You know, I left Mackey Arena just now thinking Purdue was absolutely horrific in its defense of the three-point line Thursday night against Michigan State, knowing that the Spartans were so hot that it might not have mattered how good or bad the Boilermakers were.
On any other night, I think Purdue could have played with four guys on the floor and still not seen an opponent shoot that way.
But I just got home and caught the highlights and saw where all but a couple of Gary Harris' threes - and he was the only one whose highlights the Indy TV station showed pre-Jimmy Fallon - were at least respectably contested, which is to say, he was accounted for and in most cases, challenged.
So upon further review, it did not look like gross negligence on Purdue's part, though any time your opponent falls a half dozen points of triple-digits, you've done something wrong.
It's cliche and tired and mindless to just say it was Michigan State's night, but they sure shot like it was, and that started the landslide that snowed Purdue under in another lost opportunity for a high-quality win.
What Purdue didn't do that it could have - at least better than it did - was keep the Spartans from running. Couldn't do it. Michigan State strikes like a cobra. Everybody knows it. Yet, so often Purdue looked like it wasn't ready for it.
And so here's the deal: Purdue scored 79 points, shot 49 percent, 50 percent from three, and got run on its home floor.
You live by the three (against Indiana); you get gashed by the three (vs. Michigan State).
Michigan State is really good, by the way, the No. 1 team in the country when healthy if you ask me.
Adreian Payne is just a damn beast. Purdue went so far as to alter its starting lineup just to account for him and it didn't work at all. A player after the game suggested Purdue was willing to concede threes to the Spartan big man, which I really doubt is true, because that would seem like a pretty bad idea and I'm not only saying that because he made four of them.
Gary Harris is an NBA player and Keith Appling, though he's hurt, is the third first-team All-Big Ten sort of player in their ideal starting five alone. That says nothing of sharp-shooting Travis Trice or Denzel Valentine, the most improved player in the Big Ten, IMO.
Wait 'til they get Branden Dawson back.
Michigan State is a great team that played great tonight, denying Purdue an opportunity at a win that might have pushed it back to the fringe of the NCAA Tournament conversation.
Did Purdue play well on defense after its best outing of the season against Indiana? Lord, no. Like we said, Michigan State is an entirely different animal.
Losing focus now and the long-form blog is getting more and more difficult to keep coherent, so we're going lightning round now.
Gary Harris can't get out of the Big Ten fast enough, as far as Purdue is concerned. Kid just kills Purdue and is a constant reminder of that whole episode.
But he is the real thing is every sense of the term.
The really interesting dynamic with Kendall Stephens as he continues his development into a big-time player is that as his body wears down - he is both hurt and fatigued and dying for a healthy offseason - his confidence is brimming over.
He was tremendous on offense against Michigan State and looking not only like an improving scorer, but a more well-rebounded player lately, whether it's rebounds, blocked shots, passes, drives to the basket, whatever.
He has a chance to be an absolute star at Purdue.
Lost in a one-sided loss tonight is the fact Purdue played another good offensive game, scoring 79 points and being very efficient on offense.
Ronnie Johnson played well at point guard, Stephens keeps blowing up and Rapheal Davis has really come on the past three games now. Thirteen points on two field goal attempts, that's hard to do.
But the free throws were a mess again. Jay Simpson goes 1-of-6, Ronnie Johnson 1-of-5, Terone Johnson 1-of-3 and Errick Peck 0-for-2, including a missed one-and-one.
We know these guys aren't the best foul shooters, but focus or something has to be an issue here, because anyone who's really, really trying should be able to make more than one out of five.
In Terone Johnson's case, there would seem to be some greater force at work here, because he was better earlier in the season and it is documented the work that he and Ronnie Johnson put in during the offseason on it, whether it was productive or not.
It's easy to say, "It's mental."
The Boilermaker senior struggled again tonight, going 1-for-7 and scoring just three points.
You know, I figured out how to best put it: I think Johnson right now just looks old.
