Houston's defense may be Purdue's greatest challenge of the season

INDIANAPOLIS — Purdue’s played Auburn, Marquette and Texas A&M, in addition to its usual gauntlet of high-end defenses in the Big Ten, but what awaits Friday night in the Sweet 16 in Lucas Oil Stadium will be different.

Houston is a different deal from anything the Boilermakers have seen this season, starting with point guard Braden Smith, who Cougar coach Kelvin Sampson compared loosely Thursday to Chris Paul and former NBA champion J.J. Barea.

“This might be the biggest challenge he’s had,” Coach Matt Painter said of Smith. “This is the No. 1 defense in the country. This is a big challenge for our team. He does a lot for us. We’re hoping through our experiences that we’ve put him in the best position to be successful.”

Purdue has come a long way from its pressure-vulnerable non-conference days, but this is going to be the biggest test yet, as the Cougars will frantically pressure and trap ball screens and post-ups and push offensive players off the spots.

Here’s a look.

Houston, winner of 28 of its last 29 games, allows just .804 points per possession and 58.4 points per game, both good for No. 1 nationally, having played a full schedule against one of the highest-scoring conferences in America and a non-conference slate that included Auburn and Alabama, as well as an NCAA Tournament game vs. Gonzaga. The Cougars played 11 games this season against top-20 KenPom offenses and finished No. 1 in defensive efficiency. Houston held 10 opponents this season below 50 points, including high-majors Utah, TCU and Oklahoma State.

Prior to its 81-76 win over Gonzaga, Kelvin Sampson’s team hasn’t allowed 70 or more points since Feb. 1.

Looking beyond mere scoring, Houston …
• Forces turnovers on 21.5 percent of its defensive possessions
• Allows just 44.3-percent shooting on two-point field goals
• Blocks 15.9 percent of the shots against it
• Allows just 37.4-percent shooting in halfcourt defense
• Allows just 51.1-percent shooting at the rim

The lists goes on. There are no areas in which opponents have been good offensively vs. Houston, though Gonzaga did just show it could score enough to have a chance at the very end after trailing by as many as 14.

“They’re as good as advertised,” said P.J. Thompson, who calls Purdue’s offense (but) some of the few holes they have in their defense are things we do really well.”

“Our approach to the game has to be from the shoulders up. We may not be the most physically imposing team, but we have to be the most intelligent. Our basketball character in that locker room has to show up.”

For Purdue it’s going to boil down to poise, decision-making and decisiveness.

Against swarming defenses like Houston’s, it’s imperative to identify gaps, trigger their activity, then find those gaps. Once those windows open, they don’t stay open long.

“We just have to look for that quick next pass,” freshman CJ Cox said. “Or be ready to catch and shoot.”

Cox and Gicarri Harris may loom large as some of Purdue’s secondary ball-handlers, especially if Purdue continues moving Smith off the ball on offense regularly.

The two freshmen had their ups and downs against pressure in November and December, but Friday night will be an opportunity to close the book entirely on freshman-year skiddishness.

Every Purdue player on the floor will be a profoundly important decision-maker, the freshmen included, on a night when the Boilermakers must find and maintain supreme offensive savvy.

“We just have to analyze the defense and see who’s open, shot-fake, pass fake, make the right passes or ball fake and shoot if you’re open,” Harris said.

For Smith, a master at manipulating second-level defenders, he’ll not only be competing with the man guarding him, but with bigs J’Wan Roberts and Joseph Tugler, the men who’ll be responsible for trapping ball screens and swarming the post.

“It starts with their bigs. I think their ball pressure is really good,” I think they can corral the ball on ball screens. They cause havoc. They’ve got quick, athletic guards that are pressuring the ball. You’re dealing with two tough defenders on you.”