I think it's more complicated than that. Purdue will play smaller this season, I believe, with more 4 out - 1 in motion and less 3-2. It will be a significant change with pros and cons that make it difficult to predict what the results will be (but I think that 4-1 motion is easier to execute). A lot depends on Biggie's efficiency, but I will save that topic for another thread.
Purdue Backcourt
- Thread starter BoilerDaddy
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It will be much easier to replace the D of Davis than the D of AJ. Purdue will NOT have the rim defender it did..no question. "A" key will be the shell defense to do a better job of containing the dribble meaning all will need to work a little harder knowing the eraser of their mistakes is not back there. Haas will be better than some just due to his size, but that has always been his Achilles Hill. There will be no go to guy like AJ, but I see the offense better due to being more open overall. I think Purdue is better this year, but we shall soon see. I like the offensive thrust and there is enough depth that Purdue can still work hard on D. Teh last two years have relegated D to less important than O due to the rule emphasis. I'm excited for this season...
I don't see any problems filling Hammons shoes and offense and definitely not Davs. Offense was not his friend last year. Offense will be better.
Defense will have to change. Can't count on an automatic eraser underneath. The ball screen defense must be more aggressive to not allow the dribbler a quick path to the paint. We may see the return of the aggressive hedge. Edit: I need to read the whole thread as I just repeated TJ's last post.
PJ is NOT at lewjacks level. I think the sum of all is better.[/QUO
Lewjack wasn't at his Senior level as a soph or Junior either. PJ will surprise a lot of people this year with his leadership and play.
I like Mathias, and think he is an outstanding player, a player we can be a Top Ten and Final Four contender with, but I also strongly think that just assuming that Mathias will start ahead of Cline is a mistake. Cline was awfully, awfully good last year, and with a year in the program, a lot of players make a big leap in confidence, skill set, athleticism. I think there is a very real possibility that Cline will vault ahead of Mathias; and Mathias is excellent, but Cline might just be very special. I said it before and I repeat this logic: Stephens left for a reason and the reason was no playing time. I not saying Mathias won't start, but we're being short-sighted assuming that he will. I would bet that Cline assumes that Ryan be starting this fall.
At point guard, I think that PJ is a very solid, capable back up player, but I don't think we can be a Final Four contender with PJ at the point. Top Twenty yes, but not Final Four. Someone early in this thread asked who would be want in the Big Ten other than PJ; well, I'm surprised no one brought up McIntosh from Northwestern. That guy is outstanding. If we had had him last year, we would have absolutely been a Final Four Contender. I'd have taken McIntosh at Purdue in a second over Trimble and the Mich. State guy, whose name I can't right now remember. McIntosh would have been a much better fit last year for our talent.
Now, as to Carson E, I don't know anything about him other than his Spanish trip stats and people on here raving about him. I also remember how much we were in love with Bryson Scott early in his freshman year (wasn't he two-time Big Ten player of the week as a freshman?), and how that turned out. But here's what I hope.
I hope he really is the real deal and special, and Painter throws him in as the starting point guard from second one, second one. He'll have four games in Spain, two preseason games, and (guessing here) 12 more games before the Big Ten season. That's 18 games, plenty of time to be ready offensively and defensively. I am hoping that (first of all) that's he's good enough, and Painter takes the chance with him. Didn't Painter put Lew Jack in as a freshman from second one at the point with the Baby Boilers. I hope we can do this because I really thing an athletic point who is a serious scoring threat is what we need make us that Elite Eight/ Final Four contender.
Of course this all depends are Carson immediately being THAT GOOD and not the early reviews being nothing but hype. We'll see.
At point guard, I think that PJ is a very solid, capable back up player, but I don't think we can be a Final Four contender with PJ at the point. Top Twenty yes, but not Final Four. Someone early in this thread asked who would be want in the Big Ten other than PJ; well, I'm surprised no one brought up McIntosh from Northwestern. That guy is outstanding. If we had had him last year, we would have absolutely been a Final Four Contender. I'd have taken McIntosh at Purdue in a second over Trimble and the Mich. State guy, whose name I can't right now remember. McIntosh would have been a much better fit last year for our talent.
Now, as to Carson E, I don't know anything about him other than his Spanish trip stats and people on here raving about him. I also remember how much we were in love with Bryson Scott early in his freshman year (wasn't he two-time Big Ten player of the week as a freshman?), and how that turned out. But here's what I hope.
I hope he really is the real deal and special, and Painter throws him in as the starting point guard from second one, second one. He'll have four games in Spain, two preseason games, and (guessing here) 12 more games before the Big Ten season. That's 18 games, plenty of time to be ready offensively and defensively. I am hoping that (first of all) that's he's good enough, and Painter takes the chance with him. Didn't Painter put Lew Jack in as a freshman from second one at the point with the Baby Boilers. I hope we can do this because I really thing an athletic point who is a serious scoring threat is what we need make us that Elite Eight/ Final Four contender.
Of course this all depends are Carson immediately being THAT GOOD and not the early reviews being nothing but hype. We'll see.
Makes sense except I would be afraid to hedge too aggressively with Haas. I think that the key is that they need to be very sound defensively.
From what I saw in Spain, Haas and Swanigan both look like they lost weight and are more mobile. Swanigan was a bit of a liability last year, exclusively playing the four, but I think that will be less of an issue this year which should really help the D.
Good point. I think the anticipated four out one in lineup when Haas takes a break could be our best lineup defensively.
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