Throwing my hat in the ring because I finally got to watch the whole thing.
Yes, I know there’s a game tomorrow, but I finally got to watch the recent blowout the whole way through. Oh boy do I have some positive opinions (and general observations) following Purdue’s 79-61 home win over Northwestern.
I think this is an important game to highlight certain things for the following reason: early January, conference play now in full swing, this is the time we’re going to start noticing patterns about this team’s identity moving forward.
And what better time of year to build momentum with the positives I’m choosing to outline?
Caleb Furst
It’s safe to say at this point that Caleb Furst has fully switched roles from what he was supposed to be at Purdue, and he’s doing great since getting starting time at center. He and TKR are a nice little pair to have splitting time at the five, kind of a thunder and lightning approach (I love sports clichés).
Furst’s effort in rebounding and his defensive presence have been great for the Boilermakers, and he’s starting to draw more and more fouls (only two in this game, but I did say his New Years Resolution should be getting to the line more). I heard somebody say “if he could finish through contact he’d be averaging 15 points per game” and I’d say more like 11 or 12 PPG but otherwise I agree with the sentiment.
He’s been a great interior defender and a great rebounder. It looks like he’s finally going to be getting the minutes he was recruited to play as a shooter, just down low. In the past three games he’s played 25, 30, and 21 minutes after averaging under 15 minutes per game in every game prior in this young season.
Keep it up.
Braden Smith
Another Player of the Game performance for the hot-handed point guard. I said his resolution should be to shy away from getting close to 10 three point attempts, but honestly I am starting not to care if he sticks to that one. You know, a New Years Resolution someone else sets for you. That’s totally a thing.
The fact of the matter is that the more he shoots, the better things tend to go for the Boilers. That’s really my whole point of this section: I hereby eat my words. Fire away, son.
Smith shot 50% from the field (5-8 2PA, 3-8 3PA) and was flawless in three free throw attempts en route to 22 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds. Yet another multi-steal game, as well. When he came to Purdue I kept raving about his high school film and how he was going to be a total pest on defense, so for this section wherein I admit I was wrong, I now remind you that sometimes I know what I’m doing. Sometimes.
The steals will lead us into the next section of…
Forced Turnovers
What a masterclass on how to be annoying on defense. The Boilers forced 13 turnovers, 7 of which were steals.
Overall a great defensive performance: limiting the guard play from Northwestern’s Nick Martinelli that gave the Boilermakers fits last year, holding the Wildcats to 38% shooting, all the turnovers created. If the rest of the team can keep tallying a steal or two here or there, you know Braden Smith is capable of stealing the ball five times a game so, yeah, lean into being aggressive toward the top of the key because it’s working. And keep taking advantage of bad passes down low.
Fun fact: Braden Smith’s career high in steals is seven in his very first game as a true freshman, which I think is neat.
Fun opinion: I think he has an eight steal game this year.
Youth Energy
The young guys are coming along well. Myles Colvin looks like he’s shooting with some confidence, CJ Cox is definitely shooting the ball with confidence, they’re creating energy and I like that.
What I really like is that of the nine Boilermakers who scored against the Wildcats, three were freshman and the sophomore Colvin added 7 points. Gicarri Harris had 4, Raleigh Burgess had 6, and of course Cox posted his 12 points. I’ll take 22 points from true freshmen!
I also just like the ball being spread around to where nine different players score.
Miscellaneous Observations
First, over the previous two seasons Purdue had a propensity to go through long scoring droughts that worry the crap out of me. Large leads would shrink but the games would still end in wins. Sometimes they didn’t. Teams that could take advantage of these long scoreless periods and claw their way back in were not as few and far between as you’d think (or rather, hope).
Scoring droughts in 2025? Getting better but NEEDS WORK!
Second, just to piggy-back off of that thought and to praise our defense again:
That doesn’t matter terribly if you’re constantly playing smothering defense, but this is sports and not every night is your best night. So yes, while I think Purdue will end the season regarded to be one of the best defensive teams in college basketball, still gotta keep some sort of offensive momentum going. Yeah, sometimes you’ll go on a two-minute scoreless streak, but I’m tired of seeing ones around five minutes…somtimes more.
All of this is to say I think the Boilermakers can get away with many three-minute scoring droughts this year. That’s a privilege, but one you never want to have to use, right?
KEEP THEM SHORT! AND YOU WILL THRIVE!
Last, while I really like what I saw in this game, I do think Northwestern is better than how they played on Sunday. That means two things which I believe don’t have to be mutually exclusive:
- Northwestern is a good team and Purdue looked really good against a good team
- That team did not perform at its highest level BUT Purdue also made them look novice at times because Purdue is really good
So I’m taking this game with a grain of salt, but gosh with a defense like that, a lot of things are possible this spring…
Anyway, I’m out.
BOILER UP!