I really liked last year's team, and I really like the players we lost from it. RayDay was one of the toughest, truest Boilers we've seen. AJ was a defensive juggernaut. Hill was underrated and an important contributor, and Kendall was/is a good player who could catch fire from deep.
But one reason I like this year's team more is the fact that the rotation is clearer. It would seem counter-intuitive that fewer on-the-court contributors would mean better results, but that's exactly what we're seeing. That's because of two problems with last year's team:
1. Too many rotational players.
And...
2. Not enough separation between players' skill levels and skill sets.
It's possible to have a ten-man rotation, but even at the NBA level, where there're forty-eight minutes rather than forty, it's really difficult. But Coach Painter had ten guys last year who ranged from "pretty good" to "really good" players, and at different times they all made cases to be on the floor. In a perfect world, this would have led to waves of quality overwhelming our opponents, and there were times when that happened. But at other times, there was little to separate the guys, and what seemed to delineate one player from another was experience. Of course, experience matters, but you'd rather the deciding factor be, "This player is clearly better than this player in this situation because of this tangible reason."
That's what's happening this year.
I think Spike will carve out a role by year's end (and Basil will continue to show his worth when we need him to), but for now, the shorter rotation is really showcasing the construction of this team and the strengths of its respective players. As stated by many on here, the ND game was a rough matchup for Isaac, but as also stated by many on here, Isaac is an absolutely vital cog in our machine. He demonstrated that last night. He does what few in the NCAA can do. By staggering and sometimes overlapping his time with Biggie, Coach Painter is creating a two-headed monster that almost no other NCAA squad can replicate. Both are outstanding players; both are extremely tough to guard. Both represent problems for the opposing team, and the more they have to prepare for our bigs, the less they can prepare for our emerging guards.
By the way, how awesome has Biggie become? My favorite play last night was actually a foul he committed in the second half. A Hawkeye player drove hard baseline, and Biggie challenged him even harder. There was no hesitation by Caleb, no fear. The foul wasn't a bit dirty, but it was hard, and the message was clear: You're not going to punk us. Honestly, last year's team got punked a few times (at least one of those times by a Hawkeye team far superior to this year's Iowa squad).
Other than the first half of the Louisville game, no one is punking Purdue now.
The guards, too, are benefiting from the increased clarity in role definition. Carsen gives us the dynamic presence we lacked last year (and every year since Moore graduated). PJ, Dakota, and Cline are shooting the ball with confidence. This, I feel, is partially because there are four guards rather than six or seven.
Vince is becoming what we all know he can be. He knows he has to produce (hence the removal from the starting lineup), but he also knows he will stay in the game when he does produce. This isn't a criticism of Painter. It's just a byproduct of having a shorter, stronger rotation.
I'll finish this by saying that I really liked last year's team. They represented the university well, and at times were one of the best teams around. Twenty-seven wins are nothing to sneeze at, and I mean no disrespect to anyone on that team.
But right now, this group looks stronger. In my opinion, that's because sometimes less can be more.
But one reason I like this year's team more is the fact that the rotation is clearer. It would seem counter-intuitive that fewer on-the-court contributors would mean better results, but that's exactly what we're seeing. That's because of two problems with last year's team:
1. Too many rotational players.
And...
2. Not enough separation between players' skill levels and skill sets.
It's possible to have a ten-man rotation, but even at the NBA level, where there're forty-eight minutes rather than forty, it's really difficult. But Coach Painter had ten guys last year who ranged from "pretty good" to "really good" players, and at different times they all made cases to be on the floor. In a perfect world, this would have led to waves of quality overwhelming our opponents, and there were times when that happened. But at other times, there was little to separate the guys, and what seemed to delineate one player from another was experience. Of course, experience matters, but you'd rather the deciding factor be, "This player is clearly better than this player in this situation because of this tangible reason."
That's what's happening this year.
I think Spike will carve out a role by year's end (and Basil will continue to show his worth when we need him to), but for now, the shorter rotation is really showcasing the construction of this team and the strengths of its respective players. As stated by many on here, the ND game was a rough matchup for Isaac, but as also stated by many on here, Isaac is an absolutely vital cog in our machine. He demonstrated that last night. He does what few in the NCAA can do. By staggering and sometimes overlapping his time with Biggie, Coach Painter is creating a two-headed monster that almost no other NCAA squad can replicate. Both are outstanding players; both are extremely tough to guard. Both represent problems for the opposing team, and the more they have to prepare for our bigs, the less they can prepare for our emerging guards.
By the way, how awesome has Biggie become? My favorite play last night was actually a foul he committed in the second half. A Hawkeye player drove hard baseline, and Biggie challenged him even harder. There was no hesitation by Caleb, no fear. The foul wasn't a bit dirty, but it was hard, and the message was clear: You're not going to punk us. Honestly, last year's team got punked a few times (at least one of those times by a Hawkeye team far superior to this year's Iowa squad).
Other than the first half of the Louisville game, no one is punking Purdue now.
The guards, too, are benefiting from the increased clarity in role definition. Carsen gives us the dynamic presence we lacked last year (and every year since Moore graduated). PJ, Dakota, and Cline are shooting the ball with confidence. This, I feel, is partially because there are four guards rather than six or seven.
Vince is becoming what we all know he can be. He knows he has to produce (hence the removal from the starting lineup), but he also knows he will stay in the game when he does produce. This isn't a criticism of Painter. It's just a byproduct of having a shorter, stronger rotation.
I'll finish this by saying that I really liked last year's team. They represented the university well, and at times were one of the best teams around. Twenty-seven wins are nothing to sneeze at, and I mean no disrespect to anyone on that team.
But right now, this group looks stronger. In my opinion, that's because sometimes less can be more.
