Purdue Returns to Earth In College Park, Loses 57-50

(Photo credit: Purdue Athletics)

It’s talked about all the time. People will discuss how a team is a completely different group when they’re at home vs on the road. I typically don’t buy into this all that much. Sure, in a sport like basketball, you’re usually going to be a little better at home for a variety of reasons – but a team is a team. Your strengths are your strengths. Your go-to players are your go-to players. Normally you just tend to perform a bit better with your home crowd.

The 2019-2020 Purdue men’s basketball team shows a home/road variance to the naked eye like nothing I can remember. Today, they came out in College Park, Maryland and looked utterly lost early, as the Terps raced out to a 20-4 lead. The Boilermakers didn’t get into double digits until for nearly twelve minutes of game action. Somehow, they were only down sixteen at the half, which of course allowed them to toy with our emotions in the second half. Eventually, the ranked Terrapins won 57-50 but this game had one of those “I wish someone else showed up on offense” feels.

I don’t know what we’re supposed to make of this team. They’re now 3-3 vs nationally ranked opponents this year, with two of those wins being 29-point mollywhompings over UVA and MSU, both of whom could easily be Final Four teams in this upended college basketball season. But they’ve also failed to break 60 points six times and have looked like a fish on a dock when on the offensive end of the floor too many times to count. Michael has pointed out in the BS chat thread (whoo-booy, that’s been a fun place during these games) that another weird thing about this group is that they don’t struggle to create shots – they get tons of good looks but just fail to cash in on them. So if you’re feeling like this has been more frustrating than usual, you’re not crazy. Or no more than any other person who willingly pulls for Purdue sports is.

Let’s go Good/Bad/Ugly for this one.

The Good

Oofa. I guess the lack of quit is something to talk about. Purdue was down 20-4 early, as I noted, but outscored Maryland 46-37 from that point forward. Unfortunately, the game had started at 2 PM, Eastern Time.

Speaking of Eastern Time, Nojel had his unquestionably best offensive performance of the year. I don’t know what happened between last year’s confident Nojel and this year’s version, but Eastern has been essentially a black hole on offense this year. With 16 points, he led the team with only his second double-digit scoring day of the season, his most FGs attempted and made of the year and he even went 2/2 at the line after being 6/20 on the year heading into today. Toss in six rebounds and three steals and you had a glimpse of the leader and all around hustling player we all expected to see lead this team this year.

Eric Hunter, Jr. was the only other Boilermaker in double figures, as he scored ten on 4/7 shooting, including 2/5 from deep.

The defense hustled, hounded Maryland and generally kept Purdue’s hopes alive. Had anyone else come to play on offense, Purdue wins this game, despite how sloppy it began.

The Bad

Aaron Wheeler has regressed in ways we never thought we’d see. He continues to get put out there to start mainly due to a lack of options, but it seems like Painter might finally be running out of patience, as Wheels only had seven minutes of game action tonight. He bombed two awful-looking threes, missed both, and is now on a milk carton.

The offense in general is not consistent and the lack of a reliable scoring option is glaring. I’m fully aware that generational talents like Carsen Edwards aren’t available in ever recruiting class, but usually you have a guy who becomes your go-to scoring option. The guy who gets his buckets every game, no matter how he’s really feeling. Carsen did that, obviously, but do did a lot of guys before him who weren’t NBA draft picks. This team, however, lacks that and it hurts. Today, Sasha played 36 minutes, only hoisted eight shots and only made one from the field. He was 5/5 from the line and finished with seven points.

Matt Haarms scored four points on 2/4 shooting. Yes, I know he’s hampered by a sore hip, but he played half the game and needs to get points. It’s as simple as that.

Even Trevion today was not the dominant, bullish presence he had seemed to be becoming, winding up with just eight points and seven rebounds.


The Ugly

Purdue shot 35% from the field and – GULP – 17% from deep. They were 100% from the line (hooray!) but only got to that line seven times. There are ways to get there and they aren’t doing it.

Scoring only 50 points in a conference game is also ugly. Not sure what else to say about that.

What’s Next

Purdue got through a stretch we were very concerned about at 1-2. After the 37 point debacle at Illinois, the Boilermakers could easily have won at Michigan and Maryland and did win vs MSU. Now they have a five game stretch that I would argue can really strengthen their argument for a tournament bid. They now go vs Illinois, vs Wisconsin, @Rutgers, @Northwestern and vs Iowa. That’s five games that they legitimately can win if Good Purdue shows up. If they go 4-1 in that stretch, they’re at 7-5 in conference and will have put themselves in a position to be over .500 in the Big Ten overall.

Of course, if Bad Purdue shows up, they could legitimately lose all of those, too.

Should be a hoot.