We've seen Purdue win with three-point shooting, with size, with defense, and by simply outscoring people.
Now, we've seen the Boilermakers win short-handed and without even playing, or shooting, particularly well.
With Rapheal Davis out Saturday night, Purdue turned in a bit of a ragged performance, but Isaac Haas, Vince Edwards and Purdue's two-headed point guard were enough to get it through en route to its fifth win of 20 or more points in six tries.
On the bright side, Isaac Haas and Vince Edwards were studs, and P.J. Thompson and Johnny Hill were studs within a modest, but important, role.
On the not-so-bright side, Purdue shot like hell, got outrebounded for half the game by a team that shouldn't outrebound it - i.e. another team in college basketball - and just generally off on offense. If not for a pretty strong start on defense - or maybe Lehigh was just missing shots - Purdue might have trailed for a while.
Purdue's shown it can win games different ways, make different types of plays when it's needed plays and succeed with different lineups and without key pieces.
Now, it gets put the test more than ever.
I don't know how good Pitt is. Its one measuring-stick game of this season so far got called at halftime.
I do know Pitt is a good program with a good coach and it's supposedly a bear to play at.
Purdue faced adversity in Connecticut when Old Dominion and Florida had momentum; it will face adversity at Pitt.
Can it win without Rapheal Davis at full strength in the event that he's not? We'll see. He's a good player but an even more important presence in situations like Tuesday night's to come.
Purdue's a good team. Win or lose, they'll leave Pittsburgh a better team, if you ask me.
Now, we've seen the Boilermakers win short-handed and without even playing, or shooting, particularly well.
With Rapheal Davis out Saturday night, Purdue turned in a bit of a ragged performance, but Isaac Haas, Vince Edwards and Purdue's two-headed point guard were enough to get it through en route to its fifth win of 20 or more points in six tries.
On the bright side, Isaac Haas and Vince Edwards were studs, and P.J. Thompson and Johnny Hill were studs within a modest, but important, role.
On the not-so-bright side, Purdue shot like hell, got outrebounded for half the game by a team that shouldn't outrebound it - i.e. another team in college basketball - and just generally off on offense. If not for a pretty strong start on defense - or maybe Lehigh was just missing shots - Purdue might have trailed for a while.
Purdue's shown it can win games different ways, make different types of plays when it's needed plays and succeed with different lineups and without key pieces.
Now, it gets put the test more than ever.
I don't know how good Pitt is. Its one measuring-stick game of this season so far got called at halftime.
I do know Pitt is a good program with a good coach and it's supposedly a bear to play at.
Purdue faced adversity in Connecticut when Old Dominion and Florida had momentum; it will face adversity at Pitt.
Can it win without Rapheal Davis at full strength in the event that he's not? We'll see. He's a good player but an even more important presence in situations like Tuesday night's to come.
Purdue's a good team. Win or lose, they'll leave Pittsburgh a better team, if you ask me.
