Purdue Wins Slugfest B10 Opener vs Northwestern, 58-44
Feature image from @Boilerball
In a sequel much uglier than last week’s blowout win against #5 Virginia, Purdue opened its Big Ten Title defense with a win against a Northwestern team that was working in eight new players.
It wasn’t a pretty one, but you’ve got to win by any means necessary, I suppose.
Purdue again used the Sasha Stefanovic – Trevion Williams – Matt Haarms starting frontcourt to complement Jahaad Proctor and Eric Hunter. The Virginia-slayers got a handful of great looks early in the game…the only problem was that they kept clanging off the rim. Minor details, really.
While shots that fell in the last game weren’t going in today, the defense was as stout as ever. Purdue forced Northwestern into eight first-half turnovers, scoring only seven points in the first 9 minutes of play. And only two points in the final 7 minutes of the half. Basically, there was this magical four-minute stretch after Northwestern switched to a zone defense and, predictably, befuddled a Purdue team without a roster full of deadly shooters. The Wildcats took their only lead of the game during this stretch, forcing Purdue into a handful of bad shots and post-entry pass turnovers.
(It was a very ugly four minutes. The dreaded Thin Painter years of 2012-2014 were mentioned on the broadcast. Many Purdue fans cried out in agony at the mere mention.)
Purdue’s defense (one of the best in the country) and Proctor’s herky-jerky midrange game allowed Purdue to grab the lead right back. For real – without Proctor, Purdue would have gone into halftime with fewer than Northwestern’s 16 points.
Let’s not be blunt about it – that first half featured minimal shot making on either side, and was not very fun to watch. Yes, it was great defense on Purdue’s end, and in an arena that gets loudest for shot-clock violations. But, like, it wasn’t very pretty to watch on a Sunday evening before finals week.
Painter must have reamed out the team at halftime, because second-half Purdue was much more active and decisive. Northwestern’s offense picked up, but it really seemed like Purdue’s lead was never in doubt.
The Boilers have two players to thank for that: Eric Hunter and Trevion Williams. Hunter’s scoring and Trevion’s post dominance and standout passing vision drove everything in the second half. Reading the box score won’t tell you much – Trevion finished with 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists; Hunter finished with 8 points, 7 rebounds (!!!), 3 assists and 1 steal. But both served as release-valves as the offense was floundering.
I’ll hit the others in the Good/Bad/Ugly, but mostly this was a game that showcased Purdue’s defense and highlighted the lack of consistency of Purdue’s perimeter offense. But it they didn’t allow the letdown loss to happen after their marquee win of the season, and started Big Ten season off with a win. Banking the games you’re supposed to win, even as things are ugly, is a good sign for the season.
Purdue will face two similar offensively-challenged teams on the road next week (Nebraska and Ohio) before taking on #24 Butler in the Crossroads Classic.
The Good
The Trevion/Haarms duo, especially with Haarms shooting more threes. Defensively, the combo can get exploited by a strong three-point shooting team, but Northwestern walked into Mackey shooting 31% from three and went 5/17 today so it’s fair to say we should expect this frontcourt until the Butler game. Also, watching Trevion pass out of the post to Haarms is very very fun.
Haarms playing with confidence, finishing with 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. There were a few missed bunnies (5/9 from the field), but I like the way he confidently works the screen game with Purdue’s guards, and how he (finally) used his length to help Purdue win the rebounding battle. He went 0/3 from three today, but I want him shooting at least that many per game. Develop consistency in that shot and he’s an NBA player.
Jahaad Proctor’s herky-jerky midrange game saved Purdue’s offense in the first half. I say this every postgame, but he’s been such a natural addition to the roster. 10 points on 10 shots wasn’t the most efficient scoring game, but Purdue needed every made shot in the first half.
Trevion’s post game is a wonderful combination of buttery smooth and relentless bully. When the game gets ugly, just feed the beast and let him work.
Isaiah Thompson in his limited minutes thus far. He gives Purdue instant guard depth, particularly as a decisive swing-passer and a shooter defenses at least attempt to guard. Next step - scoring a reliable 5-8 points per game.
The Bad
Purdue’s offense with multiple non-shooting perimeter players. With Wheeler’s shot broken, I’m not sure how viable Nojel-Wheeler lineups are. At least it’s an excellent defensive lineup.
Scorers off the bench. Nojel, Wheeler, Evan Boudreaux, and Thompson aren’t reliable scorers, and Purdue needs another offensive punch from somewhere. That, or it needs to stagger it’s starters throughout the game.
Scoring. Did I mention scoring? With Ohio State and Michigan putting up three-digit scores against Big Ten teams, Purdue’s gonna need more than it’s league-best (and nationally top-5) defense.
The Ugly
The first half. Woah buddy, was offense not a thing. Purdue went 1/14 from three & 31% from the field, Northwestern went 6/22 from the field. The definition of ugly Big Ten ball.
Wheeler’s three-point shot. There was real promise in his shot in the first few games, and all of a sudden it’s fallen off a cliff. I’m a firm believer in the “just keep shooting” philosophy for Wheeler, but it’s a struggle to see that early-season shooting promise unfulfilled so far. Let’s hope it comes back, because it really drives Wheeler’s effort on the defensive end too.
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