A few thoughts on OSU

[rgarlitz]

1) OSU is really athletic. Great length, great shot blockers, pretty good shooters.
2) PJ was the man again down the stretch. He'll start for us someday, and I'll be just fine with that.
3) Kudos all around for the second half defensive pressure. OSU's shooting numbers went way down over the last 17 minutes.
4) Haas is going to be a great scorer for us.
5) After a shaky start at the foul line, Purdue was really solid for the rest of the game.
6) If we're only going to make 4 threes, at least they were all timely.

 

[rgarlitz]

Also, the Boilers had another good night taking care of the ball against an opponent with an abundance of long, active arms.

 

[BoilerFan#35]

Kendall needed to be in there a few more minutes. One or two threes could of really stretched OSUs defense.

 

[StateStreet123]

1) OSU is really athletic. Great length, great shot blockers, pretty good shooters.
2) PJ was the man again down the stretch. He'll start for us someday, and I'll be just fine with that.
3) Kudos all around for the second half defensive pressure. OSU's shooting numbers went way down over the last 17 minutes.
4) Haas is going to be a great scorer for us.
5) After a shaky start at the foul line, Purdue was really solid for the rest of the game.
6) If we're only going to make 4 threes, at least they were all timely.

7) And for those that were bummed out when Bates-Diop committed to OSU instead of Purdue (I'll admit, I was one of them): Edwards is WAAAAAAYYYY better than Bates-Diop. Just wow.

 

[*4purdue*]

1) OSU is really athletic. Great length, great shot blockers, pretty good shooters.
2) PJ was the man again down the stretch. He'll start for us someday, and I'll be just fine with that.
3) Kudos all around for the second half defensive pressure. OSU's shooting numbers went way down over the last 17 minutes.
4) Haas is going to be a great scorer for us.
5) After a shaky start at the foul line, Purdue was really solid for the rest of the game.
6) If we're only going to make 4 threes, at least they were all timely.

OSU is long and athletic and the type of team that has given us problems. Played much better in the second half, I think we kind of wore them down. 4-9 in the second half shooting 3's. Only 6 TO was great and Davis was lock down on Loving, which I thought was going to be a really tough matchup for him.

 

[rgarlitz]

Don't want to be a poor winner, but I thought Loving got away with 2 or 3 travels. Reece Davis even called one.

 

[DCGeneral]

Didn't OSU lose to 35 to Maryland and by 25 to IU?

 

[SIBoiler2]

Didn't OSU lose to 35 to Maryland and by 25 to IU?

Just shows we'really not very good and Painter can't coach. Yeah I saw where you were going.

 

[TC4THREE]

Didn't OSU lose to 35 to Maryland and by 25 to IU?

What was the score when IU played at Rutgers?

 

[tigerchump]

What was the score when IU played at Rutgers?

I will never know why people get so hung up on comparing scores.It never pays to do that.

 

[C'ville Boiler]

It makes no difference what a score was from other games. Its not a good way to compare teams. Clearly OSU brought more effort and they learned from those games. I mean Iowa beat Rutgers by 14. Does that mean we are 36 points better than them?

 

[BBG]

What was the score when IU played at Rutgers?

Lol...owned him.

 

[boilerpt]

Kendall needed to be in there a few more minutes. One or two threes could of really stretched OSUs defense.

IF he hit them. He's not shooting well, particularly in conference.

 

[patj11288]

Kendall needed to be in there a few more minutes. One or two threes could of really stretched OSUs defense.

I cannot see any reason why Mathias and Cline should not be playing every single one of Stephens' minutes.

 

[Purdue Grad in Texas]

Although I wouldn't say the Boilers played a great game; it was a solid effort (especially in the second half), and I really liked the fact of 6 turnovers. Hopefully, that's more toward the norm going forward.

Ohio State showed they have plenty of athletes on the wings; maybe a little thin up-front, but if they continue to compete like they did last night, they'll win some games. Looks like from an outsider's perspective they are still searching for some leadership, and a few players can go hot and cold from the perimeter.....but they have some talent there, no doubt.

