@Maryland

[FirstDownB]

Seems a lot of this is obvious, but sometime it helps to write things down in order to maintain perspective. Just so we don't have too many bridge jumpers if this game doesn't turn out how we all would like it to..
-Maryland is a very, very good team with legit first round NBA talent in both the back court and front court
-Road games are difficult enough against middle of the road competition, much less an intra-conference top 5 team battling for a title
-Maryland is the favorite. Otherwise know as: Purdue is supposed to not win this game.
-Wisconsin and MSU both lost @Maryland last year and went on to the Final 4. This isn't some make or break bellwether game or referendum on this Purdue team.
-While it is a good opportunity to rise, there will be no significant drop in polls, computer rankings, tourney seeding, etc. with a loss

As home wins against lesser competition should not result in predictions of a deep tournament run, neither should a road loss against a top 5 team be taken as an indicator of anything less.

With that said, let's go Boiler Up some turtle soup!

 

[pharoutengineer]

Nothing to lose in this one. Give it your best shot and hope for the best!

 

[cjf04]

I just want the guys to show up mentally, play with direction, and leave it on the floor....I hope I'm not disappointed.

 

[gelesen]

Maryland has never lost a B1G home game. I predict this will be their first home loss.

 

[proudopete]

The way their bigs go for every block in the paint, sometimes 3 at a time. I say we attack and dump to AJ.

Biggie could have a triple double in this game if he is smart.

 

[Purdue Grad in Texas]

Maryland is also on a 25-game winning streak at home....pretty impressive. This would be the best conference win to date this year IMO and clearly the biggest win for CMP's squad in a little while.

Agree with others that you would just like to see an intense hard-fought effort......and let the chips fall where they may.

At some point, though, gotta come through with a victory, or many will keep doubting......just human nature.

Looking forward to the game and seeing what the Boilers can do.

 

[icewind7]

80% of world population think like this way. It's normal.

 

[TC4THREE]

The way their bigs go for every block in the paint, sometimes 3 at a time. I say we attack and dump to AJ.

Biggie could have a triple double in this game if he is smart.

Ha sounds like how teams attack us. Drive, draw help from AJ, dump off to his guy right under basket.

 

[Mcluck]

I penciled this in as a loss. I really hope we win. If we do it will be one I save in my Purdue wins archive. Mostly it is full of beating IU right now.

 

[proudopete]

Ha sounds like how teams attack us. Drive, draw help from AJ, dump off to his guy right under basket.

It's exactly how teams attack us. The difference is when they go for the block, it's Stone, Carter and Layman all going for the block. That's what it looked like to me Wednesday night.
Surely we can find someone weak side wide open.

 

[Chuchumutha]

I'm hoping they split with MD and MSU. Don't care which but we've got to win one of them.

 

[TopSecretBoiler]

Nothing to lose in this one. Give it your best shot and hope for the best!

nothing? A shot at the B1G conference title? Proving we can play with the elite? We need to show up big time!

 

[cprh9u]

nothing? A shot at the B1G conference title? Proving we can play with the elite? We need to show up big time!

Exactly. Plus, the chances for marquee wins are dwindling. When March rolls around and our best wins are non-conference vs. a 15-7 Gator team or a 17-4 Pitt team that only received 4 votes to be in the top 25 this past week, it will definitely bump us down. Going 6-2 to finish here and beating MD and IU on the road could get us into the discussion for a top 3 seed, and then anything can happen. Lot's to play for... this game is huge.

 

[FirstDownB]

nothing? A shot at the B1G conference title? Proving we can play with the elite? We need to show up big time!

Sure. A shot at the B1G title goes from long shot to statistically impossible with a loss, whatever that is worth. But you are setting the bar awfully high as far as proving we can play with the elite. If this was a neutral court game I would agree. On the road this would easily be a top 3 win in all of college basketball this year. Teams have regularly made the final four without wins this impressive.

 

[FirstDownB]

Exactly. Plus, the chances for marquee wins are dwindling. When March rolls around and our best wins are non-conference vs. a 15-7 Gator team or a 17-4 Pitt team that only received 4 votes to be in the top 25 this past week, it will definitely bump us down. Going 6-2 to finish here and beating MD and IU on the road could get us into the discussion for a top 3 seed, and then anything can happen. Lot's to play for... this game is huge.

