On paper, there were positives to Purdue's 77-76 win over Northern Kentucky, or 'NorK' as we've spent the evening referring to the Norse.
The Boilermakers made threes and free throws, for example.
And there's the final score, one that probably would have been flipped in the same situation a year ago and Purdue sent to its beds Friday night with an embarrassing home loss.
But in reality, there are no positives in almost getting beat on your home floor by a group that's been a Division I basketball team for one more year than Lafayette Jeff High School has.
Maybe in time Purdue can look back at this game and chuckle at the plane crash it was fortunate to walk away from, the lessons learned on this night - or the scare put into the Boilermakers - maybe impacting it for the better in the long run.
But such talk is a ways away.
What you saw from Purdue for 39 minutes Friday was a bigger, stronger, deeper, more athletic, better Boilermaker team that played like last year's team, though you do have to credit Northern Kentucky. They made plays more than Purdue messed up plays.
But Purdue had its issues.
Too many forced shots, too often no attention paid to the fact that "open" doesn't always mean "good" when it comes to jump-shooting.
Too few rebounds, or better yet, too many rebounds for an opponent that shouldn't have gotten as many as it did.
A.J. Hammons or no A.J. Hammons, the team with the bigger, stronger, more athletic players who play for the school that prides itself on effort shouldn't be even with any of these low-major foes on the boards.
Too many bad decisions, too many untimely bad decisions.
You know, Purdue used to be a scary run team. I don't mean running team, I mean run team.
Every team is different and comparing any one to another can be as unfair as it is purposeless, but there was a day not all that long ago when a one-point Purdue halftime lead may as well have been 10, because you could almost count on the Boilermakers to come out of halftime with a burst of energy and defensive intensity and turn the game on its side with a significant run.
This past year-plus, Purdue hasn't been good enough on defense to make such runs, but it also hasn't seemed to be able to go long enough without shooting itself in the foot. It has to get that out of its system and it has to start with the point guards and with everyone on the floor, really, not forcing plays.
This was a season-opener, so keep that in mind, but Purdue has to get better. That much is very obvious. Last year is over and this is a better, more experienced, more mature team. The Boilermakers just have to play like it.
(Hey, whoever had 'Halftime of the first game' in our 'How long 'til someone blames the media for over-hyping the team' pool, you're a winner. Congratulations. You'll get nothing and like it.)
Friday night, they were fortunate to have Errick Peck. Purdue talked afterward about how its camaraderie when the (mud) hit the fan in the final minute was completely different.
Can't help but think the roster's foremost adult has something to do with that. I think Terone Johnson does, too, and just added experience in general, but Peck has to have some significant hand in it, almost like a calming influence, a glass of warm milk if you will.
(Yes, I really just wrote that.)
Ronnie Johnson had his ups and downs in the opener, but his ups came at the right time, with the plays he made at the end. Not sure Purdue wants him shooting threes in bulk, but he made two tonight after making six all of last season.
Terone Johnson had one of those rim-out nights that'll happen occasionally to below-the-rim scorers. His 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting could just as easily have been 16 on 6-of-11.
The freshmen are freshmen, you know. Bryson Scott didn't play much in the second half, nor did Basil Smotherman as Purdue had to go with its veterans in winning time. Kendall Stephens' shooting just transcends all such considerations, but he's going to struggle on defense, did tonight.
Sterling Carter made a couple threes, which was good to see after he went 1-of-10 in exhibition play, but he took one that was flat crazy after generating a backcourt steal. He's going to have to pick his spots. If that means rewiring himself, so be it. Like his physicality on defense, but he clearly can't match the two point guards' quickness on D.
Jay Simpson was great tonight, I thought. He will finish at a higher rate as he gets more and more settled, but he looked more comfortable tonight than he did in the exhibitions. Without his 14 points, Purdue's 0-1.
Gonna go out on a limb here and suggest the Boilermakers have the most talented and physically ready backup center they've had since uh .
Now A.J. Hammons comes back and so much changes. But Purdue is gonna have to figure out how to guard those non-conference small-ball teams while putting its size on the floor.
