STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Good morning, everyone, from the Bryce Jordan Center here in State College, where No. 3 Purdue meets Micah Shrewsberry and Penn State for an afternoon special.
I'm in a bit of a hurry, so my thoughts will be brief. But this is a big game for Purdue, an opportunity to bounce back from a disappointing loss that may or many have revealed some real existential issues for this outstanding team.
• Purdue simply has to defend better. That doesn't mean dominating defensively. It means just looking more engaged and more cohesive. Someone out there has to take charge. You need to hear voices and you need to see engagement.
These teams that can spread you, out, dribble and shoot from the 4 hit on a lot of Purdue's pressure points, so there might be some real matchup challenges here, too.
• Do things with a purpose. Lost in the story of the Wisconsin game was how Purdue's turnovers and the offensive rebounds they allowed buoyed Wisconsin, especially in the first half.
Trevion Williams, especially, has got to block out John Harrar. Has to.
I do anticipate a change to the starting five. I think they're going back to Edey today. Williams' approach to defense and blocking out against Wisconsin was part of the calculus there, I'd strongly suspect.
That's what I've got. Big game for Purdue, after which they probably get some time off. With Michigan's COVID issues, here's guessing that that one's gonna go by the wayside.
Follow along here or on Twitter at @brianneubert
I'm in a bit of a hurry, so my thoughts will be brief. But this is a big game for Purdue, an opportunity to bounce back from a disappointing loss that may or many have revealed some real existential issues for this outstanding team.
• Purdue simply has to defend better. That doesn't mean dominating defensively. It means just looking more engaged and more cohesive. Someone out there has to take charge. You need to hear voices and you need to see engagement.
These teams that can spread you, out, dribble and shoot from the 4 hit on a lot of Purdue's pressure points, so there might be some real matchup challenges here, too.
• Do things with a purpose. Lost in the story of the Wisconsin game was how Purdue's turnovers and the offensive rebounds they allowed buoyed Wisconsin, especially in the first half.
Trevion Williams, especially, has got to block out John Harrar. Has to.
I do anticipate a change to the starting five. I think they're going back to Edey today. Williams' approach to defense and blocking out against Wisconsin was part of the calculus there, I'd strongly suspect.
That's what I've got. Big game for Purdue, after which they probably get some time off. With Michigan's COVID issues, here's guessing that that one's gonna go by the wayside.
Follow along here or on Twitter at @brianneubert
