“Great team win. I have tremendous respect for Purdue,” Smart stated in his opening comments. “I would say, aside from UConn, they currently have the best program in college basketball. Their consistency is impressive, and the fact that they can lose a player like Zach Edey and still compete at a high level is remarkable. This is a great win for us.”
Marquette excelled defensively, forcing Purdue into 15 turnovers and limiting the Boilermakers to just 40% shooting from the field, along with a mere six-of-18 from three-point range.
Kam Jones had a notable performance, achieving only the third triple-double in the program’s history with 17 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. Marquette also saw Stevie Mitchell contribute 21 points and Chase Ross add 12.
Smart is well aware of the challenges posed by Purdue, having faced them in each of the last three seasons. The Boilermakers had won their previous two encounters, including a game at Mackey Arena in 2022 and the 2023 Maui Invitational championship.
However, this time Marquette emerged victorious, handing Purdue its first nonconference loss in the regular season since December 8, 2020 (against Miami). The Boilermakers had previously won 39 consecutive nonconference games.
Tuesday’s win is part of a challenging three-game stretch against Power Five teams for Marquette. They are set to travel to the Bahamas on Saturday to face Georgia following back-to-back victories over Maryland and Purdue.
Meanwhile, Matt Painter and the Boilermakers will return home on Saturday to host Marshall.
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