You know, I know nobody wants to hear it, but sometimes you just have to credit the opponent.
Sure, you can point a whole bunch of fingers at Purdue for throwing boulders at the rim instead of free throws in the second half tonight in Columbus, but at the same time, the most talented player on the floor - and maybe the country, all told - won this game for the Buckeyes.
D'Angelo Russell was special in the second half of that game tonight and when special players get special, there is only so much you can do sometimes.
And Ohio State is a very, very good defensive team and they turned it up at the very end, cutting off A.J. Hammons from his four teammates on the floor, sagging off those who can be sagged off in order to crowd the big man it couldn't stop.
It might have helped to have Vince Edwards at the end, since Ohio State might not have been able or willing to leave him on the perimeter, but he was fouled out by then, after just 15 minutes.
(Purdue almost won a big game tonight getting three points from Edwards and zero from Kendall Stephens and despite foul trouble to Jon Octeus rearing its head at the worst of times. He played 27 minutes in a game in which Purdue needed 37.)
Ohio State's defense impacted Purdue's guards and that shouldn't be a surprise considering the same thing happened in West Lafayette.
That being said, Purdue is a couple turnovers and a couple free throws from winning anyway, even with Russell playing like a millionaire.
That's probably the frustrating part for Purdue right now, though, to be so close to so much - not just a win, but an NCAA berth and Big Ten Tournament double-bye, the former obviously being more important than the latter - and have it come down to things it could control: Free throws and turnovers.
Statistically: Here's where Purdue lost It was outscored 25-11 in points off turnovers/second-chance points, which I want to combine to make into a mainstream "garbage-point" metric.
Take that 14-point differential and add six missed free throws in 13 tries for Purdue and there are all the hidden points that cost the Boilermakers this game.
Moving on, now
I like Purdue's chances at Michigan State personally, but I don't know how many other people will. It's a huge game for the Boilermakers, obviously, bigger than tonight's by a wide margin if you ask me.
Michigan State is good, though not playing like it right now, but doesn't have a D'Angelo Russell.
Tonight's was a very disappointing game for Purdue, but how encouraging it has to be if you follow the Boilermakers - though maybe not right now, in the moment - to feel this kind of disappointment again. This team has improbably climbed to a place you'd have had to be either delusional, dumb or intoxicated to have predicted months ago, and certainly a year ago. These types of games matter again. They haven't since 2012.
Purdue may or may not make the NCAA Tournament. If they don't, that will be unfortunate for it after this surreal run, but not altogether surprising. You can't lose to North Florida. You just can't. And you sure as hell can't lose to Gardner-Webb too if you do.
But if Purdue goes to the NIT, this was still a successful season. Why am I writing this now? Simple: Out of ideas and it's late. Don't read this as any kind of eulogy for the season following Wednesday night's narrow loss, the third time this season Purdue could look back at a Big Ten road loss with tremendous regret.
Like Illinois and like Minnesota, this game easily could have turned out different.
But it didn't.
Give Ohio State the credit above all else.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2015. 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.
Sure, you can point a whole bunch of fingers at Purdue for throwing boulders at the rim instead of free throws in the second half tonight in Columbus, but at the same time, the most talented player on the floor - and maybe the country, all told - won this game for the Buckeyes.
D'Angelo Russell was special in the second half of that game tonight and when special players get special, there is only so much you can do sometimes.
And Ohio State is a very, very good defensive team and they turned it up at the very end, cutting off A.J. Hammons from his four teammates on the floor, sagging off those who can be sagged off in order to crowd the big man it couldn't stop.
It might have helped to have Vince Edwards at the end, since Ohio State might not have been able or willing to leave him on the perimeter, but he was fouled out by then, after just 15 minutes.
(Purdue almost won a big game tonight getting three points from Edwards and zero from Kendall Stephens and despite foul trouble to Jon Octeus rearing its head at the worst of times. He played 27 minutes in a game in which Purdue needed 37.)
Ohio State's defense impacted Purdue's guards and that shouldn't be a surprise considering the same thing happened in West Lafayette.
That being said, Purdue is a couple turnovers and a couple free throws from winning anyway, even with Russell playing like a millionaire.
That's probably the frustrating part for Purdue right now, though, to be so close to so much - not just a win, but an NCAA berth and Big Ten Tournament double-bye, the former obviously being more important than the latter - and have it come down to things it could control: Free throws and turnovers.
Statistically: Here's where Purdue lost It was outscored 25-11 in points off turnovers/second-chance points, which I want to combine to make into a mainstream "garbage-point" metric.
Take that 14-point differential and add six missed free throws in 13 tries for Purdue and there are all the hidden points that cost the Boilermakers this game.
Moving on, now
I like Purdue's chances at Michigan State personally, but I don't know how many other people will. It's a huge game for the Boilermakers, obviously, bigger than tonight's by a wide margin if you ask me.
Michigan State is good, though not playing like it right now, but doesn't have a D'Angelo Russell.
Tonight's was a very disappointing game for Purdue, but how encouraging it has to be if you follow the Boilermakers - though maybe not right now, in the moment - to feel this kind of disappointment again. This team has improbably climbed to a place you'd have had to be either delusional, dumb or intoxicated to have predicted months ago, and certainly a year ago. These types of games matter again. They haven't since 2012.
Purdue may or may not make the NCAA Tournament. If they don't, that will be unfortunate for it after this surreal run, but not altogether surprising. You can't lose to North Florida. You just can't. And you sure as hell can't lose to Gardner-Webb too if you do.
But if Purdue goes to the NIT, this was still a successful season. Why am I writing this now? Simple: Out of ideas and it's late. Don't read this as any kind of eulogy for the season following Wednesday night's narrow loss, the third time this season Purdue could look back at a Big Ten road loss with tremendous regret.
Like Illinois and like Minnesota, this game easily could have turned out different.
But it didn't.
Give Ohio State the credit above all else.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2015. 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.
