MILWAUKEE — Greetings from the House That Giannis Built, Fiserv Forum, where Purdue opens NCAA Tournament play against Yale and the anxiety around those who follow the Boilermakers reaches its boiling point.
This is what Purdue's been building up toward all season, to this point a relatively unfulfilling one given the absence of championships and such thus far, but this is a Boilermaker team capable of — and vulnerable to — an infinite range of outcomes this postseason, during the most random event in team sports.
I expect Purdue to rise to the occasion and play really well but I expected the same at Michigan State and against Iowa at the Big Ten Tournament and the turnover convulsions happens, so who knows? But this team is 27-7 despite its flaws and those gaps aren't so big that they can't be closed at any time.
I think this group is fairly well insulated against an upset today, because I don't think Yale is a great shooting team and I don't think they have enough offensively to score with the Boilermakers provided Purdue doesn't turn it over 20 times. But I can't claim to be an expert on Yale. I just talked to people about them and reviewed stats and results, but there are no red flags like there were with North Texas a year ago at this time.
Now's the time for Purdue's horses to really shine.
Jaden Ivey's decision-making is going to be one of the single most important individual elements of this whole tournament, let alone for Purdue, and Zach Edey and Trevion Williams have to be really good and really fundamentally sound. Their fouls matter now a little more. Their turnovers matter way more now. And their efficiency matters most. Them going 9-of-19 against Iowa's small ball wasn't good enough.
Today, against Yale's overmatched frontcourt, and whatever they do to compensate for it, 9-of-19 wouldn't be good enough. It's 70 Percent Season for those guys.
I don't know what's going to happen for Purdue in this event. I never do. It's one of the most unpredictable events in sports, if you ask me, and this isn't the most predictable Purdue team.
Try to enjoy the ride.
Three more things ...
• Today, Eric Hunter earns his NCAA SWAG bag. Azar Swain might be the only guy who's really going to require special attention defensively, and Swain's probably not often been guarded by someone as capable on the ball as Hunter. I could see Swain getting 15 points or whatever, but needing as many shots to do it, things like that. Hunter has been really good for Purdue the past six weeks and Purdue's quietly been OK on defense the past few, Hunter being a big part of it.
I do think Jaden Ivey took a step defensively at the Big Ten Tournament, too, but Purdue's only going to be as good defensively as their bigs' ability to hold up in pick-and-roll.
• Sasha Stefanovic. Ask Villanova how hard it is to cover, on short prep, some of the halfcourt stuff Purdue runs to get shots. Stefanovic may get more looks than he did during Big Ten play, and his percentages obviously need to reflect that for Purdue to be as good as it can be. As he's gone, so often Purdue has gone.
• Transition and the offensive glass. Steal as many buckets as you can.
Margin for error is a precious commodity this time of year and one Purdue's hasn't given itself enough of at times this season, because it turns the ball over, doesn't force turnover and doesn't max out the foul line.
That's what I've got. Not much left to say about this team that hasn't already been said.
Follow along here or on Twitter at @brianneubert or at least until the NCAA shuts me down for not paying them for the right to tweet.
Full coverage to come afterward.
Enjoy the ride, folks. Life's too short.
This is what Purdue's been building up toward all season, to this point a relatively unfulfilling one given the absence of championships and such thus far, but this is a Boilermaker team capable of — and vulnerable to — an infinite range of outcomes this postseason, during the most random event in team sports.
I expect Purdue to rise to the occasion and play really well but I expected the same at Michigan State and against Iowa at the Big Ten Tournament and the turnover convulsions happens, so who knows? But this team is 27-7 despite its flaws and those gaps aren't so big that they can't be closed at any time.
I think this group is fairly well insulated against an upset today, because I don't think Yale is a great shooting team and I don't think they have enough offensively to score with the Boilermakers provided Purdue doesn't turn it over 20 times. But I can't claim to be an expert on Yale. I just talked to people about them and reviewed stats and results, but there are no red flags like there were with North Texas a year ago at this time.
Now's the time for Purdue's horses to really shine.
Jaden Ivey's decision-making is going to be one of the single most important individual elements of this whole tournament, let alone for Purdue, and Zach Edey and Trevion Williams have to be really good and really fundamentally sound. Their fouls matter now a little more. Their turnovers matter way more now. And their efficiency matters most. Them going 9-of-19 against Iowa's small ball wasn't good enough.
Today, against Yale's overmatched frontcourt, and whatever they do to compensate for it, 9-of-19 wouldn't be good enough. It's 70 Percent Season for those guys.
I don't know what's going to happen for Purdue in this event. I never do. It's one of the most unpredictable events in sports, if you ask me, and this isn't the most predictable Purdue team.
Try to enjoy the ride.
Three more things ...
• Today, Eric Hunter earns his NCAA SWAG bag. Azar Swain might be the only guy who's really going to require special attention defensively, and Swain's probably not often been guarded by someone as capable on the ball as Hunter. I could see Swain getting 15 points or whatever, but needing as many shots to do it, things like that. Hunter has been really good for Purdue the past six weeks and Purdue's quietly been OK on defense the past few, Hunter being a big part of it.
I do think Jaden Ivey took a step defensively at the Big Ten Tournament, too, but Purdue's only going to be as good defensively as their bigs' ability to hold up in pick-and-roll.
• Sasha Stefanovic. Ask Villanova how hard it is to cover, on short prep, some of the halfcourt stuff Purdue runs to get shots. Stefanovic may get more looks than he did during Big Ten play, and his percentages obviously need to reflect that for Purdue to be as good as it can be. As he's gone, so often Purdue has gone.
• Transition and the offensive glass. Steal as many buckets as you can.
Margin for error is a precious commodity this time of year and one Purdue's hasn't given itself enough of at times this season, because it turns the ball over, doesn't force turnover and doesn't max out the foul line.
That's what I've got. Not much left to say about this team that hasn't already been said.
Follow along here or on Twitter at @brianneubert or at least until the NCAA shuts me down for not paying them for the right to tweet.
Full coverage to come afterward.
Enjoy the ride, folks. Life's too short.
