Gold and Black Radio: Pre-Rady Children's Invitational Purdue hoops talk
GoldandBlack.com’s Brian Neubert talks Purdue hoops and more with host Derek Schultz prior to the Boilermakers’ trip to San Diego to face North Carolina State in the Rady Children’s Invitational.
PURDUE HOOPS: ON ASSET MAXIMIZATION
(EXCERPTS ON A RECENT COLUMN BY BRIAN NEUBERT)
I don’t know if you know this or not, but Purdue changed its starting five for the Marshall game, a step toward committing even more to what you might call small ball, with Trey Kaufman-Renn playing center and Camden Heide moving into his forward spot.
The hope here now is for a win-win-win-win sort of situation, that this can make Kaufman-Renn a little better by playing to his strengths, even though he’s still going to play forward. Additionally, Myles Colvin gets his starting job I’d imagine he’s been hoping for, and earned it with his development as a two-way player. How much coming off the bench contributed to him making those steps, I don’t know. But it should be heartening for him to know he earned it as opposed to simply being handed it simply by being a returnee.
But a big winner here is Camden Heide, rescued from Tweenerville by this apparent guaranteed minutes share at the 4, his best fit, but a spot where Kaufman-Renn was a hard ceiling. You’ve seen him play very well lately. Comfort and fit matter. So does confidence. Related or not, Heide is 8-of-11 from three since Matt Painter voiced his displeasure with him passing up open shots.
As for Gicarri Harris and Will Berg, those moved out of the starting lineup, maybe this can spark them, too, not that either were playing badly, necessarily. It’s happened before where taking a player out of the starting five has benefited them by taking a bit of pressure off and allowing them to watch for four or five minutes.
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ON SAN DIEGO
This event in San Diego, where serendipity strikes as Purdue gets N.C. State, then either Kanon Catchings or Chris Beard, isn’t what the Boilermakers have conquered in years past in the loaded Hall of Fame Tip-Off, PK85 or Maui Invitational, but is reflective of its place in the world now.
Purdue travels to SoCal as the big dog. These are good teams, but not Duke, North Carolina, Villanova, Gonzaga, etc.
Handling that label was something Purdue did masterfully last season, but this is a new team and that understanding that heavy lies the crown applies once again.
When Purdue lost at Marquette last week, it was its first road loss in a long while in which the court wasn’t stormed.