OK, well that's that. Hopefully you watched the video earlier and have now digested every possible thought I could pull this evening.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2013. 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.
The Boilermakers made threes and free throws, for example.
And there's the final score, one that probably would have been flipped in the same situation a year ago and Purdue sent to its beds Friday night with an embarrassing home loss.
But in reality, there are no positives in almost getting beat on your home floor by a group that's been a Division I basketball team for one more year than Lafayette Jeff High School has.
Maybe in time Purdue can look back at this game and chuckle at the plane crash it was fortunate to walk away from, the lessons learned on this night - or the scare put into the Boilermakers - maybe impacting it for the better in the long run.
But such talk is a ways away.
What you saw from Purdue for 39 minutes Friday was a bigger, stronger, deeper, more athletic, better Boilermaker team that played like last year's team, though you do have to credit Northern Kentucky. They made plays more than Purdue messed up plays.
But Purdue had its issues.
Too many forced shots, too often no attention paid to the fact that "open" doesn't always mean "good" when it comes to jump-shooting.
Too few rebounds, or better yet, too many rebounds for an opponent that shouldn't have gotten as many as it did.
A.J. Hammons or no A.J. Hammons, the team with the bigger, stronger, more athletic players who play for the school that prides itself on effort shouldn't be even with any of these low-major foes on the boards.
Too many bad decisions, too many untimely bad decisions.
You know, Purdue used to be a scary run team. I don't mean running team, I mean run team.
Every team is different and comparing any one to another can be as unfair as it is purposeless, but there was a day not all that long ago when a one-point Purdue halftime lead may as well have been 10, because you could almost count on the Boilermakers to come out of halftime with a burst of energy and defensive intensity and turn the game on its side with a significant run.
This past year-plus, Purdue hasn't been good enough on defense to make such runs, but it also hasn't seemed to be able to go long enough without shooting itself in the foot. It has to get that out of its system and it has to start with the point guards and with everyone on the floor, really, not forcing plays.
This was a season-opener, so keep that in mind, but Purdue has to get better. That much is very obvious. Last year is over and this is a better, more experienced, more mature team. The Boilermakers just have to play like it.
(Hey, whoever had 'Halftime of the first game' in our 'How long 'til someone blames the media for over-hyping the team' pool, you're a winner. Congratulations. You'll get nothing and like it.)
Friday night, they were fortunate to have Errick Peck. Purdue talked afterward about how its camaraderie when the (mud) hit the fan in the final minute was completely different.
Can't help but think the roster's foremost adult has something to do with that. I think Terone Johnson does, too, and just added experience in general, but Peck has to have some significant hand in it, almost like a calming influence, a glass of warm milk if you will.
(Yes, I really just wrote that.)
Ronnie Johnson had his ups and downs in the opener, but his ups came at the right time, with the plays he made at the end. Not sure Purdue wants him shooting threes in bulk, but he made two tonight after making six all of last season.
Terone Johnson had one of those rim-out nights that'll happen occasionally to below-the-rim scorers. His 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting could just as easily have been 16 on 6-of-11.
The freshmen are freshmen, you know. Bryson Scott didn't play much in the second half, nor did Basil Smotherman as Purdue had to go with its veterans in winning time. Kendall Stephens' shooting just transcends all such considerations, but he's going to struggle on defense, did tonight.
Sterling Carter made a couple threes, which was good to see after he went 1-of-10 in exhibition play, but he took one that was flat crazy after generating a backcourt steal. He's going to have to pick his spots. If that means rewiring himself, so be it. Like his physicality on defense, but he clearly can't match the two point guards' quickness on D.
Jay Simpson was great tonight, I thought. He will finish at a higher rate as he gets more and more settled, but he looked more comfortable tonight than he did in the exhibitions. Without his 14 points, Purdue's 0-1.
Gonna go out on a limb here and suggest the Boilermakers have the most talented and physically ready backup center they've had since uh .
Now A.J. Hammons comes back and so much changes. But Purdue is gonna have to figure out how to guard those non-conference small-ball teams while putting its size on the floor.
OK, well that's that. Hopefully you watched the video earlier and have now digested every possible thought I could pull this evening.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2013. 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.