He was never Vince Carter around the rim but always fairly reliable finishing around the basket nonetheless. He was never Allen Iverson off the dribble, but he had a quick burst off his crossover that transitioned nicely into his strength advantages once he had a step.
Now, he just looks, well, old.
I don't know how else to put it.
Here's hoping for his sake he finds his legs, because if he's going to go out on any sort of high note, it won't happen for Purdue without him.
On any other night, I think Purdue could have played with four guys on the floor and still not seen an opponent shoot that way.
But I just got home and caught the highlights and saw where all but a couple of Gary Harris' threes - and he was the only one whose highlights the Indy TV station showed pre-Jimmy Fallon - were at least respectably contested, which is to say, he was accounted for and in most cases, challenged.
So upon further review, it did not look like gross negligence on Purdue's part, though any time your opponent falls a half dozen points of triple-digits, you've done something wrong.
It's cliche and tired and mindless to just say it was Michigan State's night, but they sure shot like it was, and that started the landslide that snowed Purdue under in another lost opportunity for a high-quality win.
What Purdue didn't do that it could have - at least better than it did - was keep the Spartans from running. Couldn't do it. Michigan State strikes like a cobra. Everybody knows it. Yet, so often Purdue looked like it wasn't ready for it.
And so here's the deal: Purdue scored 79 points, shot 49 percent, 50 percent from three, and got run on its home floor.
You live by the three (against Indiana); you get gashed by the three (vs. Michigan State).
Michigan State is really good, by the way, the No. 1 team in the country when healthy if you ask me.
Adreian Payne is just a damn beast. Purdue went so far as to alter its starting lineup just to account for him and it didn't work at all. A player after the game suggested Purdue was willing to concede threes to the Spartan big man, which I really doubt is true, because that would seem like a pretty bad idea and I'm not only saying that because he made four of them.
Gary Harris is an NBA player and Keith Appling, though he's hurt, is the third first-team All-Big Ten sort of player in their ideal starting five alone. That says nothing of sharp-shooting Travis Trice or Denzel Valentine, the most improved player in the Big Ten, IMO.
Wait 'til they get Branden Dawson back.
Michigan State is a great team that played great tonight, denying Purdue an opportunity at a win that might have pushed it back to the fringe of the NCAA Tournament conversation.
Did Purdue play well on defense after its best outing of the season against Indiana? Lord, no. Like we said, Michigan State is an entirely different animal.
Losing focus now and the long-form blog is getting more and more difficult to keep coherent, so we're going lightning round now.
But he is the real thing is every sense of the term.
He was tremendous on offense against Michigan State and looking not only like an improving scorer, but a more well-rebounded player lately, whether it's rebounds, blocked shots, passes, drives to the basket, whatever.
He has a chance to be an absolute star at Purdue.
Ronnie Johnson played well at point guard, Stephens keeps blowing up and Rapheal Davis has really come on the past three games now. Thirteen points on two field goal attempts, that's hard to do.
But the free throws were a mess again. Jay Simpson goes 1-of-6, Ronnie Johnson 1-of-5, Terone Johnson 1-of-3 and Errick Peck 0-for-2, including a missed one-and-one.
We know these guys aren't the best foul shooters, but focus or something has to be an issue here, because anyone who's really, really trying should be able to make more than one out of five.
In Terone Johnson's case, there would seem to be some greater force at work here, because he was better earlier in the season and it is documented the work that he and Ronnie Johnson put in during the offseason on it, whether it was productive or not.
It's easy to say, "It's mental."
The Boilermaker senior struggled again tonight, going 1-for-7 and scoring just three points.
You know, I figured out how to best put it: I think Johnson right now just looks old.
He was never Vince Carter around the rim but always fairly reliable finishing around the basket nonetheless. He was never Allen Iverson off the dribble, but he had a quick burst off his crossover that transitioned nicely into his strength advantages once he had a step.
Now, he just looks, well, old.
I don't know how else to put it.
Here's hoping for his sake he finds his legs, because if he's going to go out on any sort of high note, it won't happen for Purdue without him.
