WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Thanksgiving is usually a holiday spent with family, enjoying yearly traditions and plenty of delicious food. While members of Purdue’s men’s basketball team could have gone home to spend time with their families, they decided to have their own holiday in West Lafayette, and for a darn good reason.
Prior to the holiday on Thursday, senior guard Braden Smith was asked on his podcast if Purdue’s players would be able to go home for the holiday to spend some time with family. Rather than leaving campus, though, the star guard said families came to West Lafayette. The reason? So international players Oscar Cluff and Omer Mayer didn’t feel left out.
“Actually, this year we’re not because Oscar and Omer don’t get to go home,” Smith said on the Running Point with Braden Smith podcast. “We just decided to have our families up to campus … we’re doing that so they don’t feel left out, and since they can’t go home for a day or two.”
If that doesn’t show just how connected Purdue’s team is this year, I don’t know what does. It also proves the point that the Boilermaker program is built upon family, not wanting anyone to feel left out during the holiday season.
Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) passes the ball / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
Purdue may have had a little bit of that Thanksgiving hangover on Friday afternoon, coming out a little lackadaisical against Eastern Illinois through the first 10 minutes of the game. But once the Boilers got rolling, they couldn’t be slowed down.
Daniel Jacobsen scored 24 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and blocked six shots, leading the Boilermakers to a 109-62 victory and improving to 7-0 on the season. Fletcher Loyer scored 15 points on just four shot attempts, Trey Kaufman-Renn had 14 points, Gicarri Harris ended with 12, and Omer Mayer and Oscar Cluff both had 10 points.
Although there were some issues with turnovers and defense early in the game, Purdue cruised to its most lopsided win of the season. Everyone got involved in the victory, too.
That performance probably earned everyone an extra helping of pumpkin or pecan pie in the locker room.
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JACOBSEN MAKES PURDUE HISTORY: With a monster performance against Eastern Illinois on Friday, Purdue’s 7-foot-4 center Daniel Jacobsen made unique program history. CLICK HERE
PIERCE TAKES VISIT TO PURDUE: Caden Pierce, a former Ivy League Player of the Year, is taking a visit to Purdue this weekend. He is in the transfer portal after three years at Princeton. CLICK HERE
3 THOUGHTS FROM PURDUE’S WIN OVER EIU: Top-ranked Purdue improved to 7-0 on the season with a dominant performance against Eastern Illinois on Friday. Three quick thoughts from the blowout win. CLICK HERE