Keaton Wegler Torches Purdue as Defensive Woes Continue in Mackey
Purdue walked into Mackey Arena on Saturday expecting to reassert control in the Big Ten. Instead, they ran headfirst into a buzzsaw named Keaton Wegler.
Wegler put on a clinic, slicing through Purdue’s defense possession after possession and dictating the game with a poise and precision that left the Boilermakers scrambling. Whether he was pulling up for his own shot or drawing defenders and dishing out to open shooters, Wegler was the engine behind an Illinois offense that caught fire at exactly the wrong time for Purdue.
And the Boilers had their chances. They were up four at the final media timeout. But when it mattered most, they couldn’t get stops - and Illinois made them pay.
Defensive Breakdowns Prove Costly
Let’s be clear: this wasn’t just a case of hot shooting. Purdue’s defense was completely out of rhythm.
Rotations were late, switches were sloppy, and there was little resistance when Wegler had the ball in his hands. That opened the door for a devastating stretch where Illinois knocked down three straight triples - Tomislav Ivisic, Jake Davis, and David Mirkovic each got clean looks and buried them.
Just like that, a tight game flipped.
It wasn’t just the threes - it was how easy they came. Illinois looked like they were running a shooting drill. Purdue gave up second-chance opportunities, failed to close out, and never found an answer for Wegler’s playmaking.
The final rebounding numbers tell the story: Illinois dominated the glass 33-19. At Mackey.
That’s a stat that jumps off the page. Even more painful?
Second-chance points were 18-2. That’s not just losing the hustle battle - that’s getting outworked in your own gym.
Slumps Hitting at the Wrong Time
Purdue’s offensive issues are starting to pile up, too. Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn are both in noticeable slumps, and it’s starting to impact more than just the box score.
Loyer’s confidence looks shaken - and when he’s not a threat to score, it compresses the floor for everyone else. Kaufman-Renn, meanwhile, pulled down just two rebounds on the day.
For a guy who’s supposed to provide interior toughness, that’s not going to cut it.
The bright spot? Omer Mayer gave Purdue some solid minutes off the bench. His energy stood out in a game where the Boilers desperately needed someone to inject life into the rotation.
But right now, it’s Braden Smith doing the heavy lifting. The sophomore guard continues to play at a high level, but he’s not getting nearly enough help.
Purdue starts three All-Americans - on paper. On the court, that firepower hasn’t translated over the last two games.
Pressure Mounting Down the Stretch
This is now back-to-back games where Purdue has looked tentative late. The killer instinct that defined them earlier in the season?
It’s gone missing. And with a brutal stretch ahead - including road trips to Nebraska and Assembly Hall - the margin for error is shrinking fast.
The good news? There’s time.
Slumps happen. Even the best teams hit turbulence - just ask Iowa State.
But with 11 games left, Purdue likely needs to go 9-2 down the stretch to stay in the hunt for a Big Ten title and a No. 1 seed in March. That’s doable, but only if they snap out of this funk - and soon.
The Big Ten isn’t lost. But the urgency is real.
The Boilers have the talent. They’ve got the experience.
Now it’s on Matt Painter and his staff to recalibrate - because the season isn’t slipping away yet, but it’s teetering.