EXPRESS Purdue's Fine, But
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VOL. 29, ISSUE 37. FEB. 14. 2019 EXPRESS Purdue's Fine, but Purdue was going to lose again this season. That was inevitable. That it's an acceptable loss from a résumé per- spective makes this more palatable in the big picture. And the Boilermakers still have the most favor- able path from here on out in the Big Ten race, rela- tive to what the other contenders have left. But everyone lost their cool in that second half. Purdue can take solace in the fact it lost to a This has been an offensive team savvy beyond its ranked team on the road while Big Ten co-leader lost years, and it didn't look it. at middling Penn State, a land mine the Boilermak- ers just sidestepped themselves. Purdue rushed shots atypical of its recent identi- ty and missed 'em all, just about. Purdue's still in a great spot, as long as this loss doesn't become something more, as long as it doesn't What to make of this at this stage of the season let failure beget failure, one dreadful half seeping is to Purdue to tell us, it would appear. into its next game, then maybe leading to another loss, or if this game sets a new blueprint for beating MISSING WILLIAMS Purdue. Purdue couldn't get Trevion Williams established The Boilermakers have been surgical in their on the interior, save for a few brief glimpses. In those off-season execution during their winning streak, glimpses, he was productive. but that went by the wayside as Maryland ramped up its pressure on its guards and started making The early foul probably affected him, but Purdue plays itself on the offensive end. may also not have been as conscious of getting the ball inside, or Maryland might have been defending POISE it well. Not often in the calendar year 2019 has Purdue Whatever the case, Purdue could have used some looked this shook. higher-percentage offense when it was struggling, not that the Boilermakers didn't miss layups, too. Its poise has been one of its great attributes and we say that in the context that it's been a bit of a It's preposterous to say Purd ue lacked balance surprise given Purdue's new-ness and how it looked because there was really no strength to balance out in non-conference play. in that second half. Carsen Edwards will fall into the over-aggressive- --Brian Neubert ness trap at times. That's just part of the deal with him and the fine line he has to walk between the ag- gressiveness that makes him great and the over-ag- gressiveness that can be his worst enemy. GoldandBlack.com 1 Upon Further Review: Eastern and sag off him. Second game in a row the Maryland opponent has switched up its matchup on Eastern. And when Purdue beat the pressure with a back- A look back at Purdue's 70-56 loss at Maryland door cut to Carsen Edwards inside the 16-minute Tuesday night .... mark, the pass escaped him and was turned over. Maryland dunked in transition off the giveaway. WHAT HAPPENED? Jalen Smith’s other-worldly height, length and Maryland obviously ramped things up, and Pur- athleticism really showed up defensively on the pe- due didn’t show a whole lot of patience. On Pur- rimeter, much the same way Matt Haarms’ dimen- due’s second possession, Carsen Edwards took a sions do for Purdue when he’s playing well. And tough, long, fade-away two, challenged, with 10 on Maryland’s superior physicality around the basket the shot clock. Missed it. Nojel Eastern followed it really mattered, too. and went right back up with it in a crowd and was stuffed. Grady Eifert followed that miss and got it PURDUE DOUBLE TEAMS IN POST to Ryan Cline, who attacked off the dribble and was probably fouled, but it wasn’t called. Purdue had a Maryland was much more productive against couple opportunities there to take a deep breath and Purdue’s post doubles in the second half than the reset things but was very aggressive. There were a lot first. of quick jumpers. First-half: Eight first-half possessions; Maryland Maryland definitely put more pressure on Pur- gets five points to show for them. Second-half: Nine due’s guards and its collective athletic gifts did show possessions, 14 points and three fouls on Purdue. up in that sense. Ryan Cline’s first two threes both came with Anthony Cowan’s hand in his face. If you care, which I wouldn’t if I were you, here’s the itemization. Skip over if you’d like. Cowan guarded Cline in the second half and