Although it shouldn't happen, I can see how they might get run out of the gym if they hang their heads and start playing undisciplined.

Also seemed like VE was pressing just a little bit last night (maybe being the Ohio connection)......liked the effort.....he settled down more in the second half. He is still one of the barometers for this team's success on a larger stage IMO.

 

[FirstDownB]

I cannot see any reason why Mathias and Cline should not be playing every single one of Stephens' minutes.

A bit harsh but mostly agree. I think Kendall was actually the first one of them to sub in for Davis, which I thought was interesting. Perhaps Painter thought his length would be an asset against OSU. 2nd half the offense appeared to flow better, as has been the trend, with more Mathias/Cline. Those guys rarely take a bad shot, typically make the right pass, and their defense is basically a wash. All 3 of them can make the open 3.. actually Mathias/Cline have Stephens beat there too.
I just keep getting the feeling that Kendall is the type of player who needs to get 8-10 shots a game in order to get into a rhythm and reach his potential. But that is not what is needed on this team right now. It does make me wonder about the potential of a transfer as that bottle neck is not going away.

 

[SDBoiler1]

Although I wouldn't say the Boilers played a great game; it was a solid effort (especially in the second half), and I really liked the fact of 6 turnovers. Hopefully, that's more toward the norm going forward.

Ohio State showed they have plenty of athletes on the wings; maybe a little thin up-front, but if they continue to compete like they did last night, they'll win some games. Looks like from an outsider's perspective they are still searching for some leadership, and a few players can go hot and cold from the perimeter.....but they have some talent there, no doubt.

Although it shouldn't happen, I can see how they might get run out of the gym if they hang their heads and start playing undisciplined.

Also seemed like VE was pressing just a little bit last night (maybe being the Ohio connection)......liked the effort.....he settled down more in the second half. He is still one of the barometers for this team's success on a larger stage IMO.

OSU is still a very young team. They can hang with a lot of decent teams, but sometimes their inexperience bites them. They will only get better over time...

 

[*4purdue*]

I will never know why people get so hung up on comparing scores.It never pays to do that.

I agree, its not all who you play, its when you play them.

 

[*4purdue*]

A bit harsh but mostly agree. I think Kendall was actually the first one of them to sub in for Davis, which I thought was interesting. Perhaps Painter thought his length would be an asset against OSU. 2nd half the offense appeared to flow better, as has been the trend, with more Mathias/Cline. Those guys rarely take a bad shot, typically make the right pass, and their defense is basically a wash. All 3 of them can make the open 3.. actually Mathias/Cline have Stephens beat there too.
I just keep getting the feeling that Kendall is the type of player who needs to get 8-10 shots a game in order to get into a rhythm and reach his potential. But that is not what is needed on this team right now. It does make me wonder about the potential of a transfer as that bottle neck is not going away.

Stephens will be a senior next year. I don't see him leaving and I would hope he doesn't. I think we need all the shooters we can get on this team. No one has been consistent or they would be playing more.

 

[DCGeneral]

Lol...owned him.

Not really. But I wasn't trying to disparage anyone. IU played terribly against Rutgers, for sure. But not exactly analogous because that was the first game of the season, it was on the road and - to a softer extent - it was IU's first game without Blackmon.

My point was that within the last week or so, OSU had lost by 25 to IU on the road and 35 on the road at Maryland. Very surprised it was a one possession game until the final minute on the road against Purdue.

 

[patj11288]

Not really. But I wasn't trying to disparage anyone. IU played terribly against Rutgers, for sure. But not exactly analogous because that was the first game of the season, it was on the road and - to a softer extent - it was IU's first game without Blackmon.

My point was that within the last week or so, OSU had lost by 25 to IU on the road and 35 on the road at Maryland. Very surprised it was a one possession game until the final minute on the road against Purdue.

The transitive property of college basketball scores is just about the most pointless exercise in sports.

 

[TC4THREE]

Not really. But I wasn't trying to disparage anyone. IU played terribly against Rutgers, for sure. But not exactly analogous because that was the first game of the season, it was on the road and - to a softer extent - it was IU's first game without Blackmon.

