BLOOMINGTON - We're here in Bloomington for tonight's Purdue meeting with Indiana, a game that, yes, we do expect to unfold differently from Round 1 between these two teams, if we haven't made that clear.
Indiana is a different team at home.
I think that's true for a lot of reasons. It's a great homecourt environment for one thing, a daunting venue for opponents for another. And I think some of IU's personalities, quite honestly, are the type that really respond to everyone cheering for them and telling them how awesome they are.
Whatever the reason, Indiana is a different team in Assembly Hall. Who in the Big Ten has won here this season? Nobody.
IU will score tonight, my guess being they'll be the first to get 70 (in regulation) against Purdue.
What Purdue has to, has to, has to do is not give Indiana points.
They say the best predictor of the future is the past and Purdue's track record in these environments - and Illinois and Minnesota are nothing compared to this place - is to crumble into a turnover-riddled mess for brief stretches, turning games against the Boilermakers.
If Indiana is allowed to get in transition and get open threes off run-outs or secondary fast breaks, well, they're not gonna shoot 4-of-19 again.
Purdue was able to get to the basket at will last game. Indiana will adjust and will have a rim-protecting presence, Hanner Perea, it didn't last time. Also, don't expect Purdue to get all the calls it got in Round 1.
It won't be as easy to score.
Meanwhile, IU, we'd think will play with some good sense about it instead of blindly driving and throwing the ball into A.J. Hammons' hands. And I would bet this laptop on an early foul on Hammons in this game. You know, life on the road.
Troy Williams is a crucial matchup in this game. Last time, Purdue gave him open jumpers, he didn't make them, then stopped taking them and it froze him up.
If they take the same approach and he hits shots, it's a game-changer.
No matter what, though, Purdue has to keep him off the offensive glass.
This is a small Indiana team, but a good rebounding team, small or not.
Second chances aren't going to fly for Purdue tonight.
That about covers it.
Should be an interesting game, the best game here since the 2008 game that made for such unbelievable theater.
Everything went Purdue's way in the first game and a lot of those matchups are the same. But we'll see what happens.
Talk about the game here or wherever on the board and follow along in-game here.
Indiana is a different team at home.
I think that's true for a lot of reasons. It's a great homecourt environment for one thing, a daunting venue for opponents for another. And I think some of IU's personalities, quite honestly, are the type that really respond to everyone cheering for them and telling them how awesome they are.
Whatever the reason, Indiana is a different team in Assembly Hall. Who in the Big Ten has won here this season? Nobody.
IU will score tonight, my guess being they'll be the first to get 70 (in regulation) against Purdue.
What Purdue has to, has to, has to do is not give Indiana points.
They say the best predictor of the future is the past and Purdue's track record in these environments - and Illinois and Minnesota are nothing compared to this place - is to crumble into a turnover-riddled mess for brief stretches, turning games against the Boilermakers.
If Indiana is allowed to get in transition and get open threes off run-outs or secondary fast breaks, well, they're not gonna shoot 4-of-19 again.
Purdue was able to get to the basket at will last game. Indiana will adjust and will have a rim-protecting presence, Hanner Perea, it didn't last time. Also, don't expect Purdue to get all the calls it got in Round 1.
It won't be as easy to score.
Meanwhile, IU, we'd think will play with some good sense about it instead of blindly driving and throwing the ball into A.J. Hammons' hands. And I would bet this laptop on an early foul on Hammons in this game. You know, life on the road.
Troy Williams is a crucial matchup in this game. Last time, Purdue gave him open jumpers, he didn't make them, then stopped taking them and it froze him up.
If they take the same approach and he hits shots, it's a game-changer.
No matter what, though, Purdue has to keep him off the offensive glass.
This is a small Indiana team, but a good rebounding team, small or not.
Second chances aren't going to fly for Purdue tonight.
That about covers it.
Should be an interesting game, the best game here since the 2008 game that made for such unbelievable theater.
Everything went Purdue's way in the first game and a lot of those matchups are the same. But we'll see what happens.
Talk about the game here or wherever on the board and follow along in-game here.
