LOUISVILLE - Greetings from the worst sponsored-named facility in all of sports, the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, where I'm going to try to shake off my utter astonishment over what happened to SMU just now to share some thoughts on Purdue's game against Cincinnati tonight.
I don't know how many ways there are to say it, that this game is about toughness, whether it be the physical toughness needed to beat a very physical team or the mental toughness needed to have poise on offense and figure out how to score on a defense that's going to cause it real problems.
A.J. Hammons and Isaac Haas are going to have to deal with physicality and length inside. At Michigan State, that didn't go so well.
The guards are going to have to deal with real pressure out beyond the arc. At Ohio State, that didn't go so well.
I think Cincinnati will have a hard time scoring on Purdue, but Purdue's offense doesn't just have to score for itself, but it has to not score for its opponent.
Cincinnati's best chance here is putbacks and transition chances off Purdue turnover.
Purdue might say the exact same thing.
These are two good rebounding teams and two teams that turn the ball over too damn much. These are two teams with the same strengths. And the same vulnerabilities.
We'll say it again: Follow the garbage points.
But the Boilermakers are going to have to score straight-up, too.
The entries are going to have to be clean as can be and the posts' decisions quick and authoritative. If Purdue can make threes, that might really affect Cincinnati, because they're going to try to pack the lane, or so they say.
It would really also help if Purdue gets to the foul line against a team that doesn't allow teams to the foul line very much. But this is not a game Purdue is going to win off the dribble, it wouldn't seem. If Purdue is able to make plays off the bounce, then it is most likely having its way and that would be very good news.
I like Purdue's chances, simply because I don't think the Boilermakers are going to score much, but I don't think Cincinnati will either.
Purdue has to rebound and, again, follow the garbage points.
Stacy and I will have lots of coverage on the site after, so stay tuned and go blue! Oh, wait, no that's the other 30,000 people in this arena. Sorry, got confused there for a sec.
Discuss the game here or in separate threads, whatever you want.
This post was edited on 3/19 6:11 PM by Alan_GoldandBlack.com
This post was edited on 3/19 6:14 PM by Alan_GoldandBlack.com
I don't know how many ways there are to say it, that this game is about toughness, whether it be the physical toughness needed to beat a very physical team or the mental toughness needed to have poise on offense and figure out how to score on a defense that's going to cause it real problems.
A.J. Hammons and Isaac Haas are going to have to deal with physicality and length inside. At Michigan State, that didn't go so well.
The guards are going to have to deal with real pressure out beyond the arc. At Ohio State, that didn't go so well.
I think Cincinnati will have a hard time scoring on Purdue, but Purdue's offense doesn't just have to score for itself, but it has to not score for its opponent.
Cincinnati's best chance here is putbacks and transition chances off Purdue turnover.
Purdue might say the exact same thing.
These are two good rebounding teams and two teams that turn the ball over too damn much. These are two teams with the same strengths. And the same vulnerabilities.
We'll say it again: Follow the garbage points.
But the Boilermakers are going to have to score straight-up, too.
The entries are going to have to be clean as can be and the posts' decisions quick and authoritative. If Purdue can make threes, that might really affect Cincinnati, because they're going to try to pack the lane, or so they say.
It would really also help if Purdue gets to the foul line against a team that doesn't allow teams to the foul line very much. But this is not a game Purdue is going to win off the dribble, it wouldn't seem. If Purdue is able to make plays off the bounce, then it is most likely having its way and that would be very good news.
I like Purdue's chances, simply because I don't think the Boilermakers are going to score much, but I don't think Cincinnati will either.
Purdue has to rebound and, again, follow the garbage points.
Stacy and I will have lots of coverage on the site after, so stay tuned and go blue! Oh, wait, no that's the other 30,000 people in this arena. Sorry, got confused there for a sec.
Discuss the game here or in separate threads, whatever you want.
This post was edited on 3/19 6:11 PM by Alan_GoldandBlack.com
This post was edited on 3/19 6:14 PM by Alan_GoldandBlack.com
