A few final musings from Purdue's 75-58 win at Nebraska, because I know how you like musings ...
• Again, Purdue was winning this game regardless of whether Sasha Stefanovic made any shots or not, but if those final eight minutes were his turning point, this largely irrelevant game may have been one of Purdue's most important moments of the season.
• Lost in all this: Purdue held Teddy Allen to six points.
Painter's explanation after was interesting.
"Don't foul him taking bad shots," or some such thing.
• Eric Hunter continues to be an impact guy at the offensive end as a scorer. I know that six points doesn't quite reflect that, but he's doing some outside-the-system stuff that I think Purdue needs more of from folks other than Jaden Ivey in order to be as good as they can be. That driving bucket off the pass fake was kinda frisky.
• Ivey's and Brandon Newman's shot-blocking this season has been an unexpected twist. Seems like every game one of those guys is making a play in that regard. That speaks to wanting to more than anything, which is a great foundation to build a good defensive player off.
Those two have both shown real flashes of disruptiveness on D and they're getting better as all-around defenders, too.
• Since Rutgers, I think Purdue has quietly become a pretty solid defensive team. They're still not going to be great, but I don't think it's something that'll horrify you come March like it should have been considered earlier in the year.
Nebraska left at least a half dozen points at the rim, which is only fair after Purdue blew about 20 last year, and missed nine of 14 free throws.
That helped.
• Nebraska's horrible by Big Ten standards, but bad in the Big Ten is relative. This team would have a few wins in some other conferences. That said, I think they deserve a lot of credit for not saying to hell with it, especially when you have a bunch of new guys with very little prior investment in the program.
Their bigs, especially, played well.
• It felt like Painter almost managed this game like a battle of attrition. Zach Edey played well, but Trevion Williams played only 21 minutes, free of foul trouble. Purdue was decidedly better with Eric Hunter on the floor than Isaiah Thompson, I thought, and Nebraska's height and length at every position wasn't ideal for Thompson, yet Hunter played 27 minutes instead of 30-plus.
Ivey was the only player to top 30 minutes, playing 32.
• Seventy-five points two games in a row ... not bad for the offense.
• Jaden Ivey should be a preseason All-Big Ten pick next season. People who vote for him will come out looking real smart. If he didn't miss those games early in the season, you might have seen this version of him a month earlier, and he might be All-Big Ten now.
• Something to consider: Purdue now gets some time between games for a while, chances to practice, chances to improve again.
This team has a lot going for it.
Thanks for reading, everybody, and have a good night.
• Again, Purdue was winning this game regardless of whether Sasha Stefanovic made any shots or not, but if those final eight minutes were his turning point, this largely irrelevant game may have been one of Purdue's most important moments of the season.
• Lost in all this: Purdue held Teddy Allen to six points.
Painter's explanation after was interesting.
"Don't foul him taking bad shots," or some such thing.
• Eric Hunter continues to be an impact guy at the offensive end as a scorer. I know that six points doesn't quite reflect that, but he's doing some outside-the-system stuff that I think Purdue needs more of from folks other than Jaden Ivey in order to be as good as they can be. That driving bucket off the pass fake was kinda frisky.
• Ivey's and Brandon Newman's shot-blocking this season has been an unexpected twist. Seems like every game one of those guys is making a play in that regard. That speaks to wanting to more than anything, which is a great foundation to build a good defensive player off.
Those two have both shown real flashes of disruptiveness on D and they're getting better as all-around defenders, too.
• Since Rutgers, I think Purdue has quietly become a pretty solid defensive team. They're still not going to be great, but I don't think it's something that'll horrify you come March like it should have been considered earlier in the year.
Nebraska left at least a half dozen points at the rim, which is only fair after Purdue blew about 20 last year, and missed nine of 14 free throws.
That helped.
• Nebraska's horrible by Big Ten standards, but bad in the Big Ten is relative. This team would have a few wins in some other conferences. That said, I think they deserve a lot of credit for not saying to hell with it, especially when you have a bunch of new guys with very little prior investment in the program.
Their bigs, especially, played well.
• It felt like Painter almost managed this game like a battle of attrition. Zach Edey played well, but Trevion Williams played only 21 minutes, free of foul trouble. Purdue was decidedly better with Eric Hunter on the floor than Isaiah Thompson, I thought, and Nebraska's height and length at every position wasn't ideal for Thompson, yet Hunter played 27 minutes instead of 30-plus.
Ivey was the only player to top 30 minutes, playing 32.
• Seventy-five points two games in a row ... not bad for the offense.
• Jaden Ivey should be a preseason All-Big Ten pick next season. People who vote for him will come out looking real smart. If he didn't miss those games early in the season, you might have seen this version of him a month earlier, and he might be All-Big Ten now.
• Something to consider: Purdue now gets some time between games for a while, chances to practice, chances to improve again.
This team has a lot going for it.
Thanks for reading, everybody, and have a good night.
