Just finished watching the Carroll game and have some impressions. First, a comment and a compliment to the worthy opponents, Carroll is well coached and plays within their capabilities. They were not at all afraid of playing against the big guys. If I were an opponent of Carroll, in their respective class, I would be very afraid of going against these guys. They were pretty damn good.
Okay, now to discuss Purdue. Mathias, Haas, PJT, and Vince Edwards are known commodities and are very good college basketball players. They looked and played the part. Enough said. Swanigan is gone. We all know that and the team must compensate. The good news is that they have. I thought they would, so that is not the main news.
The two new guys that impressed me were Haarms and Eastern. Let’s not be coy here. Haarms has benefitted from half a year with the team, and that puts him just a bit further ahead of Eastern. He is a heck of a player. Maybe the best center Purdue has put on the floor (counting Biggie as a power forward). More coordinated that AJ and Haas, and taller as well. I like that he can put the ball on the floor while guarded closely, and not turn it over. He is very unusual for a center, and he will be a nightmare for opponents for the next few years.
Eastern is a whole ‘nother story. For a raw freshman, he is impressive. His ball handling and court vision is superb. While watching him I kept thinking “what will he do when he gets open”, not “what might he do if he gets open”. This player is going to be an all-BIG player by his junior year. He is going to be fun to watch. His passes and his dribble drives were outstanding. Once he gets acclimated, he is going to be rock solid as a PG.
The rest of the recruits showed flashes. Wheeler and Ewing both have terrific potential. They will be important next year, but I don’t think they will be major contributors this year. I am glad they are here, and they will be great players in the coming years.
Okay, now to discuss Purdue. Mathias, Haas, PJT, and Vince Edwards are known commodities and are very good college basketball players. They looked and played the part. Enough said. Swanigan is gone. We all know that and the team must compensate. The good news is that they have. I thought they would, so that is not the main news.
The two new guys that impressed me were Haarms and Eastern. Let’s not be coy here. Haarms has benefitted from half a year with the team, and that puts him just a bit further ahead of Eastern. He is a heck of a player. Maybe the best center Purdue has put on the floor (counting Biggie as a power forward). More coordinated that AJ and Haas, and taller as well. I like that he can put the ball on the floor while guarded closely, and not turn it over. He is very unusual for a center, and he will be a nightmare for opponents for the next few years.
Eastern is a whole ‘nother story. For a raw freshman, he is impressive. His ball handling and court vision is superb. While watching him I kept thinking “what will he do when he gets open”, not “what might he do if he gets open”. This player is going to be an all-BIG player by his junior year. He is going to be fun to watch. His passes and his dribble drives were outstanding. Once he gets acclimated, he is going to be rock solid as a PG.
The rest of the recruits showed flashes. Wheeler and Ewing both have terrific potential. They will be important next year, but I don’t think they will be major contributors this year. I am glad they are here, and they will be great players in the coming years.
