A few final musings from Purdue's 55-54 win at No. 23 Michigan State, because I know how you like musings.
• This was Purdue's Virginia game.
You are down four points with 12 seconds left, and here is what you need to have happen.
1. Quick score.
2. Turnover
3. Two free throws preferably once fouled but if you miss, miss the second and get the rebound.
4. Score.
5. Stop
The only thing Purdue didn't do right in the final 12 seconds of the game was make the second free throw and that was the best thing that could have happened to them, as it turned.
What a wild series of events.
• Mason Gillis made the most Purdue play ever to help the Boilermakers win this game. Like, that's one of those plays that may turn up in one of those pre-game fire-up videos one day, the sort of stuff this program kind of prides itself on.
Also, Gillis did a fantastic job defending Henry on the final shot without fouling, after Eric Hunter had also done a great job disrupting his buddy bringing the ball up the floor. Last thing you could there is foul and Purdue played it perfect.
• Brandon Newman's in-bound defense before the turnover Eric Hunter forced is another play Purdue may not win this game without. As Painter said, he just did not let Aaron Henry catch the ball. I just went back and watched the video, and man, what a job he did. Huge play that I wish I'd really processed real time.
• Trevion Williams was elite in the second half, but has been terrific for a bunch of games in a row now, on the road, two of those games against really good big men.
Consistency has always been a thing for him, but these recent results are starting to really justify Purdue's unwavering belief in his ceiling.
He was, again, elite in that second half, after Purdue was dead in the water at halftime.
• Michigan State's still Michigan State and all that, but their guard plays is so uneven and they have no one on the interior and that's a bad combo. Their situation at guard reminds me of Purdue last year, where the transition away from a great one isn't going so well.
• Goes without saying that Eric Hunter has to be better than this for Purdue. That third-to-last possession — the turnover — was ugly and seemed like the end for Purdue. Like at Illinois, he got too deep, got stuck and bad things happened. Michigan State was sitting on that switch and he played right into its hands.
Credit Hunter for doing everything right after that. The quick foul he drew, the two free throws he made and the turnover he forced were enormous, and some dudes might have stayed hung up on their prior failure. Good for him and good for Purdue, but in the bigger picture, his struggles did continue. He was 1-for-7 from the floor.
• As could have been predicted, Michigan State sat on Sasha Stefanovic's chest all night, and when Purdue doesn't execute worth a damn on offense, this is what happens for him. He was 1-of-8 from the floor, 1-of-4 from three. That's not him 'shooting bad on the road.' That's Purdue's offense not functioning well enough to get him his shots.
That's the way it has been and will always be for him. He is a piece. A highly effective piece, but a piece nonetheless.
• On the over-and-back call that didn't go Purdue's way, I'm not convinced Rocket Watts' heel actually came down on the line, but it sure looked close.
• What a catch Trevion Williams made on in-bound he was fouled on.
Score one tonight for Purdue's BLOB playbook, but that was a hell of a catch by the big man.
• What does Michigan State expect Malik Hall to be able to do against Trevion Williams in the post? That's who was guarding him at the end. Hall is a good player and a sweetheart of a kid, but he is not the toughest individual to ever play the game of basketball. That was weird, kind of like when they put Marcus Bingham on Williams last year instead of, you know, the best defensive big man in the conference.
• I want to know what's going on here. It's a timeout late in the game and Micah Shrewsberry is drawing up the inbound in the huddle. Painter is talking to the official when Williams pulls out of the huddle, puts an arm around Painter and pulls him away from the ref and back into the huddle.
Interesting.
• If only Ethan Morton were a little more engaged on the bench.
Joking. I don't know if I've ever seen a player more into the game when he's not in.
• One more time for those in the back: Purdue has to get better from this. The fact they won changes that not one bit.
Thanks for reading, everybody and have a good night.
• This was Purdue's Virginia game.
You are down four points with 12 seconds left, and here is what you need to have happen.
1. Quick score.
2. Turnover
3. Two free throws preferably once fouled but if you miss, miss the second and get the rebound.
4. Score.
5. Stop
The only thing Purdue didn't do right in the final 12 seconds of the game was make the second free throw and that was the best thing that could have happened to them, as it turned.
What a wild series of events.
• Mason Gillis made the most Purdue play ever to help the Boilermakers win this game. Like, that's one of those plays that may turn up in one of those pre-game fire-up videos one day, the sort of stuff this program kind of prides itself on.
Also, Gillis did a fantastic job defending Henry on the final shot without fouling, after Eric Hunter had also done a great job disrupting his buddy bringing the ball up the floor. Last thing you could there is foul and Purdue played it perfect.
• Brandon Newman's in-bound defense before the turnover Eric Hunter forced is another play Purdue may not win this game without. As Painter said, he just did not let Aaron Henry catch the ball. I just went back and watched the video, and man, what a job he did. Huge play that I wish I'd really processed real time.
• Trevion Williams was elite in the second half, but has been terrific for a bunch of games in a row now, on the road, two of those games against really good big men.
Consistency has always been a thing for him, but these recent results are starting to really justify Purdue's unwavering belief in his ceiling.
He was, again, elite in that second half, after Purdue was dead in the water at halftime.
• Michigan State's still Michigan State and all that, but their guard plays is so uneven and they have no one on the interior and that's a bad combo. Their situation at guard reminds me of Purdue last year, where the transition away from a great one isn't going so well.
• Goes without saying that Eric Hunter has to be better than this for Purdue. That third-to-last possession — the turnover — was ugly and seemed like the end for Purdue. Like at Illinois, he got too deep, got stuck and bad things happened. Michigan State was sitting on that switch and he played right into its hands.
Credit Hunter for doing everything right after that. The quick foul he drew, the two free throws he made and the turnover he forced were enormous, and some dudes might have stayed hung up on their prior failure. Good for him and good for Purdue, but in the bigger picture, his struggles did continue. He was 1-for-7 from the floor.
• As could have been predicted, Michigan State sat on Sasha Stefanovic's chest all night, and when Purdue doesn't execute worth a damn on offense, this is what happens for him. He was 1-of-8 from the floor, 1-of-4 from three. That's not him 'shooting bad on the road.' That's Purdue's offense not functioning well enough to get him his shots.
That's the way it has been and will always be for him. He is a piece. A highly effective piece, but a piece nonetheless.
• On the over-and-back call that didn't go Purdue's way, I'm not convinced Rocket Watts' heel actually came down on the line, but it sure looked close.
• What a catch Trevion Williams made on in-bound he was fouled on.
Score one tonight for Purdue's BLOB playbook, but that was a hell of a catch by the big man.
• What does Michigan State expect Malik Hall to be able to do against Trevion Williams in the post? That's who was guarding him at the end. Hall is a good player and a sweetheart of a kid, but he is not the toughest individual to ever play the game of basketball. That was weird, kind of like when they put Marcus Bingham on Williams last year instead of, you know, the best defensive big man in the conference.
• I want to know what's going on here. It's a timeout late in the game and Micah Shrewsberry is drawing up the inbound in the huddle. Painter is talking to the official when Williams pulls out of the huddle, puts an arm around Painter and pulls him away from the ref and back into the huddle.
Interesting.
• If only Ethan Morton were a little more engaged on the bench.
Joking. I don't know if I've ever seen a player more into the game when he's not in.
• One more time for those in the back: Purdue has to get better from this. The fact they won changes that not one bit.
Thanks for reading, everybody and have a good night.
