Boilermaker Breakdown (@ Wisconsin– Jan. 27)

For the remainder of the year, I plan to write an analysis of each Purdue basketball game and asses what things the Boilers did well and things they need to improve.  I will also discuss where they stand in the race for the Big Ten title and how the other teams in the league compare.  I hope to get good discussion brewing not only among Purdue fans, but Big Ten and college basketball fans as well.

I will preface this by telling you that I actually didn’t even play basketball in high school due to…uh…insufficient skills.  However, I played up until high school and had two brothers who did play so I was never away from the game.

What I do have is a love for sports (especially college), decent brains (almost done with my Ph.D. in chemistry), and familiarity with Purdue basketball (season ticket holder and watcher of every away game that is on TV).  So, this may be terrible, but I’m going to give it a try.

Purdue 64–Wisconsin 63

What the Boilers did well:

1. Shooting– If you looked at the stat line for Purdue only, it would be surprising that the game was close.  They shot almost 60 percent from the field and 46 percent from range.  I would take that line any day as a Purdue fan.  They are finally back to filling it up like they did last year.  Consider this: Only one player shot under 50 percent from the floor in the game.  That was Jackson and he was still three for seven. 
2. Limiting Wisconsin’s Studs– Landry, Hughes, and Bohannon are the leading scorers for the Badgers (average 35.8 together).  However, they were a combined 10-28 from the floor (35.7 percent) and only got to the line three times.  They did still score 27 points, but took over half of the Badgers’ shots.  The Boilers knew the scouting report, and did a good job taking their best options away. 
3. Finishing– When it was crunch time, the Boilers came through.  Huge threes by Grant, Kramer, and Hummel got Purdue back in front and then they iced it with clutch free throws by Grant and Johnson.  If you define a “close” game as one decided by five points or less, Purdue has had five this season.  In chronological order, they are Oklahoma (N), Illinois, @Penn State, @Northwestern, and @Wisconsin.  They lost the first three, and have won the last two.  I feel this team is finally learning how to win the close ones.  They are showing poise under pressure and making good decisions that they did not make in those first three.

Where the Boilers struggled:

1. Three-Point Defense– The Badgers were 11-18 from distance, much of that due to Keaton Nankivil’s 5-5 performance.  Nankivil was usually guarded by Johnson or Calasan, and it was obvious Purdue was not concerned about him as a three-point threat.  The coaching staff finally made an adjustment late in the game and put Hummel on him, preventing him from even getting a three off.  Even without him, they still shot 6-13, which is a fairly good clip. 
2. Defensive Confusion– This is getting picky, as it is difficult to find too many faults when you win in the Kohl Center.  However, there were a few times when the Boilers missed assignments.  I need to watch the game tape again, but there were a couple times they were confused if they were switching on screens or not that yielded an easy layup.  Also, the big men would sometimes help on the screens for too long leaving their man open.  This happened once in the second half that would have given Wisconsin a layup if Kramer hadn’t come from all the way across the court to strip the ball.  They are usually solid in this area and I don’t think it is a major concern. 
3. Lack of Killer Instinct– Again, the Boilers won the game in a tough environment and were resilient in their effort so this is nitpicking.  This game could have been put away multiple times though.  In the first half Purdue was up by five on several occasions and even got it up to nine at one point.  A Bo Ryan team is always going to make runs, but Purdue failed to deliver a knockout punch that they did in the second halves against Minnesota and Iowa in the previous two games.

Player of the Game

E’Twaun Moore– The sophomore guard is officially out of his shooting slump.  He was 7-9 last night, including 1-2 from three and 2-2 from the line.  Don’t forget his five boards, six assists, and one steal to go along with only one turnover.  He seemed to will the ball into the basket at times when they needed it the most.

Questions for the Future

Health– With the way Purdue is playing right now, this is really the only question.  Let’s break down the injury situation.

• Robbie Hummel– He is not practicing due to back spasms and wears a brace at all times when he is not playing.  Still playing in all games with obvious pain.
• Keaton Grant– He suffered a shoulder injury at Minnesota that is still bothering him.  He is also battling a tough cold at the moment along with…
• JaJuan Johnson– Could barely talk after the game last night.  Should be able to get healthy by Saturday.
• Chris Kramer– Still suffering from his sprained foot, but seems to be getting better each week.  He may still continue to come off the bench for a while, but he will be on the court in crunch time.
• Lewis Jackson– I’m sure he will be fine, but he has to still be dizzy from the “screen” he took from Krabbenhoft.  I watched the replay several times, and he clearly raised his left arm into Lewis and it should have been a foul at the least.  I don’t know if you can call it dirty in the heat of the game, but it was a cheap shot nonetheless.

Where they Stand

Purdue is currently tied for second in the Big Ten with Illinois, though the Illini have the tiebreaker due to the head-to-head overtime victory in Mackey Arena.  Both teams are just one game back from Michigan State, who has an uncharacteristic loss at home last week to Northwestern. 

After starting the season 0-2, I’m sure all Boilermaker fans are thrilled they have gotten back to within a game of MSU.  However, the Boilers didn’t start the season with hopes of finishing a game behind MSU so there is still much work to be done.

Up Next and Prediction

Michigan and guard Manny Harris come to town Saturday.  Harris can light it up and is making a case for Big Ten player of the year.  He would probably be on the All Big Ten first team if the season ended today.  Michigan like to run a 1-3-1 zone similar to Northwestern’s, which gave Purdue fits two weeks ago.  They have lost three of their last four and play at Ohio State tonight.  They did, however, beat a Duke team only four days earlier dismantled the Boilers in West Lafayette.

How the Boilers handle the Michigan zone will determine the outcome of this game.  I think Purdue is playing with more poise than they did earlier in the season, which should help them make good decisions against a tough defense.  Purdue has more overall weapons than Michigan, and if they can use their trademark defense to contain Harris and forward DeShawn Sims, they should come away with a home win.

Purdue 73–Michigan 65