My take on the rotation (long)

[boilerzz]

During and after almost every game, I see posts with people suggesting that certain players either need to play more, play less or not play at all. I'm not sure anyone save maybe Swanigan (and Mathias?) have been immune to these shortsighted suggestions.

In my opinion, this is an extremely myopic viewpoint and people are ignoring the game to game variety in what these guys bring to the team.

Here is the reality for Purdue basketball and each of the players IMO:

Tier 1 (play them big minutes and give them a bit of rest each half to keep them fresh)

1. Swanigan is the man. He's doing everything Purdue is asking of him (except avoiding TO's). His work ethic and effort level are off the charts and he's playing 35.5 minutes per game in B1G play. He doesn't always match up well defensively (Ethan Happ) but he offsets that with everything else he brings.
2. Mathias is just so damn solid. His shot is not aways there but he's smart with the ball, it doesn't stick in his hands and he has made quantum leaps defensively to the point where he rarely is in a defensive mismatch. He's averaging 34 minutes in Big Ten play and deserves every one of them.

Tier 2 (Minutes will vary but not in the extreme):

1. PJ Thompson is the PG for a reason. He's steady and rarely is the moment too big for him (definite improvement over last season). He protects the ball and defends much larger than his size. That said, there are instances where this team needs a more aggressive playmaker or defender. Not often, but it can and will happen.
2. Vince Edwards has been a bit of an enigma. He started the season really slowly and was in danger of losing big minutes. But he's played much better of late. That said, some matchups are a struggle for him and he's not always aggressive offensively. If both are the case, his minutes are reduced and I'm okay with that.

Tier 3 (Minutes can and should vary based on matchup and performance)

1. I thought about putting Isaac Haas in tier 2 but I think he belongs here. When he is good and the matchup allows for it (like Wisconsin), he needs to play and play as much as he can handle. I personally would have given him more minutes against Wisky. But he's also going to have games that just don't fit for him and he can do more harm than good (like Louisville). That's just the reality of being 7'2, 300.
2. Carsen Edwards is certainly a polarizing player. At times, he looks like the guy who can take this team to the Final Four, bringing an electric offensive game and an aggressive defensive mindset. At times, he looks out of control on O and out of position on D. That's the reality of being a freshman in the Big Ten. IMO, no one on the team dictates their own minutes more than Carsen. He's played between 15 and 32 minutes every game this season and Painter has been more patient with him than any freshman I can remember.
3. Ryan Cline is who he is. He's a guy that opposing teams have to gameplan for when Purdue is on O but that opposing teams can frequently attack when on D. He's made strides with his floor game and on D but he's not quite there yet. As such, there will be times where he fits the game plan and is hitting his shots and deserves 25 minutes and times when he does not and should play 10.

Tier 4 (Not primary rotation guys but we have to keep them fresh IMO)

1. Early in the year, it looked like Basil Smotherman had made enough progress to fall into tier 3. Unfortunately, of late, he's shown that maybe he hasn't. That said, this team is not deep enough that he shouldn't see playing time. God forbid one of Biggie, Isaac or Vince misses any time due to injury and we haven't continued to give Basil token minutes every game. Purdue needs to continue to play him to keep him engaged and rust free and I'm sure there will be a game or two where he adds great value (like the Iowa game two years ago)
2. I think people are too quick to write off Spike Albrecht. He struggled to shoot early in the year but considering he played 69 minutes total last year and was coming off major surgery, should that be surprising? And then he broke his back and missed seven more games. Could he return to the player he was at Michigan two years ago? I certainly wouldn't guarantee it but I don't see why not. And to me, that is reason enough to give him token minutes every game. Well, that and the prospect of having Carsen as our only PG should PJ go down to injury.

The strength of this team lies in it's versatility IMO. Whereas in year's past, we might be in trouble if we ran up against a strong interior defensive team, this year we can surround Biggie with four shooters. And when the circumstance allows for it. we can manhandle teams with excellent size. We will still have challenges defensively but should be able to put teams on the floor to keep up with opponents' who can score on us. It's why this is perhaps the team I've most enjoyed watching since JJ and Smooge's final year. I have no idea if we will win the B1G or make a deep tourney run but I'm looking forward to finding out.

Boiler Up, Hammer Down and sorry for the wordiness!

 

[Feace]

I was really impressed with Cline in the Wisky game. Obviously he shot well but he was really getting with it on defense and rebounding. He successfully bulked up without it hurting his shooting. I look for him to get more minutes as the season goes on. He had a rough start to the season but seems to have bounced back nicely. Depending on the line up he could get minutes at the 2, 3 or even the 4 in our offense. I hope he continues to improve. I think he can be really good.

 

[tjreese]

I was really impressed with Cline in the Wisky game. Obviously he shot well but he was really getting with it on defense and rebounding. He successfully bulked up without it hurting his shooting. I look for him to get more minutes as the season goes on. He had a rough start to the season but seems to have bounced back nicely. Depending on the line up he could get minutes at the 2, 3 or even the 4 in our offense. I hope he continues to improve. I think he can be really good.

I too think Cline has played well recently.

 

[Do Dah Day]

I was really impressed with Cline in the Wisky game. Obviously he shot well but he was really getting with it on defense and rebounding. He successfully bulked up without it hurting his shooting. I look for him to get more minutes as the season goes on. He had a rough start to the season but seems to have bounced back nicely. Depending on the line up he could get minutes at the 2, 3 or even the 4 in our offense. I hope he continues to improve. I think he can be really good.

double yes on the rebounding part,