INDIANAPOLIS — A few final musings — yes, musings — from Purdue's 70-61 loss to No. 17 Butler at the Crossroads Classic.
• Purdue's offense has barely changed from last season, although I don't have enough body of work with the two bigs together to say that with those lineups. But generally speaking, the offense, the playbook, whatever, they're practically the same.
What's changed of course is the ability to put the ball in the basket.
That's where Purdue is really struggling, not because they can't generate offense, but because they can't finish offense, and no one's immune to being part of the program.
Matt Haarms and Trevion Williams are two of the highest-percentage offensive players Purdue's had, and their last outing each, they're 1-of-7 and 4-of-13, respectively, on two-point field goals.
Purdue needed Aaron Wheeler and Jahaad Proctor to be shotmakers this season, and both have struggled. Wheeler's best shooting game of the season brought his three-point percentage up to 27.5 percent. Proctor is shooting 27.7 percent.
And the layups have cost Purdue games this season.
The disconcerting part isn't what the inability to capitalize has meant, but rather the thought that maybe this is what Purdue is the rest of the way. Twelve games is a big sample size.
• Purdue was damn lucky to be down five at half. Butler was 1-of-6 at the line prior. As much as Purdue can lament blown layups, Butler had its chances, too.
• Isaiah Thompson is doing some real positive things for Purdue. Bright spot.
• Weird that Purdue basically was shooting 19 percent overall early in the second half, yet finishes having made 9-of-20 threes, which is damn good. Shooting gave Purdue a shot at the end, and I guess being streaky is better than simply struggling.
• Purdue badly needed Matt Haarms today. That much was clear as anything. I was guilty over overvaluing his absence at Ohio and undervaluing it today.
Purdue could have played its bigs together today and done so effectively. Instead, it got outplayed on the interior and scored on a bunch at the rim.
The 26-16 points-in-the-paint win for Butler might have been the game's most telling stat.
Have a good night everybody and thanks for reading.
• Purdue's offense has barely changed from last season, although I don't have enough body of work with the two bigs together to say that with those lineups. But generally speaking, the offense, the playbook, whatever, they're practically the same.
What's changed of course is the ability to put the ball in the basket.
That's where Purdue is really struggling, not because they can't generate offense, but because they can't finish offense, and no one's immune to being part of the program.
Matt Haarms and Trevion Williams are two of the highest-percentage offensive players Purdue's had, and their last outing each, they're 1-of-7 and 4-of-13, respectively, on two-point field goals.
Purdue needed Aaron Wheeler and Jahaad Proctor to be shotmakers this season, and both have struggled. Wheeler's best shooting game of the season brought his three-point percentage up to 27.5 percent. Proctor is shooting 27.7 percent.
And the layups have cost Purdue games this season.
The disconcerting part isn't what the inability to capitalize has meant, but rather the thought that maybe this is what Purdue is the rest of the way. Twelve games is a big sample size.
• Purdue was damn lucky to be down five at half. Butler was 1-of-6 at the line prior. As much as Purdue can lament blown layups, Butler had its chances, too.
• Isaiah Thompson is doing some real positive things for Purdue. Bright spot.
• Weird that Purdue basically was shooting 19 percent overall early in the second half, yet finishes having made 9-of-20 threes, which is damn good. Shooting gave Purdue a shot at the end, and I guess being streaky is better than simply struggling.
• Purdue badly needed Matt Haarms today. That much was clear as anything. I was guilty over overvaluing his absence at Ohio and undervaluing it today.
Purdue could have played its bigs together today and done so effectively. Instead, it got outplayed on the interior and scored on a bunch at the rim.
The 26-16 points-in-the-paint win for Butler might have been the game's most telling stat.
Have a good night everybody and thanks for reading.