My point was that within the last week or so, OSU had lost by 25 to IU on the road and 35 on the road at Maryland. Very surprised it was a one possession game until the final minute on the road against Purdue.

And my point was that within the last week or so, Purdue had beaten Rutgers by 50 on the road. Very surprised IU, or anyone, didn't beat them by double digits under any circumstances.

 

[rgarlitz]

Conversely, we might also point out that the fact that OSU had been rubbed out twice on the road (and then had a week off to think about it) probably had something to do with the sense of urgency with which the Buckeyes played most of last night.

You're free to slice it up anyway you choose. But I agree with the others who have suggested it's a lame cherry picking of selective facts to support a backhanded observation.

 

[lbodel]

1) OSU is really athletic. Great length, great shot blockers, pretty good shooters.
2) PJ was the man again down the stretch. He'll start for us someday, and I'll be just fine with that.
3) Kudos all around for the second half defensive pressure. OSU's shooting numbers went way down over the last 17 minutes.
4) Haas is going to be a great scorer for us.
5) After a shaky start at the foul line, Purdue was really solid for the rest of the game.
6) If we're only going to make 4 threes, at least they were all timely.

To add to what you said...

-Purdue did a good job of taking care of the basketball. 6 turnovers. Vince had 3 and Caleb had 2 - so 5 of our 6 came from 2 of our players. That's not typical for Vince...

-Which leads me to Vince had a rough game. He still adds a lot when he isn't doing well shooting, but it was not a good game for him - and he was assertive, which is good and bad in that situation.

-Our bigs did not do well overall. Haas had a pretty good game. Swanigan was 2-10 - just way too many shots still. He really should be shooting 5-6 times and if he's doing well, then go for more. But we can only afford so many 2-10 games from him. His 3 was a great - but at the same time I know that will open up more attempts...sigh! As for Hammons, he had a mixed game. His shooting was under 50%, which is good in theory - but not for the shots he should be taking. As Calhoun said, he should NOT be shooting fadeaways.

-I will say on a positive note, it was GREAT to see them pass the ball out from the paint. If that keeps developing, it will be great for this team.

-Considering that we shot poorly from 3 in this game and didn't have a great interior game - the fact that we won is good. If you would have told me going into the game that we would shoot 4-17 from 3 and Caleb/AJ would combine for 8-23 shooting - I probably wouldn't think we'd win.

-I think with our bench, you'll see varying minutes each game. I'm a bit concerned in this game, our 3 "shooters" didn't see a lot of minutes overall. The guys playing 15+ minutes were: Edwards, Swanigan, Hammons, Hill, Davis and Thompson. Obviously Edwards is capable, but had a bad game. Davis/Thompson can hit 3s, but not at a high frequency. We really need them to find their groove - and I think they all can.

-Ohio State is not a great match-up for us. They have some size inside and they have guards that can penetrate. I'm glad we don't have to play in Columbus.

 

[Inspector100]

Kendall needed to be in there a few more minutes. One or two threes could of really stretched OSUs defense.

I think you are trying to start an argument. Stevens was substituted in for Davis early in the game. He didn't shoot immediately like he always does, but he did commit an early foul and didn't please CMP. So he didn't see much time if any after that. This was the sort of game that, if he played his normal way, would have shot us out of a chance at victory. I am to the point with him that I don't care if he doesn't play another minute with the game on the line. Sort of harsh, I agree. But, he is a liability on the floor and others are doing great.

 

[SDBoiler1]

I think you are trying to start an argument. Stevens was substituted in for Davis early in the game. He didn't shoot immediately like he always does, but he did commit an early foul and didn't please CMP. So he didn't see much time if any after that. This was the sort of game that, if he played his normal way, would have shot us out of a chance at victory. I am to the point with him that I don't care if he doesn't play another minute with the game on the line. Sort of harsh, I agree. But, he is a liability on the floor and others are doing great.

Stephens has won games for Purdue with his shooting. Against ODU (I was at that game at Mohegan Sun Arena), his threes broke open a tight game.

