The Chicago State Cougars enter Mackey Arena this afternoon to take on the 20th/21st- ranked (AP/Coaches) in the campus game of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. Chicago State is coming off a 92-65 loss at Iowa, while Purdue opened its season with a 105-74 defeat of SIU-Edwardsville on Friday evening.
TV coverage is on the Big Ten Network.
Purdue struggled on the glass against SIUE, giving up an inordinate amount of offensive boards. Can they start to get that deficiency under control? Some interesting comments from Coach Matt Painter:
"I thought SIUE did a great job attacking the offensive glass and pursuing the basketball. I didn't think we did a very good job of boxing out or going to get it. It took a little time to adjust to that."
Coach Painter also liked the way Boilermaker newcomer Nojel Eastern debuted for his first regular season contest, which included 8 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds in 21 minutes of action.
"I thought Nojel Eastern was great. For it being his first real college game, he got eight assists. I thought our dribble penetration before he subbed in was kind of lackluster. The ball was getting in the paint too much. From a concentration standpoint, Nojel was trying to put pressure on the basketball but also protect it."
Guard Fred Sims Jr. is Chicago State's best player. He had 15 points on 6-16 shooting against the Hawkeyes (2-8 from deep).
Tracy Dildy, Chicago State's coach, had high praise for the Boilermakers, which he stated might be his favorite Big Ten team. He especially likes senior guard Dakota Mathias.
"I think they may be better than last year's Big Ten championship team. They got really good when center Isaac Haas decided to come back. I have also said that Mathias is the best shooter in the country. With Vince and Carsen Edwards, that is a Final Four team. They have everything you need, including experience, toughness, size and good guard play."
Although the Boilers appear to have a clear advantage for this contest, look for the Boilers to work on steady, efficient play and clean up some of the rebounding issues. The schedule starts to ramp up with a trip to Marquette on Tuesday.
Tip coming up in about 30 minutes......Boiler up, my friends.
TV coverage is on the Big Ten Network.
Purdue struggled on the glass against SIUE, giving up an inordinate amount of offensive boards. Can they start to get that deficiency under control? Some interesting comments from Coach Matt Painter:
"I thought SIUE did a great job attacking the offensive glass and pursuing the basketball. I didn't think we did a very good job of boxing out or going to get it. It took a little time to adjust to that."
Coach Painter also liked the way Boilermaker newcomer Nojel Eastern debuted for his first regular season contest, which included 8 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds in 21 minutes of action.
"I thought Nojel Eastern was great. For it being his first real college game, he got eight assists. I thought our dribble penetration before he subbed in was kind of lackluster. The ball was getting in the paint too much. From a concentration standpoint, Nojel was trying to put pressure on the basketball but also protect it."
Guard Fred Sims Jr. is Chicago State's best player. He had 15 points on 6-16 shooting against the Hawkeyes (2-8 from deep).
Tracy Dildy, Chicago State's coach, had high praise for the Boilermakers, which he stated might be his favorite Big Ten team. He especially likes senior guard Dakota Mathias.
"I think they may be better than last year's Big Ten championship team. They got really good when center Isaac Haas decided to come back. I have also said that Mathias is the best shooter in the country. With Vince and Carsen Edwards, that is a Final Four team. They have everything you need, including experience, toughness, size and good guard play."
Although the Boilers appear to have a clear advantage for this contest, look for the Boilers to work on steady, efficient play and clean up some of the rebounding issues. The schedule starts to ramp up with a trip to Marquette on Tuesday.
Tip coming up in about 30 minutes......Boiler up, my friends.
