MINNEAPOLIS — A few final musings from Purdue's 73-69 loss at Minnesota Tuesday night.
• I remember three plays that stick out to me: Carsen Edwards generating a steal challenging a passing lane that he turned into a transition bucket, him making a three after running the baseline on a nicely executed set by Purdue and him on other play getting set up in Purdue's offense for a bucket at the rim. All good examples of productivity finding Edwards when Purdue runs offense and he's engaged defensively.
The me-vs.-them stuff, especially in crunch time, is just not a winning strategy, and a full season of data now supports it. I don't want else to tell you. This has been Purdue's inconvenient truth all season long, and a credit to everything else that it's been overcome at times.
Every player struggles. But his aggressiveness is such that struggles so often get doubled-down on. It is what he is, it is what has made him a great college scorer, and it ain't changing.
It does remind, though, how vulnerable Purdue can be when it takes the floor in a single-elimination event, doesn't it?
Numbers are indisputable, and it is Purdue's reality that it is built around one of the highest-volume players in college basketball, and that player is now shooting 34.8 percent in Big Ten play, less than 30 on the road in Big Ten play.
Purdue has been so good with possession-mongering this season, generating offensive rebounds, limiting turnovers, etc., yet there are times where it sure seems like the Boilermakers' strengths are only there to dull the inefficiency they're built upon, doesn't it?
• Again, this was on no one player. This was a version of Matt Haarms not seen in some time, as Purdue was badly outplayed in the first half at the rim at both ends of the floor. The free throw shooting obviously mattered. And the bench was awful.
I think word is out: Attack Trevion Williams on defense. Brad Underwood actually articulated it after the Illinois. Some good it did him, but his inexperience is starting to show, as might be some wear from a long season.
But he was not alone. The bench didn't look this bad back in November, when all these guys hadn't even played yet.
• It's going to get lost in the outcome, but Grady Eifert had 13 points and 14 rebounds on the road, made two enormous shots, then blamed himself after the game for two "bone-headed throwaways" as being part of Purdue's undoing.
And Ryan Cline's shooting and Nojel Eastern's rebounding were special.
• Gabe Kalsheur made the biggest shot of the game with his big three late. Sure looked like a moving screen on Stockman. Sure seemed like a couple 50/50 plays/calls went against Purdue, but that's what they mean when they say that that's life on the road in the Big Ten.
• Go figure: Daniel Oturu does literally nothing except four turnovers, and backup Matz Stockman, who might not have even played on Senior Night had Eric Curry been available, gets nine points and blocks seven shots.
Funny game, college basketball is.
• I remember three plays that stick out to me: Carsen Edwards generating a steal challenging a passing lane that he turned into a transition bucket, him making a three after running the baseline on a nicely executed set by Purdue and him on other play getting set up in Purdue's offense for a bucket at the rim. All good examples of productivity finding Edwards when Purdue runs offense and he's engaged defensively.
The me-vs.-them stuff, especially in crunch time, is just not a winning strategy, and a full season of data now supports it. I don't want else to tell you. This has been Purdue's inconvenient truth all season long, and a credit to everything else that it's been overcome at times.
Every player struggles. But his aggressiveness is such that struggles so often get doubled-down on. It is what he is, it is what has made him a great college scorer, and it ain't changing.
It does remind, though, how vulnerable Purdue can be when it takes the floor in a single-elimination event, doesn't it?
Numbers are indisputable, and it is Purdue's reality that it is built around one of the highest-volume players in college basketball, and that player is now shooting 34.8 percent in Big Ten play, less than 30 on the road in Big Ten play.
Purdue has been so good with possession-mongering this season, generating offensive rebounds, limiting turnovers, etc., yet there are times where it sure seems like the Boilermakers' strengths are only there to dull the inefficiency they're built upon, doesn't it?
• Again, this was on no one player. This was a version of Matt Haarms not seen in some time, as Purdue was badly outplayed in the first half at the rim at both ends of the floor. The free throw shooting obviously mattered. And the bench was awful.
I think word is out: Attack Trevion Williams on defense. Brad Underwood actually articulated it after the Illinois. Some good it did him, but his inexperience is starting to show, as might be some wear from a long season.
But he was not alone. The bench didn't look this bad back in November, when all these guys hadn't even played yet.
• It's going to get lost in the outcome, but Grady Eifert had 13 points and 14 rebounds on the road, made two enormous shots, then blamed himself after the game for two "bone-headed throwaways" as being part of Purdue's undoing.
And Ryan Cline's shooting and Nojel Eastern's rebounding were special.
• Gabe Kalsheur made the biggest shot of the game with his big three late. Sure looked like a moving screen on Stockman. Sure seemed like a couple 50/50 plays/calls went against Purdue, but that's what they mean when they say that that's life on the road in the Big Ten.
• Go figure: Daniel Oturu does literally nothing except four turnovers, and backup Matz Stockman, who might not have even played on Senior Night had Eric Curry been available, gets nine points and blocks seven shots.
Funny game, college basketball is.
