Purdue Basketball: Keys to Boilermakers' 2012 NCAA Tournament Run

The Purdue Boilermakers are going to the NCAA Tournament, and there was never really any doubt. That doesn't mean there is any time to celebrate because there is a great amount of work to do. Here we break down everything Boilermaker.  

Purdue will be a No. 10 seed heading into the NCAA Tourney. This comes on the heels of a 20-11 regular season and a 10-8 in conference record.

The Boilermakers finished with a quarterfinals loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament. 

Purdue continues their search for respect after battling it out in one of the toughest conferences in college basketball. 

Purdue is a perfect team to target for a feast or famine trip to the the NCAA tournament. They will march deep into the madness with one of the more prolific outside shooting offenses. 

The Boilermakers can heat up from distance, and when they do, they can take down the toughest teams. Don't sleep on Purdue, who will be playing like a team that is trying to prove they deserve to be here. 

The scary part for this has to be that these kids can flat out play. 

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Superstars Who Must Shine

Robbie Hummel: Finally, the incessant health issues are behind him, and Hummel is lighting it up. Since their February 7th game against Ohio State, Hummel is average 22 points and almost 10 rebounds a game for the regular season. 

Purdue will need the same production if they are going to wade through this field of hungry teams. Hummel can easily be the star of the show in March. 

Lewis Jackson: Every team planning to head deep into March has to have a solid guard that can lead these young men on the court. 

Jackson can light up the stat line. but it's his experience that will be invaluable to the Boilermakers in this coming war. 

Role Player Who Must Emerge

D.J. Byrd: He only plays about 18 minutes per game, but he can be indispensable as a spark coming from the bench. 

This is the time of year when depth will be tested, and the Boilermakers have a not-so-secret weapon that the nation is about to get quite acquainted with. 

Against Nebraska on February 22nd, Byrd scored 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting from three-point land. He will be a crucial part of this offense going forward. 

Offensive Strategy to Watch

Some might say, you live by the three and you die by the three. Purdue just lives by it, and they make a pretty good living doing it. 

They are at their best, though, when they spread the offense to driving the lane and dishing. It keeps teams on their heels as they spread the floor to guard the perimeter attack that is well known and quite prolific. 

Once they start lighting up the three, they will head to the lane to punish the paint. 

Defensive Strategy to Watch

Coming from the Big Ten, Purdue knows a thing or two about tough defense. Their game plan is quite simple—limit offensive rebounds and second-chance tip ins. 

Purdue will do the little things that matter on defense, and it can pay off in a big way. Purdue may have one of the best offenses in the Big Ten, but don't sell their defense short. 

When they are committed, they can force turnovers which becomes extremely problematic considering they hardly ever turn the ball over themselves. 

Biggest NCAA Tournament Hurdle

Purdue gets a tough matchup from the very start in the WCC champion St. Mary's. The Boilermakers had a tough day in dealing with Jared Sullinger in the Big Ten Tournament, and they get a similar foe in the first round. 

Rob Jones is a big and aggressive player that can score in the paint and rip boards by the dozen. The Gaels also boast a sharp-shooting guard in Matthew Dellavedova. 

After that, Purdue gets no less than Kansas to deal with. 

Last-Second NCAA Tournament Prediction

Purdue was abysmal in stopping Sullinger and Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament. I am not about to consider St. Mary's a mirror image of the Buckeyes, because they are not, but there is a great deal to be apprehensive about heading into this matchup. 

Purdue will fall in the opening round to a team that relies on versatility and a good amount of offense on the inside from Rob Jones. 

Even if they skirt this loss, they will no doubt fall to Kansas in the next round.