Greetings from Mackey Arena, folks, where Purdue faces Michigan with its NCAA Tournament fate on the line.
Today, we should get a look (or not) at what desperation-mode Purdue looks like, and in that sense, I sort of compare this game to the first Wisconsin meeting, in which the Boilermakers' effort was extraordinary, from rebounding to screening to cutting without the ball.
Today, such an effort would be a hell of a start, but it was merely something that could be summoned on command, it probably would have prior to today more often.
Michigan is good, and we'll keep you posted on Isaiah Livers best we can, but they're better with him and that's a matchup headache of the highest order for Purdue. But from here on out, I think this is about Purdue more than the opponent. I generally think that's always the case, with some exceptions, but matchups don't matter all that much if one of the teams involved doesn't hold up its end by being sharp and trying hard.
Couple other things.
BALL SCREEN DEFENSE
This cost Purdue the game in Ann Arbor, as it couldn't keep Zavier Simpson and David DeJulius from getting downhill to the basket. The asterisk there is that Trevion Williams had played more minutes than could be reasonably asked of him, and was gassed. Understandable. But the reality of it too is that it is not Williams' strength, and if you don't believe me, go watch Wisconsin's last possession of the first half the other night. Matt Haarms is much better at it, and that should make a difference today, and might have made a difference in the first meeting, because Matt Painter almost certainly would have swapped Haarms in for those defensive possessions had he not gotten hurt.
Purdue's got to be good with this today, or else Simpson's gonna spend the day in the lane, throwing in H-O-R-S-E shots, kicking out to shooters and handing Jon Teske pick-and-pop jumpers.
TREVION WILLIAMS' DECISION-MAKING
Williams has to attack one-on-one. If that makes having to go to the foul line, so be it. But he's too good a one-on-one scorer and he has too juicy a matchup today to look to pass first.
That said, if Jon Teske has any fire in his belly, he's gonna fight Williams like hell for position today and Michigan's probably gonna do things a little different today. Purdue says it's seeing Michigan show more ball-side digging as help, so Williams may have more to think about in this game than he did in the first meeting.
Goes without saying that Purdue's going to have to space the floor and make a few shots when they come out of post action.
BE AGGRESSIVE IN GENERAL
The single best thing Purdue is doing offensively is attacking in the open floor. It's a bit of a back-handed compliment because Purdue's doing it to avoid having to labor in halfcourt offense. But it has mattered. Purdue has been pretty good in transition and when Purdue middles offensively as it did to start both halves at Wisconsin, it's in part due to the fact that the Boilermakers did not have chances to attack off the bounce against an unset defense.
Thanks for reading, everyone. We'll be back after the game with our usual smattering of coverage. In the meantime, updates on Twitter at @brianneubert
Discuss the game here in this thread to consolidate conversation and quarantine meltdowns.
Today, we should get a look (or not) at what desperation-mode Purdue looks like, and in that sense, I sort of compare this game to the first Wisconsin meeting, in which the Boilermakers' effort was extraordinary, from rebounding to screening to cutting without the ball.
Today, such an effort would be a hell of a start, but it was merely something that could be summoned on command, it probably would have prior to today more often.
Michigan is good, and we'll keep you posted on Isaiah Livers best we can, but they're better with him and that's a matchup headache of the highest order for Purdue. But from here on out, I think this is about Purdue more than the opponent. I generally think that's always the case, with some exceptions, but matchups don't matter all that much if one of the teams involved doesn't hold up its end by being sharp and trying hard.
Couple other things.
BALL SCREEN DEFENSE
This cost Purdue the game in Ann Arbor, as it couldn't keep Zavier Simpson and David DeJulius from getting downhill to the basket. The asterisk there is that Trevion Williams had played more minutes than could be reasonably asked of him, and was gassed. Understandable. But the reality of it too is that it is not Williams' strength, and if you don't believe me, go watch Wisconsin's last possession of the first half the other night. Matt Haarms is much better at it, and that should make a difference today, and might have made a difference in the first meeting, because Matt Painter almost certainly would have swapped Haarms in for those defensive possessions had he not gotten hurt.
Purdue's got to be good with this today, or else Simpson's gonna spend the day in the lane, throwing in H-O-R-S-E shots, kicking out to shooters and handing Jon Teske pick-and-pop jumpers.
TREVION WILLIAMS' DECISION-MAKING
Williams has to attack one-on-one. If that makes having to go to the foul line, so be it. But he's too good a one-on-one scorer and he has too juicy a matchup today to look to pass first.
That said, if Jon Teske has any fire in his belly, he's gonna fight Williams like hell for position today and Michigan's probably gonna do things a little different today. Purdue says it's seeing Michigan show more ball-side digging as help, so Williams may have more to think about in this game than he did in the first meeting.
Goes without saying that Purdue's going to have to space the floor and make a few shots when they come out of post action.
BE AGGRESSIVE IN GENERAL
The single best thing Purdue is doing offensively is attacking in the open floor. It's a bit of a back-handed compliment because Purdue's doing it to avoid having to labor in halfcourt offense. But it has mattered. Purdue has been pretty good in transition and when Purdue middles offensively as it did to start both halves at Wisconsin, it's in part due to the fact that the Boilermakers did not have chances to attack off the bounce against an unset defense.
Thanks for reading, everyone. We'll be back after the game with our usual smattering of coverage. In the meantime, updates on Twitter at @brianneubert
Discuss the game here in this thread to consolidate conversation and quarantine meltdowns.
