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Gold and Black Radio: Purdue-High Point talk and more

by:Derek Schultz•about 10 hours
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Gold and Black Radio

Host Derek Schultz and GoldandBlack.com men’s basketball expert Brian Neubert hash out Purdue’s impending trip to Providence, Rhode Island to face High Point in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

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ON PURDUE’S NCAA TOURNAMENT OUTLOOK

In a distinct turnabout from a year ago at this time, when Purdue went bracketeering with the weight of the world on its shoulders, this season it heads to the NCAA Tournament with only the pressure it puts on itself. No one will make the Boilermakers a punchline this season if they don’t reach a certain rarified air this month, nor does this team have a pterodactyl-sized albatross to scare off, as last year’s team did.

“Underdog” is probably too heavy a term for a premier program carrying a 4 seed, but there’s no doubt this is at least an opportunity for Purdue to surprise people again. That’s not a position it’s been in often the past few years and perhaps it’s a role this team can figure out how to embrace and channel productively these next few days. This is what losing six of nine to end the season can do to shape perception.

Purdue has personalities accustomed to flipping the bird — not that poor albatross — to perception and now gets another chance to do so, starting with the most important element of all: Defensive energy.

The Boilermakers obviously need to watch film of Round 1 opponent High Point, but a refresher on January Purdue might not hurt, too. You remember January Purdue, the one highlighted by help defenders appearing suddenly at the right place at the right time, seemingly from out of nowhere. And frenzied hands. And misdemeanor-level harassment of opposing ball-handlers. And a little honey badger of a point guard making life hell for centers and power forwards he switched onto around the rim. That was rim protection of a different form for one of the worst shot-blocking teams on the planet right now.

That all was outstanding, self-aware scheme working, but it was energy that breathed life into It.

Purdue’s not going to be that dominant defensive again this season — its schematic cards are all on the table at this point — but recapturing that energy again can make all things possible and cash in that opportunity for Purdue to surprise people again.

Related: First Look: Purdue-High Point and second round opponents – GoldandBlack.com
Purdue-High Point analysis – Sporting News
No. 4 xs. No. 13 NCAA history – Sporting News
Ranking the NCAA teams: 1-68 – Sporting News/MIke DeCourcy
On3 bracket predictions – On3.com

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