Agree wholeheartedly...SS is critical to Purdue's ultimate and overall success...or, at least someone is (be it him or Newman), but, I would suggest it is Sasha in that he is the guy that has proven more consistent and is getting (and is likely to get) the minutes. That said, Newman is capable. I already said it...it was just ridiculous that Newman and Furst got 6 minutes the other night...or any night...those guys simply need to play more than that...those guys minutes went to Morton and Hunter instead and there just is no justification for it, more so in hindsight.SS has been known to disappear in big games. We can't afford to have him missing several wide open 3's like he did against WI because those are killer misses when points are at a premium.
Not sure if Painter would do it, but maybe Newman needs more PT until SS gets his shot back. You get better D and rebounding with Newman and he can get hot from 3 as well.
I don't know that it is a case of him disappearing as much as a case of a concerted and concentrated/committed effort to remove him...that is exactly what Wisconsin did (and, other teams have...and will try to). Purdue needs to run stuff that addresses that though...the backup center for Wisconsin had absolutely no chance of stopping Williams in the post 1-on-1 on Monday...absolutely no chance...yet, Purdue took advantage of it about twice. They literally could, and should, have isolated him on the block with Sasha on the wing or in the opposite corner, and, played through Williams EVERY possession until Wisconsin elected to do something different, but, they did it like I said, once...maybe twice.
At the same time, if/when Sasha gets the open shots, he does indeed need to deliver with more consistency, particularly at home where he has had so much success.
Gary was really, really good at the time that he left...Shrewsberry was a virtual wizard...I am waiting to see something from Johnson, as, he had no answer at all the other night...particularly in the first half, and, it was very noticeable.