CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - We'll see where Purdue goes from here - success, as you know, can be fleeting - but the Boilermakers sure looked like they took another step forward Wednesday night in Champaign.
Illinois was at full strength, or at least not all that far off it, and badly needing a win as the schedule now makes it walk the proverbial plank. Purdue took all its punches and punched back even harder, showing distinct toughness on the road in one of college basketball's toughest conferences.
How many other times this season have you been taken aback by Purdue's toughness? Uh
The Boilermakers simply pounded Illinois' you-know-what on the glass in the second half, led by A.J. Hammons. Watch out now, that truck is starting to roll downhill. Aside from the Minnesota game, the center has been very good in Big Ten play and he was borderline great at Illinois.
That interior advantage was crucial to Purdue's win, as much as Purdue's steadiness was. This game could have gone sideways on the Boilermakers a bunch of times. Ronnie Johnson's early foul trouble and Hammons' late foul troubles as examples. In December, Purdue might have eaten a 14-2 half-ending run and gone on to lose by 10.
Steadiness usually starts at point guard.
Ronnie Johnson had his moments. Like when Matt Painter was yelling at him, "Hold up, hold up," only for the sophomore to dart a pass to Basil Smotherman for an acrobatic lay-in. That play could have gone the other way just as easily.
But when Purdue needed him to be steady, he was a rock. The three he made was clutch; the three he set up for Kendall Stephens thereafter was masterful, dare I say kind of Aaron Crafty.
The free throws at the end were perfect, all of them.
So were Terone Johnson's.
Does that mean there won't be more Maalox moments at the ends of close games from here on out in such situations? Of course not.
But for one night at least, Purdue recaptured what it had at West Virginia and mixed in some competent late foul shooting and now comes home to West Lafayette with a spring in its step and the look - again, for one night, at least - of an honest-to-goodness team. Purdue, collectively, played well tonight.
This wasn't just about A.J. Hammons' dominance or Ronnie Johnson's game-deciding plays.
It was about Stephens' shots, Errick Peck's putbacks, Smotherman's rebounds, Jay Simpson's energy for the second game in a row, Bryson Scott's solid minutes when pressed into first-half duty, etc.
It was about a collective defensive effort that muffled Illinois after halftime. This was Purdue's best rebounding game, perhaps its best defensive game as well.
How big of a deal will be it in the long run?
Well, road wins are gold and this one may ultimately prove to be if the Illini aren't 2-8 in the league here in a few weeks, which they're staring down the barrel of if they're not careful.
But the page turns after every game, so the value of this win will reveal itself for Purdue if it helps it take care of business against Penn State and Northwestern, then uses what would be a four-game winning streak as momentum leading into Wisconsin.
People have been disappointed in Purdue's play this season. Purdue's been disappointed in Purdue's play this season.
But perspective is a good thing. It's mid-January and there's plenty of time for the Boilermakers to reverse their fortunes.
We'll find out in coming weeks whether Illinois was a means to that end.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2014. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited. E-mail GoldandBlack.com/Boilers, Inc.
Illinois was at full strength, or at least not all that far off it, and badly needing a win as the schedule now makes it walk the proverbial plank. Purdue took all its punches and punched back even harder, showing distinct toughness on the road in one of college basketball's toughest conferences.
How many other times this season have you been taken aback by Purdue's toughness? Uh
The Boilermakers simply pounded Illinois' you-know-what on the glass in the second half, led by A.J. Hammons. Watch out now, that truck is starting to roll downhill. Aside from the Minnesota game, the center has been very good in Big Ten play and he was borderline great at Illinois.
That interior advantage was crucial to Purdue's win, as much as Purdue's steadiness was. This game could have gone sideways on the Boilermakers a bunch of times. Ronnie Johnson's early foul trouble and Hammons' late foul troubles as examples. In December, Purdue might have eaten a 14-2 half-ending run and gone on to lose by 10.
Steadiness usually starts at point guard.
Ronnie Johnson had his moments. Like when Matt Painter was yelling at him, "Hold up, hold up," only for the sophomore to dart a pass to Basil Smotherman for an acrobatic lay-in. That play could have gone the other way just as easily.
But when Purdue needed him to be steady, he was a rock. The three he made was clutch; the three he set up for Kendall Stephens thereafter was masterful, dare I say kind of Aaron Crafty.
The free throws at the end were perfect, all of them.
So were Terone Johnson's.
Does that mean there won't be more Maalox moments at the ends of close games from here on out in such situations? Of course not.
But for one night at least, Purdue recaptured what it had at West Virginia and mixed in some competent late foul shooting and now comes home to West Lafayette with a spring in its step and the look - again, for one night, at least - of an honest-to-goodness team. Purdue, collectively, played well tonight.
This wasn't just about A.J. Hammons' dominance or Ronnie Johnson's game-deciding plays.
It was about Stephens' shots, Errick Peck's putbacks, Smotherman's rebounds, Jay Simpson's energy for the second game in a row, Bryson Scott's solid minutes when pressed into first-half duty, etc.
It was about a collective defensive effort that muffled Illinois after halftime. This was Purdue's best rebounding game, perhaps its best defensive game as well.
How big of a deal will be it in the long run?
Well, road wins are gold and this one may ultimately prove to be if the Illini aren't 2-8 in the league here in a few weeks, which they're staring down the barrel of if they're not careful.
But the page turns after every game, so the value of this win will reveal itself for Purdue if it helps it take care of business against Penn State and Northwestern, then uses what would be a four-game winning streak as momentum leading into Wisconsin.
People have been disappointed in Purdue's play this season. Purdue's been disappointed in Purdue's play this season.
But perspective is a good thing. It's mid-January and there's plenty of time for the Boilermakers to reverse their fortunes.
We'll find out in coming weeks whether Illinois was a means to that end.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2014. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited. E-mail GoldandBlack.com/Boilers, Inc.
