Greetings, everyone, from the bowels of Mackey Arena, where things get real tonight, as Purdue opens the season against Bellarmine.
Tonight, Purdue gets its first taste of its new realities for this season, what from empty arenas having given way to raucous ones, to every game really, really mattering as the Boilermakers play for seeding from Day 1, to the likelihood that the old cliche about highly ranked teams getting 'everyone's best shot' holds true.
For this to be the kind of season Purdue aspires to make it, it has to be ready, not just for tonight but for every night, every afternoon, every 9 p.m.-on-a-Wednesday-night Student-Athlete Special courtesy of BTN, all of it.
That all starts tonight, though. In games like this one, all the pressure's on Purdue, as it normally is for Goliath when he tips off against David. Purdue's no stranger to that position, but now the stakes are higher and all these experiences newer. I'll keep saying it, that this season will be a pivotal test of this group's maturity and professionalism.
Here's what I think folks should be interested to see tonight ...
A defensive edge: This isn't a typical opponent, and Purdue's discipline may matter more than its intensity tonight, but how about an intense sort of discipline? I do think that to win the level of games that will be the difference between a good season and a great season, the Boilermakers are going to have to wire them themselves to guard people. There's not nearly as much holding this team from doing so than there have been past teams. They just have to do it.
Value: The story I wrote yesterday I think is one of the most important topics that'll be covered all season: How do some of these guys who aren't playing as much as they would be under most circumstances bring value to the floor? This was one of the lessons the 2019-2020 team learned on the fly, leading that season to be a special one.
Ethan Morton, what can you do in X number of minutes per game to help Purdue win games and set yourself apart in a niche? Trey Kaufman-Renn, what can Purdue know it's getting from you every time you go in the game? Brandon Newman? Mason Gillis (once you come back)?
Guard Play: I thought Jaden Ivey did a great job with his decision-making vs. the University of Indianapolis, and six total turnovers will win Purdue a lot of games if it can keep that up, but this is also a theme that won't soon go away. Purdue has a lot going for it offensively, but in big games, it must not get casual, and it must be strong with the ball. That pertains to Ivey, but also Eric Hunter, Isaiah Thompson and Ethan Morton, Purdue's other three primary ball-handler-types.
People assume Purdue's going to be great this season, and while that assumption is fair, it remains an assumption until the Boilermakers prove themselves worthy. There's still a ton of room for growth and a ton of new challenges ahead, starting tonight.
Thanks for joining us. I'll chime in as part of this thread, but you can also follow me on the Twitter at @brianneubert. Discuss the game here or however you wish, but please refrain from trying to make everyone else miserable for pure sport.
After the game, I'll have a quick recap, a game story, post-game video, thorough analysis, our Wrap Video and much more. Stay tuned.
Thanks, everyone.
Tonight, Purdue gets its first taste of its new realities for this season, what from empty arenas having given way to raucous ones, to every game really, really mattering as the Boilermakers play for seeding from Day 1, to the likelihood that the old cliche about highly ranked teams getting 'everyone's best shot' holds true.
For this to be the kind of season Purdue aspires to make it, it has to be ready, not just for tonight but for every night, every afternoon, every 9 p.m.-on-a-Wednesday-night Student-Athlete Special courtesy of BTN, all of it.
That all starts tonight, though. In games like this one, all the pressure's on Purdue, as it normally is for Goliath when he tips off against David. Purdue's no stranger to that position, but now the stakes are higher and all these experiences newer. I'll keep saying it, that this season will be a pivotal test of this group's maturity and professionalism.
Here's what I think folks should be interested to see tonight ...
A defensive edge: This isn't a typical opponent, and Purdue's discipline may matter more than its intensity tonight, but how about an intense sort of discipline? I do think that to win the level of games that will be the difference between a good season and a great season, the Boilermakers are going to have to wire them themselves to guard people. There's not nearly as much holding this team from doing so than there have been past teams. They just have to do it.
Value: The story I wrote yesterday I think is one of the most important topics that'll be covered all season: How do some of these guys who aren't playing as much as they would be under most circumstances bring value to the floor? This was one of the lessons the 2019-2020 team learned on the fly, leading that season to be a special one.
Ethan Morton, what can you do in X number of minutes per game to help Purdue win games and set yourself apart in a niche? Trey Kaufman-Renn, what can Purdue know it's getting from you every time you go in the game? Brandon Newman? Mason Gillis (once you come back)?
Guard Play: I thought Jaden Ivey did a great job with his decision-making vs. the University of Indianapolis, and six total turnovers will win Purdue a lot of games if it can keep that up, but this is also a theme that won't soon go away. Purdue has a lot going for it offensively, but in big games, it must not get casual, and it must be strong with the ball. That pertains to Ivey, but also Eric Hunter, Isaiah Thompson and Ethan Morton, Purdue's other three primary ball-handler-types.
People assume Purdue's going to be great this season, and while that assumption is fair, it remains an assumption until the Boilermakers prove themselves worthy. There's still a ton of room for growth and a ton of new challenges ahead, starting tonight.
Thanks for joining us. I'll chime in as part of this thread, but you can also follow me on the Twitter at @brianneubert. Discuss the game here or however you wish, but please refrain from trying to make everyone else miserable for pure sport.
After the game, I'll have a quick recap, a game story, post-game video, thorough analysis, our Wrap Video and much more. Stay tuned.
Thanks, everyone.
