Purdue vs. Wisconsin player ratings: 'So many guys can bite you with this Purdue team.'

Purdue usually plays its best against top-10 competition, particularly on the road. The Boilermakers entered Sunday winners of six straight vs. AP Top-10 teams, with five of those away from Mackey Arena.

Make it seven straight, and six on the road or neutral court, as No. 2 Purdue beat No. 6 Wisconsin, 75-69, in Madison to stay atop the Big Ten standings.

More: Purdue survives at Wisconsin to take over first place in Big Ten

Player ratings on a scale of 0 to 10.

STARTERS

∎ Zach Edey — A quiet first half (1-of-4 shooting), he didn't score his first bucket until 4:53 left. He was definitely more involved in the second half, with an alley-oop off a nice Fletcher Loyer pass and an emphatic put-back slam off a Braden Smith miss as two standout moments. He only took eight free throws, so everyone can take a deep breath. He finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks, some of them comical for the Badgers' naivety. Rating: 7.5

∎ Trey Kaufman-Renn — He had a nice early spin-and-finish, and secured some strong defensive rebounds in the first half (three). He showed off some nice footwork with step-through and finish for Purdue's first bucket of second half, but that was about it. He played just 6 minutes in the second half. While he's started every game, Mason Gillis usually finishes them. He had four points and four rebounds. Rating: 5.5

∎ Lance Jones — He scored 20 points, making that three times in his past four games he's scored at least 20. He did it with pull-up jumpers, 3s, drives and even hit an and-1 as he was falling to the ground. Early in the game, he had a great save off a defensive rebound, then came down and drilled a 3 on the other end. When the Badgers were making their push, Jones hit another 3 to quiet the Kohl Center crowd, "This kid is a silencer," CBS' Bill Raftery said. He added six rebounds and three assists and was a team-best +/- +10. Rating: 8.5

∎ Fletcher Loyer — He got a few floaters to go down in the first half, and his alley-oop pass to Edey from beyond the 3-point line was inch-perfect. His biggest moment came late in the game when he drilled a jumper off a curl-and-handoff from Edey to give Purdue a 66-59 lead, causing Raftery to say: "So many guys can bite you with this Purdue team." He finished with 12 points. Rating: 7.0

∎ Braden Smith — Usually pulling the strings, Smith was looking for his shot more than usual. And why not? He's rediscovered his stroke and his mid-range game is lethal. He paced the Boilers with 11 first-half points. He finished with 19 points, six rebounds and three assists and his 15 field goal attempts were his most since the Dec. 16 game vs. Arizona (also 15). He had back-to-back steals late in the game with his active hands, pretty much sealing it. Rating: 8.5

RESERVES

∎ Mason Gillis — Not his best shooting day (0-for-3), but per usual he was active on the glass. Half of his six rebounds came on the offensive end, including one that earned him a foul and a trip to the line. He's so good at feeding Edey from the top of the key with those bullet passes. One of his offensive rebounds off a missed Edey free throw resulted in a Jones layup, and a 61-57 lead. He did great job on defense after Smith had the ball stolen in the backcourt, preventing a Wisconsin layup. Rating: 7.0

∎ Ethan Morton — Got called for two iffy fouls, and that's about it for his 10 minutes. Rating: N/A

∎ Caleb Furst — Played 5 mostly quiet minutes. What wasn't quiet? Those beautifully shiny gold and purple sneakers. Kicks Rating: 10. Game Rating: N/A

∎ Cam Heide — Played 10 minutes and the only stat he recorded was a foul. Rating: N/A

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue vs. Wisconsin player ratings: Lance Jones, Braden Smith shine