INDIANAPOLIS — Greetings, everyone, from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where I have nothing to do so I'll set a record for earliest these First Thoughts have ever been published.
Purdue opens Big Ten Tournament play tonight against Penn State — 9 p.m. yay! — after the Nittany Lions bounced Ohio State last night and denied Jaden Ivey one last chance to hit the Buckeyes over the head with a folding chair.
Earlier today, Illinois lost to Indiana and from what other writers tell me, Brad Underwood seemed kinda OK with that, given that the Illini have their seed sewn up and think the extra rest could increase their chances of making the Final Four.
Purdue could just as soon view things the same way.
If you ask me, though, this event should really matter to Purdue. Never mind the additional chance to win a championship of some kind, and look instead at the opportunity to regain some positive momentum heading into the NCAA Tournament, rest be damned. What good did rest do for Purdue last year?
The Boilermakers didn't exactly close the regular season flying high, though that Indiana win Is looking better and better right now. That Michigan State loss, however, remains an abomination and that Wisconsin loss remains a fluke.
Now, Purdue's got a legit chance to win this thing and if you ask me, that ought to be top of mind right now. Effort and engagement matter in this event as much as anything. Look at what Indiana and Penn State have done here.'
An engaged Purdue that's trying hard would really make some noise here, most likely, and head into Selection Sunday with some wind at its sails.
That's big-picture stuff.
First, Penn State.
Couple things ...
1. John Harrar: Purdue may not have seen a player all season who's going to play as hard as Gigantic Jeff Spiccoli will tonight. How much he has left in the tank, I don't know, but he's going to give every last fume. The great thing for Purdue is they have two guys and Penn State has one, but he also can set a standard for both Trevion Williams and Zach Edey to try to match. Watch the whistles, though.
2. Eric Hunter: My guess is Eric Hunter gets Jalen Pickett today, based off what Matt Painter said about Hunter's efficacy against Johnny Davis and his regrets for not putting him on Davis for the first Wisconsin game, out of fear he'd post him up.
Pickett will post up, but I'd imagine Hunter will get first crack here and some structural help on the block should he wind up there.
Hunter's defense is going to be one of Purdue's key elements this month. That's going to be a story next week — Five Key Elements for March Success. Get excited now.
3. Jaden Ivey's decision-making. Obviously this matters big-time, his ability to just make the right plays. That's going to extend to the whole month as he comes out on the biggest stages in college basketball with his every move sure to be dissected a hundred times over. I'm not sure Purdue's had a player in my frame of reference who'll be this under the microscope in March.
Connecticut served as indication he'd rise to such occasions, but that was a long time ago. I expect him to have a really good month, and his team badly needs him to.
That's what I've got.
Thanks, folks.
http://twitter.com/brianneubert
Follow along here or on Twitter at @brianneubert.
Full coverage to come sometime around 3 a.m., absolutely pointlessly if Purdue plays again tomorrow, but ...
Anyway, thanks everybody.
Purdue opens Big Ten Tournament play tonight against Penn State — 9 p.m. yay! — after the Nittany Lions bounced Ohio State last night and denied Jaden Ivey one last chance to hit the Buckeyes over the head with a folding chair.
Earlier today, Illinois lost to Indiana and from what other writers tell me, Brad Underwood seemed kinda OK with that, given that the Illini have their seed sewn up and think the extra rest could increase their chances of making the Final Four.
Purdue could just as soon view things the same way.
If you ask me, though, this event should really matter to Purdue. Never mind the additional chance to win a championship of some kind, and look instead at the opportunity to regain some positive momentum heading into the NCAA Tournament, rest be damned. What good did rest do for Purdue last year?
The Boilermakers didn't exactly close the regular season flying high, though that Indiana win Is looking better and better right now. That Michigan State loss, however, remains an abomination and that Wisconsin loss remains a fluke.
Now, Purdue's got a legit chance to win this thing and if you ask me, that ought to be top of mind right now. Effort and engagement matter in this event as much as anything. Look at what Indiana and Penn State have done here.'
An engaged Purdue that's trying hard would really make some noise here, most likely, and head into Selection Sunday with some wind at its sails.
That's big-picture stuff.
First, Penn State.
Couple things ...
1. John Harrar: Purdue may not have seen a player all season who's going to play as hard as Gigantic Jeff Spiccoli will tonight. How much he has left in the tank, I don't know, but he's going to give every last fume. The great thing for Purdue is they have two guys and Penn State has one, but he also can set a standard for both Trevion Williams and Zach Edey to try to match. Watch the whistles, though.
2. Eric Hunter: My guess is Eric Hunter gets Jalen Pickett today, based off what Matt Painter said about Hunter's efficacy against Johnny Davis and his regrets for not putting him on Davis for the first Wisconsin game, out of fear he'd post him up.
Pickett will post up, but I'd imagine Hunter will get first crack here and some structural help on the block should he wind up there.
Hunter's defense is going to be one of Purdue's key elements this month. That's going to be a story next week — Five Key Elements for March Success. Get excited now.
3. Jaden Ivey's decision-making. Obviously this matters big-time, his ability to just make the right plays. That's going to extend to the whole month as he comes out on the biggest stages in college basketball with his every move sure to be dissected a hundred times over. I'm not sure Purdue's had a player in my frame of reference who'll be this under the microscope in March.
Connecticut served as indication he'd rise to such occasions, but that was a long time ago. I expect him to have a really good month, and his team badly needs him to.
That's what I've got.
Thanks, folks.
http://twitter.com/brianneubert
Follow along here or on Twitter at @brianneubert.
Full coverage to come sometime around 3 a.m., absolutely pointlessly if Purdue plays again tomorrow, but ...
Anyway, thanks everybody.