Last year, against PSU (@ PSU) his late three pointer literally saved Purdue's season. If we lost that game, it's likely Purdue misses the NCAA tournament (due to another bad loss). He stole the ball and launched a 3 from the corner as time expired. Purdue won in OT and then went on its winning streak.

 

[tjreese]

7) And for those that were bummed out when Bates-Diop committed to OSU instead of Purdue (I'll admit, I was one of them): Edwards is WAAAAAAYYYY better than Bates-Diop. Just wow.

and was last year as well when Bates-Diop rarely played. Think what is going on in HIS head...

 

[70boiler]

Kendall needed to be in there a few more minutes. One or two threes could of really stretched OSUs defense.

I think that the numbers dispute that theory.
Purdue is 164/462 (35.5%) on 3s for season.
1- Hammons 4/6 (66.7%)
2- Taylor 2/4 (50.0%)
3- Thompson 17/42 (40.4%)
4- Edwards 21/57 (36.8%)
5- Cline 25/68 (36.7%)
5- Mathias 25/68 (36.6%)
7- Davis 17/49 (34.7%)
8- Swanigan 16/48 (33.3%)
9- Stephens 37/115 (32.2%)
10- Hill 0/3 (0%)
10- Eifert 0/1 (0%)
10- Toyra 0/1 (0%)

 

[PaBoiler78]

and was last year as well when Bates-Diop rarely played. Think what is going on in HIS head...

man, I really wanted Bates- Diop on our team, I've watched osu 3 X's this year, and have not been impressed at all. Not saying he'll have a bad career but I was expecting to see more out of him.

 

[blg430]

I think that the numbers dispute that theory.
Purdue is 164/462 (35.5%) on 3s for season.
1- Hammons 4/6 (66.7%)
2- Taylor 2/4 (50.0%)
3- Thompson 17/42 (40.4%)
4- Edwards 21/57 (36.8%)
5- Cline 25/68 (36.7%)
5- Mathias 25/68 (36.6%)
7- Davis 17/49 (34.7%)
8- Swanigan 16/48 (33.3%)
9- Stephens 37/115 (32.2%)
10- Hill 0/3 (0%)
10- Eifert 0/1 (0%)
10- Toyra 0/1 (0%)

Thompson at 40%... best shooter on the team? He's threes gave propelled Purdue to victories this year for sure. Pittsburgh game is my favorite example.

 

[Bigohh]

I think that the numbers dispute that theory.
Purdue is 164/462 (35.5%) on 3s for season.
1- Hammons 4/6 (66.7%)
2- Taylor 2/4 (50.0%)
3- Thompson 17/42 (40.4%)
4- Edwards 21/57 (36.8%)
5- Cline 25/68 (36.7%)
5- Mathias 25/68 (36.6%)
7- Davis 17/49 (34.7%)
8- Swanigan 16/48 (33.3%)
9- Stephens 37/115 (32.2%)
10- Hill 0/3 (0%)
10- Eifert 0/1 (0%)
10- Toyra 0/1 (0%)

Interesting stats. Thanks for doing the job. It sure shows the reason Kendall's minutes are down. He has taken the most 3's and shot the worst percentage of those who regularly shoot them.

 

[rgarlitz]

On the turnovers in the OSU game: Vince had 2 in the first couple minutes (stepped on the baseline, had an entry pass picked off). I don't remember him being careless with the ball after that.

 

[Bluegrass Boiler]

I think that the numbers dispute that theory.
Purdue is 164/462 (35.5%) on 3s for season.
1- Hammons 4/6 (66.7%)
2- Taylor 2/4 (50.0%)
3- Thompson 17/42 (40.4%)
4- Edwards 21/57 (36.8%)
5- Cline 25/68 (36.7%)
5- Mathias 25/68 (36.6%)
7- Davis 17/49 (34.7%)
8- Swanigan 16/48 (33.3%)
9- Stephens 37/115 (32.2%)
10- Hill 0/3 (0%)
10- Eifert 0/1 (0%)
10- Toyra 0/1 (0%)

Wow, I had no idea that even in his limited minutes this season Stephens has taken 25% of our threes and almost as many as the next two highest shooters (Mathias & Edwards) combined. I used to think he might need a little more playing time to get in rhythm, but at this point in the season maybe he's had enough chances. I'm OK with him getting major minutes if/when he gets on one of his hot streaks, but until he can come in a hit 2 or 3 in a row earning more minutes, spot duty sharing with RC and DM (and maybe RD) is probably best.

