Yeah, that wasn’t very enjoyable.
For exactly five minutes, the offense was on fire before the bench entered the game and all ball movement and rhythm were lost. For the duration of the game, such was the general pattern.
Purdue is a solid team that performed as expected. For that, Indiana did not have many solutions. Furthermore, the Hoosiers found it difficult to overcome their early deficit at Mackey Arena.
For most of the second half, Purdue led by around 20 points and nearly stretched it to 30. Malik Reneau fouled out with more than seven minutes to go. Ware sat for an extended stretch in the first half, then picked up his third early in the second half.
Zach Edey and Oh made a banked three-pointer. the initial one in his professional life.
An absolute catastrophe.
Three observations are as follows:
The Spinning
Mike Woodson had some choices to make because Ware was already in foul trouble and Gabe Cupps was having difficulties early on. Although he has previously expressed regret for benching Ware with two fouls, he did so again tonight, giving Payton Sparks more time in the first half.
Though he didn’t provide Indiana with the same spark as he had in previous games, Anthony Leal came in second off the bench behind Sparks. Leal and Sparks combined for a total of 29 minutes at -11 each.
Woodson has had success defending Zach Edey in the past by using his strongest player, playing Michael Durr 24 minutes, and sacrificing some offensive production at the five spot. But Sparks was forcing it too much on offense, turning it over, and failing to hit free throws.
With differing outcomes, we witnessed portions of the three guard lineup that we have always desired in both halves. As previously said, Cupps and Leal struggled on both ends of the court tonight, and Galloway became exhausted playing both as Braden Smith’s primary point guard and as the player tasked with guarding him.
Although Gunn’s second-half heat wave could prove beneficial in the long run, it came too little, too late. Though he hasn’t been reliable this season, I believe that Xavier Johnson in any form would have provided Indiana with a much-needed boost tonight.
Bench Production (As Well As A Few Pioneers)
With the exception of C.J. Gunn, Indiana’s other three bench players scored seven points in 46 minutes. Purdue, however, received nine points from Mason Gillis alone and fifteen from their bench in total.
Nor was the dearth of output confined solely to Indiana’s bench. Mackenzie Mgbako scored 12 points in silence, but she only grabbed one rebound and committed two turnovers.
Malik Reneau, who leads Purdue in scoring this season with 16.4 points per game on average, managed just 6 tonight. He has totaled 14 points in the two games against the Boilermakers.
Trey Galloway and Kel’el Ware played hard and well, but it wasn’t enough because there wasn’t any support for them. Galloway contributed 10 points and an incredible seven assists, while Ware led the squad with eight rebounds and 11 points against Zach Edey.
Next came C.J. Gunn, who finished with 13 points on 3–4 3-point shooting to rank as Indiana’s top scorer. In the first half, he appeared a little unsettled by the environment, but by the end of the game, he had calmed down and had set a new career high for points scored.
Purposeful
Purdue is a proficient basketball squad, and they managed to participate in the game this evening.
The Boilermakers’ inability to convert early 3-pointers was the primary factor keeping Indiana in the game, but once they started to fall in the second half, the game was all but gone.
Wisconsin is currently on a four-game losing streak, which makes Purdue the clear favorite to win the Big Ten once more. Maybe by more than the three-game advantage at the end of the previous season.
Whether you enjoy their style of play or not, Matt Painter has assembled a squad capable of winning the Big Ten in its current incarnation. Though they will need to demonstrate something in the NCAA tournament, they have a greater chance of avoiding another devastating defeat thanks to players like Lance Jones and a rejuvenated Braden Smith.
And now, against his in-state opponent, Mike Woodson is down to.500. Depending on how seeding works out, he may even have to prove himself in the Big Ten tournament next season. There’s a lot more basketball to be played.
