Earlier than his staff traveled to face No. 14 Michigan State on Tuesday, Purdue coach Matt Painter talked overtly in regards to the No. 13 Boilermakers enhancing on the defensive finish after permitting 94 factors in a loss to then-No. 16 Wisconsin.
“We’ve got to be higher on the basketball,” Painter mentioned. “We won’t get beat as dangerous as we acquired beat the opposite evening and count on to have constructive outcomes. When persons are always getting angles … that is the place we’ve to do a greater job.”
Painter may in all probability use the identical feedback forward of his staff’s sport in opposition to rival Indiana on Sunday in Bloomington, Ind. One other poor defensive exhibiting lowlighted a 75-66 loss to the Spartans and certain knocked the Boilermakers out of the race for the Huge Ten regular-season title.
Whereas taking a 3rd straight loss for the primary time in 5 seasons, Purdue allowed Michigan State to shoot 58.3 % from the sphere and hit 68.6 % of its 2-point makes an attempt. That got here on the heels of permitting Wisconsin to hit a staggering 20 of twenty-two (90.9 %) on 2-point tries.
Add in a dozen turnovers in opposition to Michigan State, six from star level guard Braden Smith, and you’ve got a recipe for failure that might price the Boilermakers some seed strains for the NCAA Match if they can not appropriate it quickly.
“We simply need to do a greater job, once they get aggressive, not over-dribbling,” Painter mentioned of his staff’s response to heavy ball strain. “We’ll preserve re-screening it, doing it a number of instances to try to drag these bigs out.”
Purdue (19-8, 11-5 Huge Ten) has fallen right into a tie for fourth within the convention with Maryland heading into the weekend. A double bye for the Huge Ten event, given to the highest 4 groups, that appeared sure for a lot of the yr is now at risk of being only a single bye if the Boilermakers cannot repair their flaws.
Whereas Purdue is looking for its type, the Hoosiers (15-11, 6-9) are hoping they don’t seem to be rusty. They’ve been idle since Feb. 14, once they fell 72-68 at house to UCLA, their sixth loss in seven video games. It was the beginning of a three-game homestand for a staff making its final, determined try assist its possibilities for an at-large NCAA bid.
The Bruins sport was the most recent in a sequence of shut losses that haven’t solely painted the Hoosiers right into a nook however contributed to teach Mike Woodson’s resolution to go away at season’s finish.
“If you happen to win one or two of them, you are feeling good about your self while you’re in shut video games,” he mentioned. “9 out of 10 instances, you make the performs that it’s essential to make. The truth that we have misplaced them, it has been guys are looking out. I am looking out because the coach when it comes to attempting to get them over the end line.”
Making it extra disappointing is that Indiana spent loads of NIL cash to draw prime transfers, beefing up a flagging roster within the offseason. However the staff merely hasn’t performed as properly collectively as Woodson hoped, significantly on the defensive finish.
A poor protection and ballhandling made the distinction within the Hoosiers’ 81-76 loss at Purdue on Jan. 31. The Boilermakers sank 52.7 % from the sphere whereas committing 10 turnovers. Indiana hit 56.6 % from the ground however gave the ball away 20 instances.
–Subject Stage Media