Purdue started their Big Ten season with a loss and then dropped two out of their next three games. This made their record 8-4, the worst start in 12 games since Zach Edey's freshman year. Edey was a key player, averaging 14. 4 points and 7. 7 rebounds per game when he was with the team. Some people thought Purdue was struggling because they no longer had Edey, a two-time Wooden Award winner.

But Purdue has shown they can still win. They've won their last four games by double digits, including a 68-50 victory over Rutgers. Braden Smith had a great game with 16 points and 14 assists. This has kept Purdue at No. 15 in the CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 rankings. Auburn remains at the top spot for the third day.

Let's talk about Rutgers. After their loss to Purdue, they're 8-8 overall and 1-4 in the Big Ten. They've lost all six of their Quadrant 1 games and are not close to the NCAA Tournament bubble. This is surprising because they have two players, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, who are projected to be top-five NBA Draft picks. However, neither played well against Purdue. Bailey missed 10 out of 15 shots, and Harper missed 7 out of 9.

Having top prospects doesn't always guarantee success. Some teams struggle with relying on freshmen. But Duke and Illinois are doing well with first-year players. If Rutgers misses the NCAA Tournament and both Harper and Bailey are top-five picks, it will be a unique situation in basketball history. Let's see if they can turn things around.

Purdue's Comeback: Boilermakers Prove They Can Win Without Edey

Actions