No. 12 Purdue Looks to Halt Skid Against Struggling Maryland

Boilermakers have lost three straight games, while Terrapins have dropped 9 of their last 11

Jan. 31, 2026 at 2:31pm

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No. 12 Purdue and Maryland are both struggling heading into their Big Ten matchup on Sunday afternoon in College Park. The Boilermakers have lost three straight games, tumbling from a tie for first place in the conference to a tie for fifth. Meanwhile, the Terrapins have lost nine of their last 11 games, compiling their worst record through 20 games since the 1988-89 season. Purdue coach Matt Painter is looking for more intensity and production from his team, especially on the glass, while Maryland coach Buzz Williams acknowledges his team has a long way to go in every possible way.

Why it matters

This game features two Big Ten teams heading in opposite directions. Purdue was ranked No. 1 earlier this season but has now lost three straight, while Maryland is mired in a brutal stretch of its schedule. The outcome of this game could have significant implications for both teams' postseason hopes.

The details

Purdue's top two scorers, Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn, have been productive during the team's losing streak, but other key players like Fletcher Loyer and Oscar Cluff have struggled. Painter wants to see more intensity on the glass from his big men. Maryland, meanwhile, has been blown out in its last two games against ranked opponents, and top scorer Pharrel Payne remains sidelined with a knee injury. The Terrapins' long-range threat David Coit will be a key player to watch.

  • Purdue has lost its last three games.
  • Maryland has lost 9 of its last 11 games, compiling its worst record through 20 games since the 1988-89 season.
  • The game will be played on Sunday afternoon in College Park, Maryland.

The players

Matt Painter

The head coach of the Purdue Boilermakers, who is looking for his team to play with more intensity and production, especially on the glass.

Buzz Williams

The head coach of the Maryland Terrapins, who acknowledges his team has a long way to go in every possible way.

Braden Smith

Purdue's top scorer during the team's losing streak, averaging 17.3 points and 7.0 assists per game.

Trey Kaufman-Renn

Purdue's second-leading scorer during the losing streak, averaging 15 points per game while shooting 19-of-28 from the field.

David Coit

Maryland's long-range threat, who will be a key player to watch after scoring 73 points in two games the previous week but then struggling to just 26 points on 2-of-15 shooting from 3-point range last week.

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What they’re saying

“If we just come in here and they play lights out and they just knock our socks off, and that's that, (but) that wasn't the case. We gotta find some guys who'll do it for 40 minutes.”

— Matt Painter, Purdue Head Coach

“We outrebounded them by five. We should have outrebounded them by 15. It's frustrating.”

— Matt Painter, Purdue Head Coach

“We have a long, long, millions of miles to go in every possible way -- on the floor, off the floor.”

— Buzz Williams, Maryland Head Coach

“How coach Painter has gone about it has proved to be very successful. He's doing it completely different than how Illinois has done it, completely different than even how Michigan State has done it.”

— Buzz Williams, Maryland Head Coach

What’s next

The outcome of this game could have significant implications for both teams' postseason hopes.

The takeaway

This game features two Big Ten teams heading in opposite directions, with Purdue looking to halt its three-game skid and Maryland trying to end its own struggles. The ability of Purdue's role players to step up and the performance of Maryland's long-range threat David Coit will be key factors in determining the outcome.