as- signed freshman Aaron Wiggins to account for Nojel First Half Gold and Black LIVE featuring the staff of GoldandBlack.com Interactive live video-stream sports talk show — ask questions, chat with other fans! For schedule visit the college page on WLFI.com. 2 P.M. FRIDAYS At a computer or mobile device near you! Special guests, analysis and more Trent Johnson, Agent GoldandBlack.com 2 tough and-one through Eifert’s foul. 3 19:39: Bruno Fernando dribbles out and passes right back out to the near side and Jalen Smith miss- 18:56: Purdue doubles Jalen Smith and forces es an open three. him to dribble out, but he passes out to Morsell, who has Ryan Cline in space in the middle of the floor 17:52. Fernando dribbles out passes off and and he’s able to make a one-on-one play and not-so- gets the ball reversed and Maryland ends up posting easy shot over Cline. 2 Jalen Smith on the opposite, but Grady Eifert comes off his first double to double that, too, and Maryland 16:00 Purdue double teams Jalen Smith and basi- winds up with an empty possession. cally chases him to his bench, consuming him to the point he can turn and throw it to Fernando alone at 15:54: Fernando dribbles out, gives it up and the rim. But after dribbles out it allowed Fernando Maryland winds up turning it over. to post up in the vacated space around the basket, and after Matt Haarms peels off to guard him, Smith 9:00: Fernando dribbles it out and reverses sprints to the basket, Haarms and Eifert get crossed to Aaron Wiggins wide open in the opposite corner up in the switch and Smith gets a dunk. 2 for a three that misses. 14:40: Purdue doubles and chases Fernando out 4:52: Fernando posts on Evan Boudreaux, of the post. The ball gets moving but Purdue winds and Aaron Wheeler doubles, without much author- up with a stop. X ity and that contributes to an easy kickout pass to Anthony Cowan at the top of the arc for a wide- 14:09: Next time down, after Carsen Edwards open three that misses. scored 1-on-2 in transition, Maryland posts Fernan- do on Haarms. This time, Ryan Cline is the doubler. 3:07: Purdue doubles Fernando and he pass- Fernando dribbles out and under pressure looks for es it out and one pass later Cowan has a wide-open Smith at the rim, but Eifert’s still with him and steals three that he makes, the first points of the game for the pass. X Maryland on a possession on which Purdue doubled the post. 4:45: Eifert comes on a delayed double on Fer- nando and gets called for a foul. 2:17: Now, next time down, Purdue dou- bles again, and this time Darryl Morsell crashes to (On the next possession, Purdue doesn’t dou- the basket unaccounted for a dunk. He’s free to do ble, and Fernando beats Haarms to the rim and gets so because his man, Carsen Edwards, has rotated to fouled.) the rim to cover Jalen Smith, who’s stationed right under the basket. 3:13: Fernando posts on Haarms and Aaron 1:31: This time, Grady Eifert bluffs for a sec- It’s All On GoldandBlack.com ond on the double team, then runs a hard double at Fernando and forces the ball out of his hands. Mary- The Best land winds up turning it over. The “bluff” might Purdue Sports have been related to where Fernando caught the ball Information or some such factor, I don’t know. I can’t claim to On The Web know Purdue’s game plan. • Real-time Second Half recruiting • Game stories, analysis and blogs 19:41: Maryland posts Fernando but Eifert stays • Premium message with Jalen Smith at the rim, but Nojel Eastern is boards • Video, audio, live stream Free trials cheating off Anthony Cowan and hanging out in events and more available! the lane. I’m not sure what’s going on here, to be • Exclusive access to premium honest, but Fernando throws it crosscourt to Cowan, information Part of the Rivals.com network who drives past the scrambling Eastern and makes a Note: GoldandBlack.com is a separate subscription than your subscription to Gold & Black Illustrated/Gold and Black EXPRESS. GoldandBlack.com 3 Wheeler comes over but they can’t run Fernando back up with, missed through contact, followed it away from the lane when he dribbles out. He’s able again and passed out to Carsen Edwards, who shot to dribble into it and pass off to Anthony Cowan, a three with a guy on his back and that’s guy’s hand who hits Jalen Smith, who Wheeler had not gotten in his face while Grady Eifert stood alone in the near back to, alone under the basket for a dunk.