Boilermaker Breakdown (Indiana—Feb. 21)

Purdue 81—Indiana 67

I was attending my youngest brother’s high school swimming sectional on Saturday, so I missed getting to go to the game or even watch it live.

I did listen to most of the game, however, and my DVR allowed me to record the game and watch it on Saturday night.

After listening to what seemed like a boring game, I wasn’t even that excited to watch it. Purdue opened up with a couple quick triples by E’Twaun Moore and built the lead to about 10 points.

At that point IU seemed to say, “We aren’t going to let you blow us out,” and Purdue said, “That’s fine, you still aren’t going to win.”

So the margin stayed at about 10 points the entire game.

There was no huge run by the Boilers, nor a valiant comeback by the Hoosiers. It was just a bland game with lots of fouling.

Forty total fouls to be exact. It seemed like Robbie Hummel spent as much time picking himself off the floor as he did actually playing the game.

I cringe every time he goes down knowing his back is broken, but now he has some other injuries thanks to the Hoosiers. We’ll get to those a little later.

With not much else to say, let’s just jump into the breakdown.

What the Boilers Did Well

Shooting from the Field

The Boilers shot 57 percent from the floor, including nearly 54 percent from deep. Three-point shooting had been a staple of the “Where the Boilers Struggled” category for a few games.

Moore finally broke out of his slump from long range, connecting on five of his six threes. Keaton Grant continued to struggle from deep, though, as he missed all three of his attempts.

JaJuan Johnson was his usual efficient self inside as he and Moore combined to go 16-for-25 from the floor. 

Getting the Job Done

The Boilers were not really great in any category other than shooting, and the game was not pretty, but they got the win. The Hoosiers made life difficult, but Purdue kept them at bay and the game was never in jeopardy.

A conference win is always valued, even if it wasn’t the blowout some had expected.

Where the Boilers Struggled

Free-Throw Shooting

Could this have been any worse? They missed 15 of the 33 free throws they took. This was essentially why the game was not a blowout. This must improve against better opponents.

Defense

It seemed like Purdue knew they could score whenever they wanted, so if they slacked off on the other end a bit it wouldn’t really matter.

Ultimately, it didn’t. But 67 points on 50 percent shooting are both way too high of numbers for one of the worst scoring teams in the league to put up.

Player of the Game

E’Twaun Moore

Johnson had a double-double, but E’Twaun finally went off in a performance we need to see more often from the sophomore guard.

Moore was 10-of-14 from the field, including 5-of-6 from three to total 26 points. Add in three rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 37 minutes, and you have the best overall game of the year for Moore.

Let’s hope his confidence keeps growing and his hot streak continues.

Questions for the Future

Can Someone Remove the Bull's-Eye from Robbie Hummel?

The night before the game there were reports that Hummel’s back injury had gotten worse and he might be done for the season.

After worrying for much of the rest of the night and next day, Hummel played and Painter denied the reports.

However, Hummel was on the floor several times, taking elbows to the face and banging knees with Hoosiers. He did not start and only played 16 minutes due to those other injuries.

It seems like he just can’t stay off the injury report. After the game, he said his back felt fine but his knee and head were sore. However, these two injuries seemed minor and he should be good to go for the season.

Hopefully, the elbows are not flying against Michigan again.

Will E’Twaun Keep It Up?

If Hummel is going to play limited minutes, someone else is going to have to step up in his absence. Moore has been a consistent scorer all season, but he shot the ball the best he has all season against IU.

If Moore continues to stay hot, the Boilers will have a much easier time down the stretch.

Can They Get to the MSU Game Unscathed?

I mean this in terms of both record and health. Purdue has three games before the trip to Michigan State and will probably be favored in each of them. They travel to Michigan Thursday and then have home games against Ohio State and Northwestern.

If the Boilers can stay healthy during these games and not overlook any of these opponents, they should be able to head to Michigan State with a chance to win the Big Ten.

Where They Stand

Thanks to Illinois only scoring a putrid 33 points in a home loss to Penn State last week, Purdue is in second alone in the conference. They trail first-place Michigan State by one game.

I spoke a few weeks ago about the Boilers controlling their own destiny after they were tied with Michigan State in the loss column. That was probably a bit premature, but with only four games left now, the Big Ten title is theirs to lose.

If they win out, they will at worst be in a tie for first place with the Spartans and control the tiebreaker. Lose a game, and all title chances are essentially lost.

Purdue’s big win over Michigan State and losses by Xavier, UCLA, Washington, and Illinois will probably move the Boilers into the 16 or 17 range in both polls. With a top 25 RPI, Purdue would probably be in the tournament as a four seed today.

The tournament committee also considers injuries when seeding teams, so they will look at Purdue’s losses without Hummel (at Penn State, at Ohio State, and at Illinois) with a little more leniency. When the Boilers play with Hummel they have only lost to Duke, Illinois, and Oklahoma.

Up Next and Prediction

Purdue gets a rematch with Michigan in Ann Arbor on Thursday night. Michigan is a tough team, as they have beaten Duke, UCLA, Illinois, and Minnesota. Their only “bad” loss is their most recent game against Iowa, which they dropped in overtime.

They are right on the bubble in terms of making the tournament, and will be looking for another good win to add to their resume.

Purdue used great defense to beat Michigan at home earlier this year, so expect the same intensity this time out. Painter will probably be preaching defense and intensity this week as they were somewhat lacking against Indiana.

Johnson and Moore should continue their good play, and with five days of rest, Hummel should also be good to go.

The Boilers pull away in the second half and come home with the W.

Purdue 66—Michigan 58