I think some of you are turning the OP into a straw man argument that there is no reason to show up and we should be content with a loss. The point was let's not slit our wrists or scratch our heads trying to figure out what went wrong if Maryland simply does what they are supposed to do. FWIW- I took the 180 degree opposite position on the @Illinois and Iowa home game, as those losses knocked us off our trajectory at the time.

 

[cprh9u]

Well let's go get that top 3 win then. This is the year. We have the deepest roster CMP has ever had and that Purdue has had in my memory. We have shooters (in theory, at least), we have the size, we have the experience and leadership. We lose our best leader and perimeter defender and our best overall player next year. We should still be good but not better than this year. This is the year to beat a top 5 team on the road. This is the year to put it all together and do something special. This is the year to get a huge win in February (or 2 or 3) that helps set us up for a top 2-3 seed and puts us in a position to advance to a final 4. Let's go do it Boilers!

 

[Erock_94]

get them down big early and keep foot on throat, fairly simple

 

[dwhitebash11]

Gotta limit turnovers, get our bigs feeling comfortable early, dominate the glass, and hit 30%+ from downtown, VE needs to create 6+ points on his own. We do this, we win. Our defense should be able to keep them in check, as long as their guards don't go for 20 a piece.

That said, I think Maryland takes this one. At home, their guards are coming on strong, and our guards are our weakness.


76-69 Bad guys

 

[Erock_94]

Haas needs some minutes in this game to get physical with Stone and the other bigs. Knock them around some.

 

[proudopete]

I've been looking forward I this game because they match up to us and they will play us straight up.

Whenever Trimble gives up the ball, PJ and Hill need to make it as difficult as possible for him to get it back.

Ray on Sulamon needs to keep him from getting good looks. Somewhat like Williams at IU, he can be out of control at times but can get going if he gains confidence on a couple of shots. Glad Ray is on him.

Edwards on Layman, hopefully Vince is able to get him in fouls trouble. Interesting matchup.

Biggie and Carter is gonna be good. Some great lessons for Biggie in this one and a chance to really up his game on both ends against a similar player.

AJ and Stone. Everyone wants to see this matchup. Nice having AJ come off a career game for this one.

I like our bench over theirs and can see our depth wearing them down late.

Maryland has shown it has trouble starting off quickly at home and for allowing teams to hang around or lead most of the game. They also turn it over as much as us.

I like our chances.

 

[FleeTheScene]

In games like this, and even the 2 against Iowa, butler, vandy, Pitt - whoever, I just want us to execute and compete. I was as upset as anyone with the first Iowa loss especially, and butler but it was more because of HOW we lost, not just the fact that we didn't win. If we have aspirations of doing big things, we don't need to win this game, but we have to prove that we at least could win.

 

[BoilerBulldog]

Seems a lot of this is obvious, but sometime it helps to write things down in order to maintain perspective. Just so we don't have too many bridge jumpers if this game doesn't turn out how we all would like it to..
-Maryland is a very, very good team with legit first round NBA talent in both the back court and front court
-Road games are difficult enough against middle of the road competition, much less an intra-conference top 5 team battling for a title
-Maryland is the favorite. Otherwise know as: Purdue is supposed to not win this game.
-Wisconsin and MSU both lost @Maryland last year and went on to the Final 4. This isn't some make or break bellwether game or referendum on this Purdue team.
-While it is a good opportunity to rise, there will be no significant drop in polls, computer rankings, tourney seeding, etc. with a loss

As home wins against lesser competition should not result in predictions of a deep tournament run, neither should a road loss against a top 5 team be taken as an indicator of anything less.

With that said, let's go Boiler Up some turtle soup!

Bump

 

[FirstDownB]

-While it is a good opportunity to rise, there will be no significant drop in polls, computer rankings, tourney seeding, etc. with a loss

Ranking: this week/last week
AP: 18/18
Coaches: 16/16
KenPom: 15/13
RPI: 22/25

/thread