 

[tjreese]

man, I really wanted Bates- Diop on our team, I've watched osu 3 X's this year, and have not been impressed at all. Not saying he'll have a bad career but I was expecting to see more out of him.

oh I understand. sometimes it is the system (should have been good for Diop) sometimes it is the chemistry of THAT team...and sometimes teh subtle differences in carry over from high school to college and while organized rather than AAU surprises us...

 

[tjreese]

Thompson at 40%... best shooter on the team? He's threes gave propelled Purdue to victories this year for sure. Pittsburgh game is my favorite example.

it was cline that lit it up at Pitt

 

[02Boilermaker]

I think the season-long 3PA numbers are a little misleading if you're looking for current trends. We've seen a definite change in philosophy in terms of our team's 3 point shooting plan of attack. At the start of the season, it was Kendall's "job" to be the main 3pt shooter/threat. Dakota & Cline have definitely eaten into that role lately. Consider this:

-KS averaged 7 3PA in the non-con vs 3.4 3PA now in B1G play.
-In B1G play, Mathias has 25 3PA, Kendall has 24, and Cline has 22.

Adjustments are being made by the team. Hopefully they pay off for our guys.

 

[lbodel]

Wow, I had no idea that even in his limited minutes this season Stephens has taken 25% of our threes and almost as many as the next two highest shooters (Mathias & Edwards) combined. I used to think he might need a little more playing time to get in rhythm, but at this point in the season maybe he's had enough chances. I'm OK with him getting major minutes if/when he gets on one of his hot streaks, but until he can come in a hit 2 or 3 in a row earning more minutes, spot duty sharing with RC and DM (and maybe RD) is probably best.

He definitely shot a lot more at the beginning of the season. They've trimmed down significantly in December.

That being said, and I mentioned this above in my post, our "shooters" didn't see a lot of time in general. Almost all of the minutes were: Hammons, Swanigan, Edwards, Davis, Thompson and Hill.

I do recognize that we've seen minutes based on opponent as we do have the flexibility for it. For example, PJ and Johnny are both good defenders on the point and Ohio State's guards were a defensive match-up for us.

And yes, do Thompson, Davis, etc. have good statistics from 3? Sure. But they are shooting very limited numbers and PJ feels like he only shoots when left completely wide open.

But we DO need shooters in there and being a threat. Remember the Pitt game? Pitt was so focused on covering Stephens that it left Ryan Cline wide open, who found Cline for a clutch 3. These guys help keep defenses honest, whether they are making them or not, let alone shooting. And I'm using all 3 of these guys - Stephens, Mathias and Cline as this broad group.

These shooters, I think, will be the difference makers for this season. And Vince is in there as well to an extent - his shooting stats were bad against Ohio State and just had a bad overall game.

 

[70boiler]

I think the season-long 3PA numbers are a little misleading if you're looking for current trends. We've seen a definite change in philosophy in terms of our team's 3 point shooting plan of attack. At the start of the season, it was Kendall's "job" to be the main 3pt shooter/threat. Dakota & Cline have definitely eaten into that role lately. Consider this:

-KS averaged 7 3PA in the non-con vs 3.4 3PA now in B1G play.
-In B1G play, Mathias has 25 3PA, Kendall has 24, and Cline has 22.

Adjustments are being made by the team. Hopefully they pay off for our guys.

Unfortunately KS has just had a tough 3 pt shooting year. His 3 pt stats for the 20 games played are:
4/10, 3/8, 3/3, 4/11, 0/6, 1/6, 1/9, 2/6, 3/6, 4/9, 3/6, 2/5, 0/6, 0/1, 2/6, 1/2, 2/7, 0/1, 2/6 and 0/1.
I certainly wish him well, but it would certainly appear to be very difficult to green light him.